Configuration

Unfold CMS uses a layered configuration system. Most settings are managed through the admin panel, with sensible defaults defined in configuration files. This page covers all configuration areas and how they work together.

How Settings Work

Unfold CMS has three layers of configuration:

Environment variables (.env) — Server-level settings like database credentials and app key
Config files (config/site.php) — Default values for all CMS settings
Database settings — User-configured values set through the admin panel

When the CMS reads a setting, it checks the database first. If no value is stored there, it falls back to the config file default. This means:

Fresh installations use the config file defaults automatically
Admin panel changes are saved to the database and take priority
You never need to edit config files unless you want to change defaults before installation

Reading Settings

In PHP/Controllers:

// Using the Setting model (with default value)
$value = Setting::get('comments.enabled', true);

// Using the global helper (recommended)
$value = setting_get('comments.enabled', true);

// Settings automatically fall back to config/site.php defaults
// No need for manual fallback with config()

In Blade Templates:

{{-- Using @setting directive --}}
@setting('comments.enabled', true)

{{-- Using helper function --}}
{{ setting_get('comments.enabled', true) }}

{{-- Conditional rendering --}}
@if(setting_get('comments.enabled'))
    <div class="comments-section">
        <!-- Comments here -->
    </div>
@endif

Available Helper Functions:

Function	Description	Example
`setting_get($key, $default)`	Get a setting value	`setting_get('app.name', 'Unfold')`
`setting_set($key, $value)`	Set a setting value	`setting_set('app.name', 'My Site')`
`setting_has($key)`	Check if setting exists	`setting_has('app.logo')`
`user_setting_get($key, $default)`	Get user-specific setting	`user_setting_get('theme', 'light')`
`user_setting_set($key, $value)`	Set user-specific setting	`user_setting_set('theme', 'dark')`

Environment Configuration

The .env file in your project root contains server-specific settings. Unfold CMS uses standard Laravel environment variables.

Standard Laravel Settings

For detailed information about Laravel's standard environment variables, see the official Laravel documentation:

Application Configuration - APP_NAME, APP_ENV, APP_KEY, APP_DEBUG, APP_URL, etc.
Database Configuration - DB_CONNECTION, DB_HOST, DB_PORT, DB_DATABASE, etc.
Mail Configuration - MAIL_MAILER, MAIL_HOST, MAIL_PORT, MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS, etc.
Cache Configuration - CACHE_STORE, REDIS_HOST, etc.
Session Configuration - SESSION_DRIVER, SESSION_LIFETIME, etc.

CMS-Specific Environment Variables

These variables are unique to Unfold CMS:

Variable	Description	Default
`PRODUCT_TIER`	CMS tier (core, pro, agency)	`pro`
`LICENSE_API_URL`	License server URL	`https://unfoldcms.com/api/license`
`QUEUE_CONNECTION`	Must be `sync` for shared hosting	`sync`

Important: Unfold CMS requires QUEUE_CONNECTION=sync for shared hosting compatibility. All tasks execute synchronously — no queue workers are needed.

Warning: Always set APP_DEBUG=false and APP_ENV=production on live servers. Debug mode exposes sensitive information.

Admin Panel Settings

All CMS settings are managed through the admin panel at /admin/settings. Each tab provides labels, descriptions, and default values. Refer to the admin panel for the complete list of available settings.

Settings are organized into tabs: General, SEO, Permalinks, Blog, Comments, Media, Email, Cache, Maintenance, Authentication, Notifications, Sitemap, Cookie Consent, Contact Form, Security, Social Links, and Template.

Pro-Only Settings

The following settings are available in the Pro and Agency tiers:

Category	Settings
Analytics	Google Analytics 4 tracking ID, property ID, service account, cache duration
Newsletter	Enable/disable, double opt-in, list management
Backup	Frequency, type, time, retention, storage location
Unsplash	API integration for stock photos
Support Tickets	Max attachments, file size, auto-close days
AI Content	Provider selection, API keys, model configuration, temperature
Social Login	Google, GitHub, Facebook OAuth configuration

Configuration Files

All default settings are defined in config/site.php. This file serves as the single source of truth for default values and is organized into numbered sections matching the admin panel tabs.

For template-specific configuration, see:

Template Development — template.json and options.json schemas
Configuration Files Reference — Complete JSON schema reference

Installation Posts & Pages