Absolute Area
An absolute area is a contribution area that displays the same content on every page where it appears, by reading that content from a parent page. For a team, it is how the shared parts of a site or section, such as the logo, header, footer or a section banner, are maintained once. A change made at the source is reflected everywhere the area is displayed.
Definition and how it works
A regular area takes its content from the page being displayed. An absolute area takes it from an ancestor of that page (a page above it in the site tree), set by a level (0 for the home page, 1 for first-level pages and so on). If no level is set, the content comes from the site’s home page. With level 1, each first-level section can have its own banner, shared by all its sub-pages.
Absolute areas are placed in templates (page layout models) by developers, like regular areas. One option restricts editing to the parent page, so the content can only be changed from its source page. Without this option, it can be edited from any page displaying the area, which is more convenient but less controlled.
Academy documentation: rendering content
Related terms: Area · Content Reference · Content item · Template
Resources that cover this term
Absolute area vs area: the differences
An absolute area is easily confused with a regular area and with a content reference. The difference lies in where the content is stored and how far the reuse reaches.
| Term | How it differs from an absolute area |
|---|---|
| Area | A regular area displays the content of the current page. An absolute area displays the content of an ancestor page, identical on every page of the branch. |
| Content reference | A reference reuses one specific content item in a chosen place, case by case. An absolute area automatically reuses the whole content of an area on every page concerned. |
| Content fixed in the template | Content added directly to a template is part of the layout and cannot be changed in edit mode. Content in an absolute area remains editable by contributors, depending on the configuration. |
Absolute area in practice
On a portal, each main section (HR, procurement, IT) shows an information banner at the top of all its pages. The template uses a level 1 absolute area. Each section owner updates the banner once on the section page. Every sub-page follows after publication.
With editing restricted to the parent page, a contributor working on a sub-page sees the banner but cannot change it by accident. This is the setting to prefer when the shared content carries official information.
Frequently asked questions
Does editing the content of an absolute area change every page that displays it?
Yes. The content exists in a single place (the ancestor page) and every page displaying the area reads it from that source. As with any content, the change becomes visible to visitors once it is published. Before publishing, check which pages are affected, especially for a level 0 area that covers the entire site.
Should an alert banner use an absolute area or a content reference?
If the banner must appear on every page of a branch, this type of area fits, with nothing to do page by page. If the alert only concerns a handful of chosen pages, a content reference placed on those pages is the better option. The first depends on the template, the second on the contributor’s choice.
Which level should an absolute area use?
The right level is that of the page that should hold the source. At level 0, or with no level set, the content comes from the home page and applies to the whole site (a logo, a footer). At level 1, each first-level section has its own, shared by its sub-pages. The closer the level is to 0, the more pages a change affects, which is worth keeping in mind before publishing.