Design within the system

Call get_capabilities before designing. It returns the editor's live field definitions, allowed enum values, layout IDs, coordinated presets, typography choices and limits. These are sourced from the same files used by the visual editor.

Begin with a coordinated design

Preset	Character
`hall`	Museum lighting, framed portraits and school colors
`original`	Familiar athletic display
`museum`	Formal portraits and heritage typography
`varsity`	Bold banners and athletic recognition
`editorial`	Readable stories and editorial profiles
`gala`	Portrait circles and an awards-stage presentation
`modern`	Clean directories and a welcoming dashboard
`archive`	Photographic collections built for exploration
`commencement`	Graduate recognition with a brief cap reveal

The live capabilities response is authoritative. Apply a preset with a targeted batch:

{
  "revision": 3,
  "idempotencyKey": "heritage-design-001",
  "dryRun": true,
  "changes": [{ "action": "design", "target": "site", "fields": {
    "designPreset": "museum",
    "motionEffect": "none",
    "primaryColor": "#173D32",
    "secondaryColor": "#D5A744"
  } }]
}

Replace the revision with the current value. The preset expands the editor's actual coordinated settings; explicitly supplied fields then override that preset. Existing entry/category-specific design choices retain priority. Text and photos are preserved.

Fine-tune supported fields

Use target: "site" for branding, home layout, typography, effects and supported widgets. Use target: "category" or "entry" with an id for page-specific design settings.

All design field values are strings, except null, which removes an override and restores the underlying value. Use the exact field names and enum values returned by get_capabilities. Dates, colors, media references and field lengths are validated by the same editor validator.

{
  "action": "design",
  "target": "entry",
  "id": "ENTRY_ID_FROM_SEARCH",
  "fields": { "layout": "MuseumPlacardLayout" }
}

Do not send CSS, JavaScript, HTML fragments, arbitrary components, unknown fonts or unsupported fields. To request functionality outside the available options, explain the limitation rather than pretending to implement it.

Preview and refine

Use preview_site after saving and open the private read-only link without account login. Review the home page, a collection, a text-heavy story and a photo-heavy story at the intended display size and mobile width. Check nested scrolling areas, not just page width. Prefer legible text, restrained effects and layouts suited to the available content.

The API does not generate screenshots. A browser-capable agent can inspect and capture the preview itself. The returned URL contains a short-lived preview capability, never the connection token. Treat the full link as a secret. It expires in 10 minutes and on draft changes or connection revocation; request a fresh preview after edits. Text-only profiles use a readable story layout instead of a pretend portrait. Individual collection layout choices take precedence over the site preset.