Glossary

Structured content authoring

Structured content authoring is the process of creating modular, reusable content components that are tagged with metadata and organized according to predefined schemas or content models. It separates content from presentation so that each element – such as a paragraph, table or instruction – can be reused, localized and published consistently across multiple channels.

Description

Structured content authoring enables distributed teams to collaborate on content that is accurate, compliant and ready for reuse. Instead of static documents, authors work in XML-based environments such as Tridion Docs and Fonto, using templates and taxonomies that define meaning and relationships.

Publication managers create the structure and content components, while writers populate and refine them. Each component can be reviewed independently, maintaining granular access rights and audit trails for accountability. This approach is particularly valuable in regulated industries – such as finance, healthcare and manufacturing – where precision and document version control are critical. By decoupling form from content, organizations can maintain one authoritative source that feeds multiple formats (print, web, eLearning content and mobile).

Example use cases

  • Finance: Financial and regulatory documentation.
  • Life sciences: Medical devices and life-sciences submissions.
  • Teams: Distributed authoring across multilingual teams.
  • Manuals: Technical documentation and user manuals.
  • Digital: Global digital content creation.

Key benefits

Reusability
Eliminates content drift by reusing approved modules.
Auditability
Tracks every change and user contribution.
Governance
Supports role-based access and version control.
Efficiency
Reduces authoring and localization time.
Efficiency
Ensures consistency and compliance across publications.

RWS perspective

RWS empowers teams to create modular, intelligent content through Tridion Docs, its enterprise-grade CCMS designed for structured authoring.

Fonto, RWS’s intuitive XML editor, extends this capability to Subject-matter experts (SMEs) who need a simple, browser-based environment for collaboration. By combining human expertise with AI-driven automation, RWS helps organizations author once, govern effectively and publish everywhere – with full traceability and accuracy.