How To Automate Rich Text Into the Webflow CMS

Watch: How To Automate Rich Text Into the Webflow CMS

In today's video, I am going to show a quick little tutorial that will allow you to send customer-generated rich text like links, checklists, headings to the Webflow CMS without using the editor. This 2021 lesson uses a Markdown submission field and a conversion step. Current form tools may offer different input options. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 00:22 Use case for user-generated content 01:50 How to setup the workflow 04:17 Markdown to HTML in Zapier 05:18 Markdown to HTML in Integromat 🛠 CREATE YOUR ACCOUNTS: https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/airtable https://www.connorfinlayson.com/a/webflow

Convert, validate, then map the field

The original lesson converts submitted Markdown into HTML before updating a Webflow rich text field. Webflow's field reference accepts rich text as an HTML-formatted string. The API documentation also notes that rich-text code blocks are not supported.

For example, accept this small Markdown input:

## My services

I build **directory websites**.

- Listing pages
- Search filters

A Markdown converter should produce equivalent HTML:

<h2>My services</h2>
<p>I build <strong>directory websites</strong>.</p>
<ul><li>Listing pages</li><li>Search filters</li></ul>

Store the original submission and the converted result separately. Sanitize the HTML before mapping it into the Collection's actual rich text field slug. Allow only the formatting your site needs. Remove scripts, event handlers, and unsafe link protocols. Markdown conversion alone does not make user content safe.

Use the authenticated user's authorized record as the update target. Keep an item ID for retries so a failed update does not create another CMS item. Test headings, lists, links, empty content, and malformed input on staging. Read back the item and inspect the rendered page before publishing.

You can first collect Webflow submissions in Airtable, then review formatted submissions before syncing.