How to Build Custom Webflow CMS Features with ChatGPT & AI

What I Was Trying to Build With Webflow CMS (And Why I Couldn’t Do It Natively)

I was working on a new directory site called The Running Directory Canada. It helps you find run clubs and races in your city.

I needed a weekly schedule feature that would:

• Group events by day.
• Reorder the days so that today's day always comes first.
• Maybe add some CMS sliders to optimize it for web and mobile.

The native Webflow CMS doesn't allow for a lot of the things natively, which is why you typically have to turn to third-party tools like Finsweet Attributes.

When Webflow CMS Fails, Finsweet Is the First Place to Turn

Whenever Webflow’s CMS doesn’t have the features I need, my first stop is Finsweet Attributes. It’s a free library of powerful scripts that solve common CMS limitations in Webflow.

Some of the most useful Finsweet Attributes include:

• CMS Slider – Lets you connect CMS items to a Webflow slider.
• CMS Filters – Allows users to filter and sort CMS items dynamically.
• Load More / Infinite Scroll – Helps optimize large collections by showing a few items first, then loading more when needed.

Most of the time, Finsweet Attributes is the easiest way to add missing CMS features in Webflow. But in this case, my use case was too specific. I needed something that didn’t exist in their library. So, I decided to see if AI could help me build a custom solution.

Using AI to Build a Custom CMS Feature

I wanted to build a script that would take events from my Webflow CMS and automatically place them into the right day inside my calendar.

To do this, I looked at how other CMS scripts work. For example, the CMS Slider pulls CMS items from a collection list and places them inside a static slider. I realized I could apply the same logic to move events into a calendar.

Here’s the approach I took:

1. Create a static version of my calendar in Webflow with a block for each day.
2. Pull in a Webflow CMS Collection containing all my events.
3. Use ChatGPT to generate a script that matches events to the right day and places them inside the calendar.

And that’s exactly what I did. Now, let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Creating a Static Calendar and Sorting CMS Events into the Right Days

The first step was to build the calendar layout inside Webflow. Since Webflow doesn’t allow CMS items to be grouped dynamically within a single list, I needed a different approach.

Here’s how I set it up:

1. Built a Static Calendar – I created a simple grid layout with seven div blocks, one for each day of the week. Each block had a day name and date placeholder.
2. Added a CMS Collection – I pulled in a Webflow CMS Collection with all my events. Each event had a field for its day of the week.
3. Used ChatGPT to Write the Script – I asked ChatGPT to create a script that sorts events by their weekday field and places them inside the correct div. It also showed me how to use custom attributes so the script could match CMS items to the right day.

Once I published the site, it worked perfectly—events automatically appeared under the correct day without needing multiple Collection Lists.

Step 2: Reordering the Days So “Today” Is Always First

Once I had events appearing under the correct day, the next challenge was making sure the current day always showed first when someone visited the site.

By default, my calendar started on Monday, but I wanted it to automatically adjust based on the day of the week. That way, if someone visited on a Friday, Friday would be the first day displayed, followed by Saturday, Sunday, and so on.

Here’s what I asked ChatGPT to do:

1. Detect the current day when the page loads.
2. Move that day’s div to the front so today is always the first day shown.
3. Update the date labels so they always match the correct weekday and number.

The script worked perfectly. Now, every time the page loads, the calendar automatically starts with the current day, and the remaining days follow in order. No manual updates needed.

Step 3: Optimizing the Layout for Desktop and Mobile

The calendar was working, but it took up too much space—especially on mobile. I needed a cleaner, more user-friendly layout that worked well on both desktop and mobile screens.

Here’s how I optimized it:

• Desktop View: I asked ChatGPT to create a 3-day slider for larger screens. It generated a simple script that allowed users to scroll through the week using next/prev buttons. This kept the layout compact while still showing enough information at a glance.
• Mobile View: Sliders can feel clunky on smaller screens, so instead, I requested a stacked layout. The script initially shows two days at a time, with an option to expand the full week when needed.

The result? A calendar that adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes, making it easy to navigate no matter what device you're using.

Final Optimizations & Live Version

To make the calendar even more user-friendly, I limited how many events are displayed per day. This prevents days with too many events from stretching the layout too much.

If there are more events than the set limit, a "View More" button appears, allowing users to expand and see the rest.

You can check out the live version of my calendar here:
👉 The Running Directory - Ottawa

I’m constantly making updates and testing new ideas to improve it.

Now, I want to share some of the key lessons I learned from using ChatGPT to write my scripts.

Other Use Cases for Webflow CMS + AI

Building my CMS calendar showed me how much AI can enhance Webflow’s capabilities. Instead of being limited by native features, I was able to create exactly what I needed with a few well-structured prompts.

This got me thinking—what else could AI help automate inside Webflow’s CMS?

Here are a few other ways you can use ChatGPT + Webflow CMS to build custom functionality:

1. Advanced CMS Sorting & Reordering – Dynamically reorder CMS items based on the current date, user interactions, or other real-time factors.
2. Automated CMS Data Formatting – Generate scripts that clean, modify, or restructure CMS data on the front end (e.g., auto-formatting dates, restructuring user-generated content, or converting text formats).
3. CMS-Powered Interactive Filters – Create multi-step filtering, conditional visibility rules, or even personalized content recommendations that adjust based on user behavior.
4. Smart Tagging & Categorization – Automatically tag and categorize CMS items based on keywords, metadata, or structured prompts.
5. Dynamic User Input Processing – Allow users to submit data that seamlessly integrates with your CMS, with AI-powered validation, formatting, or data enrichment.
6. CMS-Based Conditional Display Logic – Show or hide CMS items based on complex conditions, such as displaying content only on certain days, based on geolocation, or for specific user types.

AI scripting gives you far more flexibility than Webflow’s built-in tools. If you ever feel stuck on a CMS limitation, break down the problem, describe the logic, and use ChatGPT to generate a script.The more I experiment with this approach, the more I realize how much AI can expand what’s possible inside Webflow.

How to Use ChatGPT to Write Custom Webflow CMS Scripts

Writing custom scripts with ChatGPT isn’t just about getting code—it’s about knowing how to guide the AI effectively. Here’s what worked best for me:

• Use GPT-01 for coding – This model provides better explanations and makes fewer mistakes than GPT-4o. It also keeps previous logic intact when making adjustments.
• Provide your source code – Copy and paste your Webflow page structure, including class names and IDs. This helps ChatGPT generate code that fits your setup without extra edits.
• Be specific about what you want – Instead of saying, “Make a CMS calendar,” break it down:
  • “Sort CMS items by weekday and place them into a static calendar.”
  • “Move today’s day to the front and update the date labels dynamically.”
  • “Limit events to three per day and add a ‘View More’ button.”
• Explain what’s broken – If the script doesn’t work as expected, describe the issue clearly. ChatGPT will walk through the code and suggest fixes.

By following this approach, I was able to build a fully functional, self-updating CMS calendar—all without writing a single line of JavaScript from scratch.

This project showed me how powerful AI can be when combined with no-code tools like Webflow. Instead of being limited by Webflow’s native features, I was able to build exactly what I wanted with just a few well-structured prompts.

If you’re building in Webflow and need more advanced functionality, I highly recommend experimenting with ChatGPT for scripting. The more you refine your prompts, the better your results will be.

Got any questions or ideas for other Webflow + AI tutorials?