CW Simple Site started as a lightweight static site solution — now CMSbyCW adds blog, media, and all the features you need without ever risking your content.

About How This Started (long story)

CW Simple Site began as a necessity, not a product idea.

After more than 17 years with the same web host, I was forced to migrate to a new provider. During that transition, I discovered that a core part of my site — an Audio Bible Playlist that had been running in WordPress using a playlist plugin — could not be cleanly transferred or preserved.

What I thought would be a routine migration turned into a frustrating realization:  the playlist, the layout, and the behavior I depended on were tightly coupled to WordPress core and plugins. Rebuilding it inside WordPress would have meant starting over — again — with the same risks of future updates overwriting customizations.

So instead of rebuilding the plugin dependency, I built the playlist itself.

That decision quietly changed everything.

From One Playlist to a Complete CMS

The first goal was simple:
recreate the Audio Bible Playlist in a way that would never be overwritten by updates.

That led to:

* A file-based structure instead of a database
* JSON-driven content with static HTML fallbacks
* Full control over layout, audio, and playlists
* No core updates or plugin updates that could break the site

As the system grew, it became clear that this wasn’t just a playlist replacement — it was a lightweight, reliable CMS.

CW Simple Site (and later CMSbyCW) was built to solve a very specific problem:

 “How do I keep my site working exactly the way I designed it, without surprises?”

Why CMSbyCW Is Different

CMSbyCW is intentionally simple and predictable.

* No database to corrupt
* No forced auto-updates
* No plugin dependency chains
* No background processes changing your site

Everything lives in files you can see, back up, and move with FTP.

If you’ve ever had a site altered, broken, or wiped out by updates or migrations, this system was built for you — because it was built *after that happened to me*.

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Sample: Audio Bible Playlist

Below is a small sample of the Audio Bible Playlist that started it all — 3 audio files demonstrating autoplay, highlighting, and looping.

https://www.cmsbycw.com/post.php?slug=the-word-became-flesh-john-11-18-kjv

For the full experience, see the complete 475-file playlist on the live website — all running without a database.

https://www.christianlifegroups.com/Audio-Gospel.html

What began as a replacement for a WordPress plugin became the foundation of a CMS designed for stability, control, and long-term reliability.

Product Evolution

CW Simple Site was my first package: fully static HTML, pulling header and footer files, reliable, portable, and immune to hosting mishaps. Over time, it evolved into CMSbyCW, a simple but expandable CMS with blogging, login, search, comments, contact forms, audio/video playlists, and even a share widget I built over 10 years ago — all still working!

This shows the evolution from a stable static site to a flexible, lightweight CMS with the bells and whistles you need, without the risks of database corruption or plugin conflicts.

“This CMS is not for everyone”

CW Simple Site – Not for You If:

• You want dynamic, database-driven functionality by default
• You rely heavily on multiple plugins for core features
• You expect SaaS-style hosting with zero setup

CW Simple Site – Perfect For:

• Lightweight, static sites
• Full control over layouts and content
• Sites that must survive hosting disasters

CMSbyCW – Not for You If:

• You want a fully hosted, database-heavy SaaS system
• You expect automatic plugin updates to add functionality

CMSbyCW – Perfect For:

• Small but expandable CMS
• Blogging, search, comments, and media playlists
• People who want control without risking content loss

“What Survives Hosting Disasters?” 

• Static HTML pages and layouts (CW Simple Site)
• Header and footer structures
• Blog content, comments, and user-generated content (CMSbyCW)
• Audio and video playlists
• Flexible 1–4 column page layouts, fully responsive
• Share widgets and custom integrations
• Hardcoded navigation links — resilient against server issues and plugin failures
• Expandable features or flexibility 
  • Optional header hiding for clean landing pages — no blank template hacks needed.
• Built-in contact forms — simple, reliable, and fully under your control.
• Landing Page Ready
  • “Landing Page Mode — Hide header & footer for single-purpose pages.”
• Proven stability: installed on 25+ sites, the reused theme is battle-tested over 10+ years

Your site survives because CW Simple Site keeps everything under your control.

Calm Trust Statement About Updates & Licensing

Both CW Simple Site and CMSbyCW are designed so your work is safe: no core updates or plugins overwrite your content, and licensing unlocks features based on the domains you control. Expirations and renewals are handled gracefully without breaking your site.

Updates and licenses work for you — not against you.

A Blessing in Disguise

What started as a hosting disaster became a freeing opportunity. By removing database dependencies, plugins, and update risks, CW Simple Site and CMSbyCW will run smoothly .. it's like future-proofing it. Now, instead of being tied to unreliable hosts or unpredictable updates, you get full control, stability, and peace of mind — and the same system can be packaged for others who want a reliable, lightweight CMS.

Why CW Simple Site / CMSbyCW?

• Started from real hosting disasters — built for reliability
• Lightweight, portable, and fully under your control
• File-based (CW Simple Site) or small CMS (CMSbyCW) depending on your needs
• Flexible 1–4 column layouts for content
• Optional header hiding for landing pages
• Built-in contact forms and share widgets
• Hardcoded navigation links survive hosting disasters
• Expandable features without risk
• Domain-based licensing with 1–3 site activations
• Stability: no "one click installation" will overwrite it.  You change it yourself, no surprises!

Choose the package that fits your site today.