Quick Summary
Umbraco 18 introduces the new Library section, with Elements as the first feature inside it.
Elements are reusable content items such as CTAs, banners, teasers and shared snippets. They do not have their own page URL. They are created once, managed in the Library and selected where needed.
For marketers and editors, Umbraco 18 can reduce repeated edits, make shared content easier to find and support cleaner campaign work on large websites.
What is new in Umbraco 18?
Umbraco 18 adds a new Library section to the backoffice, and Elements are the first feature available there.
An Element is a reusable content item. It can be created and managed in the Library, then picked for use on pages through the Element Picker.
For editors, the value is plain: shared content no longer has to be hidden inside a “Global” folder in the content tree. For marketers, it gives repeated campaign content a better place to be managed
Why marketers should care about reusable content
Marketing teams reuse content every week.
A campaign CTA may appear on product pages, landing pages, event pages and blog posts. A webinar block may be reused until the event closes. A seasonal banner may be copied into multiple places. A short compliance note may need to be added to several pages in different markets.
The old way often worked, but it asked editors to remember where reusable content was stored. It also made content easier to duplicate by accident.
With Umbraco 18 Elements, reusable content can be handled as reusable content from the start.
That helps marketing teams reduce copy-and-paste work, keep shared messages consistent and make updates with fewer manual checks.
What Elements help editors do better
1. Find reusable content faster
Editors should not need to ask where a banner or CTA was hidden three years ago.
With the Library section, reusable items have a named place in the backoffice. This makes day-to-day editing easier for teams that manage large sites, multi-language content or several brands from one Umbraco installation.
A new editor can learn one rule: pages belong in the content tree, reusable pieces belong in the Library.
2. Update shared messages with fewer mistakes
Campaign content often changes after launch.
Dates change. Offers close. Event registration ends. Legal wording gets updated. Sales teams ask for a new CTA. Product naming changes before the campaign is finished.
If the same content has been copied into ten pages, the editor has to find every copy. If it exists as a reusable Element, the team has a better way to manage that shared message.
That is useful for marketing teams that need speed, but also need accuracy.
3. Reduce duplicated content
Duplicated content is easy to create and hard to clean later.
One editor creates a CTA. Another cannot find it, so they create a second one. A third editor changes the wording on a landing page. Six months later, the website has several versions of the same message.
Elements help reduce that pattern.
Shared content can be named, published and reused in a more structured way. The website becomes easier to maintain because the same content does not have to be rebuilt in many places.
4. Support campaign pages without extra build work
A good marketing website needs reusable patterns.
For example:
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A “Book a consultation” CTA used on service pages
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A “Register for webinar” block used on event and article pages
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A customer quote teaser used on industry pages
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A regional disclaimer used on country pages
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A campaign banner used during a launch period
Umbraco 18 Elements give implementation teams a native way to support these patterns. That can reduce custom workarounds and make the CMS easier to manage after handover.
What Umbraco 18 Elements change for large websites
Large websites rarely fail because one page is hard to edit. They become expensive when repeated content is handled in too many different ways.
For enterprise, public sector and multi-market websites, reusable content needs structure.
Marketing may own CTAs. Legal may review disclaimers. Product may own feature copy. Regional editors may adapt campaign pages for local markets.
Elements can support better ownership because reusable content has a specific area in the CMS, with publishing, permissions and rollback tools that fit the Umbraco editing model.
That is useful when content has brand, legal or compliance impact.
A disclaimer should not be copied loosely. A global CTA should not have five versions by accident. A campaign teaser should not be forgotten after the campaign ends.
Reusable content needs a place where teams can manage it properly.
Should you move to Umbraco 18 for Elements?
Umbraco 18 is a Standard-Term Support release. Umbraco 17 is the current Long-Term Support release. For many organisations, Umbraco 17 will be the preferred landing point for upgrade planning.
The right answer depends on your content needs.
|
Situation |
Suggested path |
|
You need a long support window for a large website |
Plan around Umbraco 17 LTS |
|
Your editors need the Library and Element Picker now |
Review Umbraco 18 |
|
Your site has many hidden shared-content folders |
Audit reusable content before upgrade |
|
You are on Umbraco 13 |
Start upgrade planning now, as EOL is approaching |
|
You want deeper reuse inside Block Editors |
Track Umbraco 19 planning |
Umbraco 18 is especially worth reviewing if your team already has repeated content patterns, campaign modules or content governance problems that keep returning.
A practical way to review your site before using Elements
Before adopting Umbraco 18 Elements, review your current content model.
Ask your editors these questions:
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Which CTAs are reused on more than three pages?
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Which banners or teasers get copied during campaigns?
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Which shared messages need legal or brand review?
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Which “Global” folders are hard for editors to understand?
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Which content items are duplicated because people cannot find the first version?
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Which reusable items should have limited publishing access?
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Which shared content should be renamed before it enters the Library?
This review helps you avoid moving old mess into a new place. It also gives your implementation team a better brief for content modelling, permissions and editor training.
What to plan with your Umbraco partner
Elements are useful, but the value depends on how they are modelled.
A good Umbraco partner should help you decide:
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Which Element Types should be allowed in the Library
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How editors should name reusable content
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Which teams can create, edit, publish or roll back Elements
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How reusable content should be tested before publishing
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How campaign blocks, CTAs and shared messages should be audited over time
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How the move from Umbraco 13, 14, 15 or 16 affects upgrade planning
For enterprise websites, this is also the right time to review accessibility, analytics tags, content approvals, release process, hosting, disaster recovery and long-term support.
Reusable content is only one part of the CMS, but it often reveals how mature the wider editing process is.
Umbraco Partner Consultation
Phases is an Umbraco Gold Contributing Partner with long experience in Umbraco builds, upgrades, migrations and enterprise CMS delivery.
We help teams review existing Umbraco content models, plan upgrades, improve editor workflows and build CMS structures that marketing teams can use without relying on constant developer support.
If your website already has hidden shared-content folders, repeated CTAs, campaign blocks or older Umbraco versions approaching end-of-life, Umbraco 18 is a good reason to review the structure now.
A senior Umbraco engineer from Phases.io can help assess:
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Whether Umbraco 17 LTS or Umbraco 18 is the better fit
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Which reusable content can become Elements
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What should wait for Umbraco 19
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What risks exist in the current content model
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How to plan the upgrade with less disruption for editors
Planning an Umbraco upgrade or reviewing reusable content in your CMS? Share your current Umbraco version and one example of repeated content on your site. Phases.io can help you map the safest next step before you commit to a build plan.