Glossary

Structured content

Structured content is digital information organized and tagged in a predictable, reusable way. It separates content from presentation – defining what information is, not how it looks – so it can be easily stored, searched, reused and published across multiple channels and formats. Structured content is typically XML-based, with schemas or content models defining how each element is structured and related.

Description

Structured content enables organizations to manage complex information efficiently and deliver it consistently across digital experiences. Each content element – such as a product description, instruction or paragraph – is stored as a discrete component with metadata that defines its purpose and relationships.

This approach contrasts with unstructured content, where text and formatting are merged. By structuring content, teams can update information once and automatically publish the change wherever it appears – reducing duplication and improving accuracy. Structured content is both human-readable and machine-readable, enabling automation through AI-driven tagging, intelligent search and translation. It forms the foundation for efficient localization (L10n), omnichannel publishing and regulatory compliance.

Example use cases

  • Documentation: Technical documentation and support portals.
  • Self-service: Knowledge bases and self-service resources.
  • Regulation: eLearning and regulated-industry content.
  • Web: Global website management and localization.
  • AI: AI-driven tagging, search and metadata automation.

Key benefits

Reusability
Create once, reuse everywhere without reauthoring.
Consistency
Ensures updates cascade automatically across all channels.
Traceability
Enables full audit history and compliance control.
Scalability
Supports multilingual and multichannel publishing.
Scalability
Reduces authoring and localization costs.

RWS perspective

RWS helps organizations create, manage and deliver structured content through Tridion, its intelligent content platform.

Tridion enables modular content creation, governed taxonomies and omnichannel publishing, making it easier for teams to manage large volumes of multilingual and regulated content. By combining content engineering expertise with AI-enabled automation, RWS supports clients in building content ecosystems that are reusable, discoverable and ready for localization. Through Propylon and Tridion Docs, RWS extends structured content capabilities into highly regulated environments such as life sciences and legal publishing – ensuring accuracy, compliance and speed to market.