General FAQ

#What do the different publish settings mean?

CMS Max provides four visibility settings for pages, blog posts, events, products, and other content:

1. Public — Accessible to anyone on the internet. Only Public content appears in site search results, categories, and sitemaps.
2. Password Protected — Visitors must enter a password to view the content. Hidden from search, related content suggestions, categories, and sitemaps.
3. Draft — Not accessible to anyone. Use this while building or revising content that is not ready to go live.
4. Logged In Users Only — Visible only to visitors who are logged into an account. Also hidden from search, categories, and sitemaps.

The key distinction is that Public is the only setting that makes content discoverable through your site's search and navigation features.

For full details on combining visibility with crawl settings, see Site Visibility and Crawl Settings.

#How do I add a search bar to my site?

CMS Max does not include a site-wide search bar by default. Here are your options:

• Blog search — Go to your blog settings and toggle Show Search to add a search bar to your blog section.
• Ecommerce search — Installing the Ecommerce plugin automatically enables a search page at yourdomain.com/search, product search widgets, category filtering, and brand filtering.
• Site-wide search — Add the Search bar and search button widget to any page or theme section using the Insert Widget tool. This allows visitors to search across your entire site.

#What are the auto-generated system pages?

CMS Max automatically creates several pages that cannot be deleted but can be fully customized to match your brand. These pages are required for your site to work correctly:

Content pages:

• Home Page (/) — Your homepage
• Blog Index (/blog) — Hub for all blog posts
• Careers (/careers) — Job listings
• Events (/events) — Event calendar
• Store Locations (/locations) — Physical locations
• Password Protected — Gateway page for restricted content

Account pages:

• Register (/register) — New account creation
• Forgot Password (/forgot-password) — Password reset

Utility pages:

• 404 Error Page — Handles invalid URLs
• Search Results (/search) — Displays search results

You can customize the design, layout, content, and SEO settings of all system pages.

#How do voids and refunds work?

CMS Max supports two methods for reversing charges, depending on the transaction's settlement status:

Void (for unsettled transactions):

• Cancels the charge before it processes fully
• Must void the entire amount — partial voids are not supported
• Funds are released immediately
• Typically available same-day before overnight processing

Refund (for settled transactions):

• Returns funds after the charge has completed
• Supports full or partial refund amounts
• Takes 5–10 business days to process
• Available after the nightly settlement batch

CMS Max automatically shows the appropriate Void or Refund button based on the transaction's current status. You can process multiple partial refunds on the same transaction as long as the total does not exceed the original charge.

#How long does DNS propagation take when switching to CMS Max?

When your domain switches over to CMS Max, there is a propagation period where your old and new sites may alternate when you refresh your browser. This is normal and expected.

Propagation typically takes 5 minutes to 24 hours. Avoid repeatedly refreshing your browser or contacting your marketing team during this period — the back-and-forth switching is a sign the transition is in progress, not that something is wrong.

Contact support only if the issue persists beyond 36 hours.

#How does CMS Max compare to WordPress?

CMS Max is a purpose-built, managed CMS with hosting, security, and features included. Key differences:

CMS Max is a good fit if you want: speed, security, and ecommerce without managing plugins and vendors, or if you want a single partner for your platform, hosting, and support.

WordPress may be a better fit if you want: a simple blog on a tight budget, maximum theme/plugin flexibility, or if you have existing in-house WordPress expertise.

Migrating from WordPress to CMS Max is supported and includes content, media, redirects, and SEO settings.

#What technology does CMS Max run on?

CMS Max is built on modern, enterprise-grade technology:

• Framework: Laravel (PHP), known for performance and security
• Frontend: Livewire, Alpine.js, and Tailwind CSS for fast, responsive interfaces
• Hosting: Laravel Cloud with CDN, autoscaling, and 99.9% uptime
• Security: SOC 2 Type II and SOC 1 Type II certified; WAF/DDoS protection and automated SSL
• Integrations: Stripe Connect, Google Merchant Center, TaxJar, Mailgun, and others