Automated templates
Create standard visual templates that can be automatically applied to new and existing content, creating one central place to change that look across a group of content on a site.
Easily editable content
Once your content is separate from the visual presentation of your site, it usually becomes much easier and quicker to edit and manipulate. Most CMS software include WYSIWYG editing tools allowing non-technical individuals to create and edit content.
Scalable feature sets
Most CMS have plug-ins or modules that can be easily installed to extend an existing site's functionality.
Web standards upgrades
Active CMS solutions usually receive regular updates that include new feature sets and keep the system up to current web standards.
Workflow management
Workflow is the process of creating cycles of sequential and parallel tasks that must be accomplished in the CMS. For example, a content creator submits a story but it's not published on the website until the copy editor cleans it up, and the editor-in-chief approves it.
Document management
CMS solutions may provide a means of managing the life cycle of a document from initial creation time, through revisions, publication, archive, and document destruction.

Terminology
The following terms are often used in relation to web content management systems but they may be neither standard nor universal:
Block
A block is a link to a section of the web site. Blocks can usually be specified to appear on all pages of the site (for example in a lefthand navigation panel) or only on the home page.
Module
A content module is a section of the web site, for example a collection of news articles, an FAQ section, etc. Some content management systems may also have other special types of modules, for example administration and system modules.
Theme
A theme specifies the cosmetic appearance of every page of the web site, controlling properties such as the colours and the fonts.
Module-based CMS
Most tasks in a document's life-cycle are served by CMS modules. Common modules are document creation/editing, transforming and publishing.
TODDS CMS
TODDS is a system that was created to counteract the MOSS System. It is an acronym that stands for Totally Organic Data Driven System.
Document transformation language-based CMS
Another approach to CMS building with use of open standards. XSLT-based CMS compile ready documents from XML data and XSLT-template. XML Sapiens-based CMS compile a document from the stream of ‘pure’ data, design template and functionality templates.
Web-based CMS
Another approach to CMS building uses databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL or MS SQL, and scripting languages or tools such as ColdFusion, PHP, jsp or ASP to interact with the data to parse them into visual content. Data stored in a database are queried and compiled into html pages or other documents and transformed using cascading style sheets. These systems can include a number of other functions, such as discussion boards, blogs, or email newsletters.