PageBuilder
Visual section builder for MODX 3. Draft and publish without overwriting resource content
PageBuilder
You build the page from sections in the Sections tab in MODX. While you edit, changes stay as a draft. After Publish, the same layout goes live. The resource Content field is not used for sections. On the storefront, the PageBuilder snippet renders the blocks.
Sidebar groups: getting started, editor, frontend, Pro, developer notes, plus separate lists of field types and sections. Start here: Quick start.
Features
Resource editor
On the Sections tab you get a block table: add from the catalog, drag-and-drop and Alt+↑/↓, duplicate, copy sections from another page. Deleted sections go to the page trash; you can restore or clear them. The inspector edits content and settings. Draft preview opens in a drawer via a signed link, without publishing. Undo/redo works in the current session. Before publish, the editor validates required fields and opens the inspector on the first error.
Draft and publish
Edits go to the draft. After Publish, the same layout goes live. Unpublish clears the published version; the draft stays. On save the server checks the revision number so concurrent edits do not overwrite each other.
Free: sections and fields
11 built-in types: hero, richtext, gallery, faq, cta, cards, contact, stats, testimonials, image, spacer. In the CMP you can edit the catalog, hide built-in types, and add custom ones via JSON (pagebuilder_manage_types). 30 field types in the inspector: text, richtext, repeater, file, select, and more. Some fields support per-breakpoint values (responsive).
PageBuilder Pro
Global section library, version snapshots and event log, presets, Agent API for scripts and agents. CMP Basket restores deleted sections and table rows across resources. Pro catalog: features, video, team, tabs, maps, forms, miniShop3 commerce blocks (product grids, brands, pricing, and more). 20 more field types: gallery, map, relation, table, embeddedTable, and more.
Resource tables
The Tables tab stores large row sets in the DB: filters, CSV/JSON import, bulk delete. On the storefront, PageBuilderTableRows outputs rows. The data_table section (Pro) embeds a small table in the section JSON.
UTM and contexts
Set up a UTM registry in the CMP. In section settings you can limit output by MODX context and UTM. Snippets PageBuilderUtmSession and PageBuilderUtmUrl help on landing pages. Fields support the {{utm:key}} placeholder.
Collections and CMP
With collections_enabled, resource tabs (sections, tables, iframe, and more) are configured in the CMP. Extras → PageBuilder lists resources with sections and manages section types.
Snippets, Public API, and events
PageBuilder outputs section HTML, PageBuilderResource renders another resource’s sections, PageBuilderSitemap builds an XML sitemap. Public API returns published sections as JSON for headless frontends (api.php). pbOn* events hook plugins into save, publish, render, and section type registration. See workflow, cmp, pro.
Requirements
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| MODX Revolution | 3.0.3+ |
| PHP | 8.2+ |
| VueTools | 1.1.2+ (manager editor) |
| pdoTools | 3.0+ (Fenom in section chunks) |
| miniShop3 | optional, for Pro catalog sections |
Packages
| Extra | Version | Contents |
|---|---|---|
pagebuilder | 1.0.1-beta | Free: core, 11 sections, CMP, snippets |
pagebuilderpro | 1.0.1-beta | Pro: requires pagebuilder ≥ 1.0.1, extended catalog and features |
MODX namespace: pagebuilder.
Quick links
| Need | Document |
|---|---|
| Feature overview | Key features |
| Install and first page | Quick start |
All pagebuilder_* keys | System settings |
| Draft, publish, basket | Workflow |
| CMP: Blocks, UTM, Collections, Pro basket | CMP |
Permissions, pbOn* events, data model | Manager and events |
| Template, preview, snippet cache | Frontend output |
| CSS tokens and section BEM | Design system |
| JSON for headless | Public API |
| Snippets and parameters | Snippets |
| Pro features | PageBuilder Pro |
| Scripts and agents | Agent API |
| Custom sections and extensions | Developer |
| 50 inspector field types | Field types reference |
| 34 built-in blocks | Section catalog |
| Troubleshooting | FAQ |
Entry points
| URL / path | Purpose |
|---|---|
CMP pagebuilder → index | Resource catalog with sections, section types (Pro) |
assets/components/pagebuilder/connector.php | MGR API (VueTools) |
assets/components/pagebuilder/preview.php | Draft preview in iframe |
assets/components/pagebuilder/api.php | Public API: published sections as JSON (headless) |
Snippet [[!PageBuilder]] | Published section HTML on the site |
Permissions
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
pagebuilder_view | Sections tab, catalog, preview token |
pagebuilder_save | Save draft and publish (fallback: save_document) |
pagebuilder_manage_types | CMP “Section types” (no fallback to view) |
Access to a specific resource is also checked by MODX policy (view, save).