Scalable Podcast CMS Development for Vituity
Bernice Ebenezer
Building a Scalable Podcast CMS in Webflow for Dr. Imamu “Mu” Tomlinson
Project Snapshot
Client: Dr. Imamu “Mu” Tomlinson (CEO of Vituity)
1. Project Type: Webflow CMS + Podcast/Episode System + SEO-focused episode templates
2. Deliverables: Podcast hub page, episode template, Chapters CMS architecture, timestamp jump-to-time UX, content workflow + training, Zapier automation support
3. Tools: Webflow CMS, Finsweet Attributes, Zapier, Loom (training), Figma (UI + iteration), YouTube embeds, Podbean audio embeds
Primary Audience
Healthcare executives and clinical leaders
Conference organizers / speaking bureaus
Healthcare innovators, founders, operators
Media and editorial teams
Professionals seeking leadership + healthcare transformation insights
Goal
Create a podcast experience that feels authoritative, easy to maintain, and designed to rank positioning Mu as a credible voice in healthcare leadership and innovation.
The Problem
As Mu’s website content grew, the team needed a podcast system that could do all of the following:
Scale without breaking Webflow limits
Webflow CMS collections have a field limit (60 fields), and a podcast episode can quickly become complex: episode metadata, guests, audio embeds, video embeds, summaries, key takeaways, timestamps, transcripts, and “chapters” content.
Support SEO + modern media indexing
The episode pages needed to be structured so that search engines can properly understand the page content and give the video/podcast page credit especially important as media pages must be the primary focus to index well.
Provide a user experience similar to top podcast sites
The team referenced strong benchmarks (e.g., Huberman Lab and Mel Robbins) where users can scan chapters, click timestamps, and navigate long-form content without friction.
Enable a realistic publishing workflow for the internal team
The content team needed a repeatable process to publish episodes reliably even if automation pulled in some data, there would still be a manual editorial component (chapters, transcript formatting, thumbnail moments, etc.).
My Approach (Strategy + System Thinking)
1) Start with the outcome: “authority + usability + maintainability”
2) Design the CMS architecture before building the UI
✅ Result: a system that supports up to 14 chapters per episode without CMS bloat.
3) Build the UX for real-world behaviors (not ideal-world content)
Podcasts are long. Transcripts are heavy. Chapters need formatting.
I implemented:
Clickable timestamp functionality to jump the YouTube player to exact moments
Two display options (simple text timeline vs. chapter cards with thumbnails) so the team could choose the approach that best fits their internal workflow
Transcript handling designed to support long-form readability and SEO value
The Solution
A) Podcast Hub Page (Main Podcast Page)
A central page that:
Showcases featured episodes
Supports browsing and filtering
Makes the podcast feel “editorial” and authoritative—not just a list of embeds
Features
CMS-driven episode grid
Filtering/sorting (via Finsweet Attributes, where applicable)
Featured and Top Episode toggles for curated highlights
B) Podcast Episode Template (CMS Template Page)
Each episode page is structured so the video/podcast is the main focus, followed by supporting content that strengthens SEO and user engagement.
Episode Page Content Sections
Episode title (H1)
Video embed (single focus)
Episode summary
Chapter timeline (clickable)
Chapter cards with images (optional)
Transcript sections / chapter transcripts
Related content module (optional)
Audio embed + listening links
C) Chapter System (Clickable Chapters + Thumbnails)
Each chapter includes:
Timestamp
Title
Thumbnail image
Transcript segment (chapter-level)
This enables:
Faster scanning for visitors
Stronger content depth for indexing
More “authority signals” because the page contains substantial, structured knowledge
D) CMS + Automation Workflow (Zapier + Manual Editorial Steps)
We set up Zapier to import the basics (where possible), with the reality that some fields still require manual input:
Automated via Zapier (typical)
Title
YouTube URL
Episode date
Thumbnail
Base description
Manual editorial steps (required)
Chapter creation (up to 14 entries)
Chapter thumbnails (screenshots or curated images)
Transcript segments per chapter
Timestamp formatting (for consistency + readability)
Key takeaways and guest details
To make this easy, I created:
A CMS Management Guide for the content team
A Loom walkthrough training showing exactly how to update and publish
Technical complexities and solutions
1) Webflow CMS field limits
Challenge: Podcast + chapters can exceed 60 fields quickly.
Solution: Split to a Chapters Collection referenced to the main Podcast Collection.
2) Chapter timestamps + embedded player behavior
Challenge: Click-to-jump timestamps behave differently across browsers and autoplay policies (especially Safari).
Solution: Implemented a stable jump-to-time system and adjusted playback expectations based on browser autoplay rules (muted autoplay vs user-initiated play).
3) Transcript formatting at scale
Challenge: Transcripts are long, messy when pasted, and need structure.
Solution: Defined a repeatable formatting approach and documented it for the team.
4) SEO alignment for media pages
Challenge: Episode pages must keep media as the main focus and provide structured content beneath it.
Solution: Built episode templates and chapter structure to support indexable page depth while maintaining clean UX.
Results
A repeatable publishing system that the internal team can run without developer dependency
A podcast experience that feels like a premium editorial platform—helping position Mu as a healthcare authority
Cleaner navigation and discoverability across episodes
Scalable foundation for future growth (more episodes, categories, chapters, and featured content)
Bernice, thanks for all of your efforts on updating Mu’s site—we’re all thrilled with the expertise and excellent communication you brought to this project. These updates will help further build credibility and engagement for Mu and Vituity.
- Adam Kaszycki
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Posted Feb 22, 2026
Custom Webflow podcast CMS hub built for scalability, SEO, and authority positioning for a healthcare CEO and thought leader.
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