---
title: "Tips and tricks"
description: "51 verified Éclair CMS tips: editor shortcuts, images, SEO, GEO, design, the AI assistant and MCP, security, hosting and productivity."
url: "https://eclair.academy/en/tips"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-11-02"
updated: "2026-11-02"
---

# Tips and tricks

> **Key takeaways** — These Éclair CMS tips save you time and analysis points. Type “/” to insert a block, Ctrl+K for an internal link, paste from Word to get clean blocks, fill in “Key takeaways” for AI, turn on two-factor authentication and clear the cache after an update. Each tip links to the lesson that explains it.

Here are 51 Éclair CMS tips, checked against version 1.8.0 and sorted into ten themes, from the editor to hosting. Each one takes a few sentences, gives the exact label to look for in the admin and links to the lesson that explains it in detail. Dip in as you need, or read it all in one go: allow about ten minutes.

## Editor and shortcuts

The first Éclair CMS tips to adopt concern the editor: you'll use them on every page.

- **Insert a block from the keyboard.** On an empty line, type `/`, then the first letters of the block (“faq”, “tab”…) and `Enter`. The up and down arrows move through the list, `Esc` closes it. See [Write and publish your first post](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/first-article).
- **Create an internal link in two seconds.** Select a word, press `Ctrl+K` and type a few letters of the title of one of your pages: the editor suggests it. `Enter` confirms, `Esc` cancels. See [Blog, categories and topic clusters](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/blog-categories).
- **Save without leaving the keyboard.** `Ctrl+S` (or `Cmd+S` on a Mac) saves, including in Visual mode. If the connection drops, a local backup draft offers “An unsaved version was found. Restore it?” when you reopen the content. See [Write and publish your first post](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/first-article).
- **Undo a deletion.** After you delete a block, the **Block deleted.** message offers **Cancel**. Later on, the **Version history** keeps the last 20 versions of the content. See the [Reference for the 18 blocks](https://eclair.academy/en/docs/blocks).
- **Merge two paragraphs.** Put the cursor at the very start of the second one and press `Backspace`: it joins the previous one. On an empty block, the same key deletes it. See the [Reference for the 18 blocks](https://eclair.academy/en/docs/blocks).
- **Open the assistant from anywhere.** `Ctrl+J` opens or closes the AI assistant anywhere in the admin, once it's turned on. See [Turning on the built-in AI assistant](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/ai-assistant).

## Content

- **Paste from Word or Google Docs.** Headings, lists, tables, bold text and links become clean blocks; colors, fonts and images are left out. Paste into an empty Text block to get the full split into blocks. See the [Reference for the 18 blocks](https://eclair.academy/en/docs/blocks).
- **Write the “Key takeaways” first.** This 25 to 90-word summary appears at the top of the post and serves as a ready-made answer for AI. With the assistant turned on, the **Write** button suggests one. See [GEO: getting cited by AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/geo-ai-search).
- **Schedule a post.** Choose a future date in **Publish date**, then click **Publish**: the content switches to “Scheduled” and appears at the site's time, set by the time zone in **Settings › General**. See [Write and publish your first post](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/first-article).
- **Create subpages.** A page's URL can contain `/`, as in `services/consulting`: the breadcrumb follows, up to 4 levels deep. See [Pages, menus and home page](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/pages-menus-home).
- **Duplicate to save time.** The editor's **Duplicate** button creates a draft titled “… (copy)”, with a URL ending in `-copie`. Change its title and URL before publishing. See [Pages, menus and home page](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/pages-menus-home).
- **Delete without breaking links.** When you delete published content, Éclair asks which URL to redirect the old one to. Give the closest page: leaving `/` creates no redirect. See [SEO with Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/seo).

## Images

- **Describe every image.** Alt text helps visually impaired people and Google Images, and the SEO analysis counts the images that lack it. With the assistant, the **Alt texts** button in the Analysis tab writes them for you. See [Images and the media library](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/images-media-library).
- **Upload images that are already lightweight.** Éclair scales everything down to 2,000 px wide, but a lighter file uploads faster. If your hosting's memory isn't enough, the upload fails with a suggestion to shrink the image below 4,000 pixels wide. See [Images and the media library](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/images-media-library).
- **Export your logo as PNG or WebP.** SVG files are refused for security reasons. Aim for a transparent background and a width of about 400 px. See [Themes and appearance](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/themes-appearance).
- **Take care with the featured image.** Éclair turns it into a 1200 × 630 share image for social media, cropped from the center. Choose an image at least 600 px wide whose subject stays centered. See [Images and the media library](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/images-media-library).

## SEO

- **Aim for the analysis ranges.** An SEO title of 30 to 60 characters and a meta description of 110 to 160: the counters in the SEO tab turn green, below the Google preview. See [SEO with Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/seo).
- **Put the focus keyphrase in the right places.** The title, meta description, URL, introduction and at least one subheading. Beyond a density of 3%, the analysis flags excessive repetition. See [SEO with Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/seo).
- **Change a URL without worrying.** Changing the slug of published content creates an automatic 301 redirect, marked **auto** in **Redirects**. See [SEO with Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/seo).
- **Hide the site while you build it.** Uncheck **Visible to search engines** in **Settings › SEO**: everything switches to `noindex` and the sitemap no longer lists any page. Check the box again on launch day. See [Essential settings before launch](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/essential-settings).
- **Turn on IndexNow.** In **Settings › SEO**, IndexNow notifies Bing, Yandex and compatible engines every time you publish. According to the tab's help text, Bing also feeds Copilot and ChatGPT search. See [SEO with Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/seo).

## GEO

- **Choose your AI policy with care.** **Open** maximizes citations, **Citations only** lets answer engines cite you without training their models on your content, and **Closed** removes you from their answers. See [GEO: getting cited by AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/geo-ai-search).
- **Introduce your business to AI.** The **Your business intro for AI** field (**Settings › AI & GEO**) is inserted at the top of `llms.txt`. Put verifiable facts, figures and your service area in it. See [GEO: getting cited by AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/geo-ai-search).
- **See what AI reads.** Add `.md` to a page's URL to see its Markdown version, and open `/llms.txt`. Google says it doesn't use `llms.txt` for its search engine ([note of June 15, 2026](https://developers.google.com/search/updates)): these files serve the other assistants. See [GEO: getting cited by AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/geo-ai-search).
- **Write subheadings as questions.** “How…?”, “How much…?”: the GEO analysis rewards them, just like a FAQ, lists, concrete figures and an external source. See [GEO: getting cited by AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/geo-ai-search).
- **Complete your author profile.** A job title, a bio of at least 40 characters, a photo and your online profiles, in **My profile**: the GEO analysis checks that the author is identified. See [GEO: getting cited by AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/geo-ai-search).

## Design

- **Try before you save.** The live preview in **Settings › Appearance** shows your real site on desktop or mobile; nothing is published until you save. See [Themes and appearance](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/themes-appearance).
- **Go back without losing anything.** Switching from an art direction to the classic theme, and back again, keeps the settings of each. See [Art directions and Design score](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/art-directions).
- **Keep the banner short.** The Design score expects a title of 8 words at most (6 in capitals) and a call-to-action button; beyond 3 buttons on the page, the score drops. See [Art directions and Design score](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/art-directions).
- **Choose emoji that have an icon.** With an art direction, the emoji in the features become line-drawn icons. ✓ 🚀 ⏱ 🛡 ⭐ ❤ 💡 📞 📍 🚚 have one; an emoji with no equivalent isn't shown. See [Art directions and Design score](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/art-directions).
- **Write your CSS once and for all.** **Custom CSS** is stored in `data/`: it survives updates, unlike modified templates. Wrap the rules that should disappear in “Always light” mode between `/*dark*/` and `/*/dark*/`. See [Custom CSS](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/custom-css).

## AI assistant and MCP

- **Test your key for free.** **Test the connection** (**Settings › AI assistant**) checks the key without generating any text, so it costs nothing. See [Turning on the built-in AI assistant](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/ai-assistant).
- **Let the AI draft your editorial profile.** **Draft my profile from my site** fills in the six fields; then add your own rules, such as “never mention prices”. See [Turning on the built-in AI assistant](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/ai-assistant).
- **Set limits.** By default: a $10 monthly budget and 60 requests per person per day. Once the budget is reached, the assistant stops until the following month. See [Turning on the built-in AI assistant](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/ai-assistant).
- **Check the cost before you start.** **Create with AI** shows the estimated cost before the call: about $0.08 with Claude Sonnet 5.5, $0.16 with Claude Opus 5.5. See [Create a page with AI and polish its text](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/create-page-ai).
- **Work with your subscription.** The MCP connector costs the site nothing: check **Allow MCP connections**, then paste the `/_eclair/mcp` URL into Claude or ChatGPT. The site must use HTTPS. See [Connect Claude to your site](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/connect-claude).
- **Revoke access in one click.** **Revoke access**, in the list of connected apps, cuts off an app. Turning off the connector, changing your password or logging out all your devices cuts them all off. See [Understanding the MCP connector](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/understanding-mcp).

## Security

- **Turn on two-factor authentication from day one.** Go to **My profile** › **Enable two-factor authentication**, scan the QR code, then store the 8 backup codes safely: they're shown only once. See [Everyday security](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/everyday-security).
- **Choose a passphrase.** 10 characters minimum; a 4-word phrase is strong and easy to remember. Éclair refuses passwords that are too common. See [Everyday security](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/everyday-security).
- **Keep your admin URL to yourself.** A custom URL keeps bots away, and the site's **Edit** button doesn't reveal it. Save it in your password manager. See [Advanced security and maintenance](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/expert/advanced-security).
- **Check integrity after every update.** **Security** › **File integrity** › **Scan now** compares each file with its original fingerprint and spots suspicious files. See [Advanced security and maintenance](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/expert/advanced-security).
- **Back up before big changes.** **Security** › **Download a backup** creates a ZIP of `data/` and `media/`. Store it outside your hosting. See [Everyday security](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/everyday-security).

## Hosting and performance

- **Move to PHP 8.3.** Éclair works from PHP 8.1, but the Security page expects at least 8.2 to tick “Supported PHP version”, and the official guide recommends 8.3. See [Preparing your installation](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/prepare-installation).
- **Install at the root of a domain or subdomain.** A subfolder works, but some apps look for the MCP connector's authorization at the root of the domain. See [Preparing your installation](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/prepare-installation).
- **Keep the cache on.** **Static page cache** (**Settings › Advanced**) serves each page without loading the application. Debug mode turns it off, so remove debug mode as soon as the problem is solved. See [Performance: keeping 100 out of 100](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/expert/performance).
- **On Nginx, turn off buffering for the assistant.** The line `fastcgi_buffering off;` in the PHP block makes the AI's replies appear as they're written. See [Nginx, VPS, proxy and CDN](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/expert/nginx-vps).
- **Measure in a private window.** Run [Lighthouse](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/overview) or PageSpeed Insights in a private window: browser extensions skew the measurements. See [Performance: keeping 100 out of 100](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/expert/performance).

## Productivity

- **Start from the dashboard.** The **What do you want to create today?** field sends your request to the assistant, with ready-made suggestions: **5 article ideas**, **Add a team member**, **Product page**. See [Getting to know the admin](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/admin-tour).
- **Edit from the site.** When you're logged in, you see an **✏️ Edit** button on every page, post or product page of the site: it opens the editor for that content. See [Getting to know the admin](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/admin-tour).
- **Link your translations.** In the editor's **Document** tab, **Translation of…** links the versions of the same content: hreflang tags and “Read in” links are added automatically. See [Creating a multilingual site](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/multilingual-site).
- **Invite an editor rather than sharing your account.** **Users** › **Invite someone** creates an account with a temporary password; the editor sees neither the settings nor the Security page. See [Everyday security](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/everyday-security).

## Which Éclair CMS tips should you apply first?

If you only keep three Éclair CMS tips in mind, pick these: turn on two-factor authentication, fill in the “Key takeaways” of every post and download a backup before any update. They protect what costs the most to rebuild: your account, your visibility with AI and your site itself.

## Frequently asked questions about the tips

### Do these Éclair CMS tips apply to every version?

They're checked against Éclair 1.8.0. Some features are recent: Visual mode dates from 1.7.0 and art directions from 1.8.0. The details are in the [release history](https://eclair.academy/en/docs/releases).

### Do you need the AI assistant to use these tips?

No. Most of them are about the editor, the settings and security. The ones in the AI section require an API key, or a Claude or ChatGPT subscription for the MCP connector.

### How do I suggest a tip?

Send it from the academy's [Contact](https://eclair.academy/en/contact) page, stating which version of Éclair it applies to and the exact path in the admin.