PlaCeMS starts with a lean core. Everything else is added as a module: uploaded as a ZIP file, activated with one click and removable at any time. Here you'll find every module at a glance, grouped by what you need it for. How the module system itself works is explained in PlaCeMS Modular.
Core and System
Database
Small PlaCeMS projects run without any database at all – all content is stored in files. When your project grows, this module adds a MariaDB or MySQL database. Access credentials are stored encrypted, and you decide for each module individually whether it works with files or with the database. That way you switch step by step, without rebuilding anything.
More about the Database module →
The Mail module is the central post office of PlaCeMS: newsletters, registrations and notifications all go through it. Emails are sent via SMTP, with encryption and properly encoded special characters – without any third-party libraries. The provider can be swapped without any other module noticing.
More about the Mail module →
Backup
The Backup module offers two kinds of backup: a system backup as a complete clone of your website, and a data backup with all content and uploads. Data backups can run automatically on a schedule and be restored with one click. Backups are stored outside the public web folder, so they can't be reached from the internet. New modules are included automatically.
More about the Backup module →
Maintenance Mode
With one click, maintenance mode switches your entire public website to a maintenance page – instantly, without regenerating. You write the title and text in English and German, and visitors automatically see their own language. The backend stays fully accessible, so you can keep working in peace.
More about maintenance mode →
File Manager
For most tasks, the File Manager replaces your FTP program. You browse your website's folders in the browser, upload and download files, rename, delete and set permissions. Because it's a powerful tool, it is protected by its own password on top of the regular login.
More about the File Manager →
Statistics
Statistics shows you how your website is visited – without Google Analytics and without external services. You see views per day, your most popular pages, where visitors come from, which countries and at what times. No cookies are set, IP addresses are never stored in plain text, and everything is processed on your own server. Search engine bots are recognised and can be filtered out.
More about the Statistics module →
Search
Search looks through all the content on your website at once, from blog to gallery. Results appear live as you type, without reloading the page. Every search has its own address, so it can be shared. Whether a module currently works with files or with a database makes no difference to the search.
More about the Search module →
Navigation
There are three navigation modules – you use the one that fits your website and can switch at any time.
More about the navigation modules →
Nav: Standard
The classic, fixed navigation at the top of the page: a simple list of links, nothing more. You pick the targets conveniently from all your existing content and adjust the look with CSS. Deliberately lean – ideal for small websites with just a few pages.
Nav: Dropdown
The dropdown navigation opens submenus when you hover over a menu item. Each main item can have as many sub-items as you like and can be a link itself if you want. The right choice when your website has more pages than fit in one row.
Nav: Pro
Nav: Pro is the full solution: top navigation, side navigation and footer menu in one place. You build menu items from your content – blog, events, portfolio and gallery. On top of that, you get a member area in the navigation and detailed button styling.
Showing Content
Blog
The Blog module is the heart of your content: articles in English and German, written in a comfortable editor. If you like, AI helps you with texts and SEO details. Articles can have featured images and downloadable files, and older posts move to the archive. PlaCeMS creates overview pages and structured data for Google automatically.
More about the Blog module →
Events
With the Events module you manage dates with venue, price, ticket link and flyer. Visitors can filter between upcoming and past events. Past events move to the archive, where you can turn them into a blog recap with one click.
More about the Events module →
Gallery
The Gallery shows up to 30 images per gallery, each with its own title and alt text for search engines and accessibility. You change the order by drag & drop and can show or hide individual images. For the large view, you choose one of four lightbox styles per gallery.
More about the Gallery module →
Lightbox Extensions
Besides the standard pure-CSS lightbox, there are three extensions for the gallery: CSS-Pro, PhotoSwipe and LightGallery. Each has its own style, from lean and fast to swipe gestures and full screen on mobile. You only install the styles you actually want to use, and each one has its own settings.
Portfolio
The Portfolio shows your finished projects with up to six photos, a description in English and German and an optional link. It works for web designers just as well as for tradespeople, photographers or agencies. Real work convinces more than any self-description.
More about the Portfolio module →
Media
The Media module is your central video library: your own uploads and videos from YouTube or Vimeo in one place. You embed videos directly in a blog post or a gallery. YouTube and Vimeo only load when the visitor clicks play – until then, no data is sent to these services.
More about the Media module →
Downloads
In the Downloads module you manage all the files you want to offer: PDFs, ZIP archives, images, audio and video. Files are uploaded by drag & drop, and each one gets a public link you can copy. You then simply paste it wherever you need it.
Archive
The Archive collects all archived events and blog articles in one place. Your current overview stays tidy, without losing older content. Especially handy: from a past event, you create a blog draft with one click – for a recap, for example.
Reach and Communication
SocialPilot
SocialPilot publishes your posts on Facebook and Instagram, right away or at a scheduled time. You can take content straight from your blog, events or gallery, or write your own posts. AI helps with the wording, and a queue with status display shows what goes out when. If a post fails, SocialPilot automatically tries again.
More about SocialPilot →
Newsletter
With the Newsletter module you collect subscribers in a legally sound way via double opt-in and send campaigns through the Mail module. Every email contains a permanent unsubscribe link. Sent newsletters can also be published as public archive pages, including AI-assisted SEO details. That way, every newsletter also becomes content for Google.
More about the Newsletter module →
AI Chat
The AI Chat answers your visitors' questions around the clock, right on your website. You decide what it knows and how it answers. Before chatting, visitors can leave their name and email, so conversations turn into real contacts. Built-in limits keep spam from running up costs.
More about the AI Chat →
AI Prompts
The AI Prompts module manages all the instructions AI uses in PlaCeMS in one place – for blog, gallery, events, SocialPilot and newsletter, each in English and German. That way, the AI writes in your style, not just any style. When you install a new module, it creates its prompts automatically.
More about AI in PlaCeMS →
Payments, Selling and Members
Payment
The Payment module is the central checkout of PlaCeMS: donations, the shop and future subscriptions all run through it. PayPal is included, and further providers such as Stripe are added as separate building blocks, without changing the core. Credentials for payment providers are stored encrypted.
More about the Payment module →
Donate
Donate gives your website a donation button with preset amounts or a custom amount. A progress bar shows how close you are to your donation goal. Supporters can appear with their name and a message on a supporters wall – but only after you approve them. The payment itself runs securely through the Payment module.
More about the Donate module →
Shop
The Shop manages physical and digital products with real stock tracking. Prices are shown gross, with the VAT rate stated per product. Product photos are public, while digital files stay protected until they've been bought. The shop is being expanded step by step into a complete sales system.
Cart
The Cart appears as a small icon on every page and opens as an overlay. Prices and stock are re-checked on the server with every change. The browser only stores the product and quantity, never prices, so nothing can be tampered with. Payment runs through the Payment module.
Users
The Users module adds user accounts for your visitors: registration with email confirmation, login and password reset. These accounts are completely separate from admin access, so a visitor account never gets into the backend. In the backend you can lock, manually confirm or delete accounts. Users is the foundation for member areas and subscriptions.
More about the Users module →
Subscriptions (in development)
The Subscriptions module lets you offer memberships in several tiers. Higher tiers automatically see the content of lower tiers too, so you never have to unlock anything twice. It builds on the Users module, and payment via PayPal subscriptions through the Payment module is the next step.
Only What You Need
None of these modules is mandatory. You install exactly the ones your project needs and add more later as it grows. Why PlaCeMS is deliberately built this way is explained in Modular Instead of Overloaded. Questions about a module? Write to us at kontakt@placems.com.