What Swell controls vs Framer
Understand which platform controls what data so you know where to make changes.
The simple rule
Swell is the source of truth for all product and commerce data.
Framer controls design, layout, and styling.
Detailed breakdown
Swell controls (commerce data)
Data | Managed in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Product titles | Swell | Sync to update canvas |
Product descriptions | Swell | Sync to update canvas |
Product images | Swell | Sync to update canvas |
Prices | Swell | Live site fetches automatically |
Sale prices | Swell | Live site fetches automatically |
Variants (options) | Swell | Live site fetches automatically |
Inventory/stock | Swell | Live site fetches automatically |
Categories | Swell | Sync to update canvas |
Checkout | Swell | Hosted checkout page |
Orders | Swell | Order management in Swell dashboard |
Customers | Swell | Customer data in Swell dashboard |
Framer controls (design)
Data | Managed in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Page layouts | Framer | Design freely |
Component styling | Framer | Fonts, colours, spacing, etc. |
Navigation | Framer | Menu structure, links |
Static content | Framer | About pages, contact info, etc. |
Animations | Framer | Transitions, hover effects |
Responsive design | Framer | Breakpoints, mobile layouts |
Can I edit products in Framer CMS?
Technically yes, but don't. Any edits you make in Framer CMS will be overwritten on the next sync.
The CMS is a design snapshot, not a database. Always make product changes in Swell.
What happens if data conflicts?
The live site always wins. If your canvas shows "$50" but Swell has "$45", customers will see $45.
This is intentional — Swell is the source of truth for commerce.