How can I make my CMS Сollections in Webflow open a popup to view details instead of loading a separate page? I have been unable to find a solution.

To open CMS Collection item details in a popup (modal) instead of navigating to a new page in Webflow, you’ll need to dynamically load content into a modal using only native Webflow features or minimal custom code.

1. Create the CMS Collection List

• Add a Collection List to your page and bind it to your CMS Collection.
• Inside each Collection Item, include elements like thumbnail, title, summary, etc.
• Add a button or link (e.g., “View Details”) that will trigger the modal.

2. Design the Modal Structure

• Outside the Collection List, create a modal component with:
• A div block for the modal container (use fixed positioning and give it a high z-index).
• A close button.
• Inside the modal, add text/image elements that will later show the clicked item’s content.
• Set this modal to be hidden by default (display: none).

3. Use Component IDs or Attributes for Targeting

• In the Collection List, assign custom attributes to each “View Details” button like:
• data-title, data-image, data-summary — populated dynamically from the CMS fields.
• Example: Use Webflow’s custom attributes in the settings panel of the button:
• data-title = cms_field_title
• data-body = cms_field_body

4. Add JavaScript to Fill and Open Modal

• Add a small script in the page’s before custom code section in Page Settings:
• The script should:
  • Listen for click events on the “View Details” buttons.
  • Read their data-attributes.
  • Inject the content into the modal’s elements.
  • Set the modal’s display to flex or block.
  • Handle the Close button.

(Note: Webflow doesn’t allow dynamic content binding into a modal this way by default—you need JS for this. CMS content isn’t dynamically injected into a modal via Designer.)

5. Prevent Modal Content from Indexing by Search Engines (Optional)

• Add aria-hidden="true" or use display: none on load to make sure the modal content isn’t indexed or interferes with accessibility until opened.

6. Preview and Test Responsiveness

• Ensure the modal works correctly on all breakpoints.
• Make sure keyboard focus, scroll lock, and animation (like fade-in) are applied for better UX.

Summary

You can show CMS item details in a popup instead of a new page by using:

• Custom attributes to pass CMS data to a modal,
• A static modal structure outside the Collection List,
• And JavaScript to dynamically populate and show the modal on click.

This setup preserves a single-page structure while still presenting rich CMS content interactively.