Powerslice Gadget

In this module, you will learn about the Power Slice Gadget in Optimizely CMS. This gadget is a powerful tool for auditing and managing content across your website. It helps you quickly identify the status of content items, where they are being used, and whether they are unused.

After completing this module, you should be able to:

• Explain the purpose of the Power Slice Gadget.
• Track the publishing status of content items.
• Identify where specific content or media is being used.
• Detect unused content and decide whether to retain or remove it.
• Use Power Slice to audit and maintain content hygiene across the CMS.

Purpose of the Gadget

The Power Slice Gadget provides a high-level overview of content usage and status within the CMS. It allows editors and administrators to quickly see whether items are:

• Published or in draft mode.
• Currently in use across the website.
• Not being used at all (e.g., unused blocks or media).

This makes it an essential tool for keeping the CMS clean, up-to-date, and free of unnecessary or outdated content.

How It Works

• The gadget lists all content items and their statuses.
• Editors can filter content to focus on items of interest.
• By selecting a specific content item, you can view:
• Its current status (published, draft, etc.).
• How many times it is being used.
• Where exactly it is being used (e.g., a product page, block, or media file).
• The system displays clear indicators (such as banners) showing the relationships between items.

Content Auditing Features

Power Slice is especially useful for auditing. Two key features include:

• Unused Media: Identifies media files uploaded into the CMS but not linked or embedded anywhere.
• Unused Blocks: Highlights blocks that have been created but are not used on any page or content item.

These insights help teams regularly clean up the CMS by deleting, archiving, or reassigning unused content.

Commerce Integration

If your CMS is connected to a commerce setup, the Power Slice Gadget also provides insights into products. You can:

• View all available products in the catalog.
• Track where specific products are being used.
• Click directly into products to review or edit them.

Best Practices

• Run regular audits (weekly, monthly, or quarterly depending on your content volume).
• Use Power Slice to track unused content and decide whether to delete or repurpose it.
• Leverage the gadget to quickly identify where a content change will have an impact before editing.

To explore how the Power Slice Gadget works in practice, check out this demo: