# Content Before Save

<!-- meta: type=event-onContentBeforeSave; location=Joomla Events › Content Events; category=Trigger; platforms=Joomla -->

## Overview

When it runs: Before a row is written to the database for any component using the content model events (articles, contacts, tags, etc.).

Plugins can validate or modify the table object; returning false can veto the save.

Each run also includes who was logged in at the time and what kind of item was involved — see audit_user and audit_type in Payload Fields below.

This trigger is active when Platform Events are turned on in Joomla (System → JOrchestrator) and matching flows are set to Active.

When this trigger fires, JOrchestrator starts the flow and passes the incoming event or request data to the next connected step. Configure filtering, payload shape, and security on the **Design** tab.

## Why use this node

Content Before Save is a **trigger** in the **Joomla Events › Content Events** group. Triggers start a flow. They listen for an external signal — a CMS event, inbound HTTP call, payment notification, or schedule — and pass the incoming data to the first downstream step.

Typical reasons teams add **Content Before Save** to a flow:

- Automate backend work when Joomla fires `ContentBeforeSave`
- Notify administrators or sync external systems on this CMS lifecycle event
- Enrich or validate CMS data before it is persisted
- Audit user, content, or extension activity without custom plugins

## When it runs

Before a row is written to the database for any component using the content model events (articles, contacts, tags, etc.).

## Example workflows

Common patterns on the canvas:

1. **Content Before Save** → **Send Notification** (admin alert)
2. **Content Before Save** → **Insert Row** (audit log)
3. **Content Before Save** → **If** → **Send Email** / **Update Article**

## Good to know

General → Joomla context filter — com_content.article for article saves only (each trigger node has its own filter).

## Properties panel

The designer shows these tabs for this node:

| Tab | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| **Info** | Plain-language description and output payload fields for downstream steps |
| **Design** | Trigger configuration and payload schema |

### System (automatic — not edited by the user)

These fields are managed by the designer or runtime — you do not type into them directly:

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `_nodeId` | Node ID | `node-id` | No | — | — |

### User-configured — General tab

| Property key | Label | Type | Required | Visible when | Notes |
|--------------|-------|------|----------|--------------|-------|
| `label` | Label | `text` | No | — | Node label |
| `contentContextFilter` | Joomla context filter | `content-context-filter` | No | — | Before DB write — com_content.article for article saves; leave empty to include categories, contacts, tags, etc. |

### CMS site configuration (not on this node's properties panel)

Credentials, API keys, mailers, SMTP, and integration defaults are configured in the CMS plugin under **Node Configuration**, not per step on this node. Link the flow to a domain before testing CMS-backed fields.

## Output payload fields

After this step runs, later nodes can reference these fields using placeholders such as
`{{content_before_save.context}}`.

| Field key | Type | Description |
|-----------|------|-------------|
| `context` | string | Joomla event context string. |
| `subject.id` | number | Nested field "subject.id" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.title` | string | Nested field "subject.title" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.alias` | string | Nested field "subject.alias" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.introtext` | string | Nested field "subject.introtext" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.fulltext` | string | Nested field "subject.fulltext" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.catid` | number | Nested field "subject.catid" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.state` | number | Nested field "subject.state" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.created` | string | Nested field "subject.created" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.created_by` | number | Nested field "subject.created_by" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.created_user_id` | number | Nested field "subject.created_user_id" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.modified` | string | Nested field "subject.modified" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.modified_by` | number | Nested field "subject.modified_by" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.modified_user_id` | number | Nested field "subject.modified_user_id" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.created_time` | string | Nested field "subject.created_time" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.modified_time` | string | Nested field "subject.modified_time" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.access` | number | Nested field "subject.access" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.language` | string | Nested field "subject.language" from this node's output payload. |
| `subject.featured` | number | Nested field "subject.featured" from this node's output payload. |
| `isNew` | boolean | Boolean flag from this node's output. |
| `data.id` | number | Nested field "data.id" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.title` | string | Nested field "data.title" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.alias` | string | Nested field "data.alias" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.introtext` | string | Nested field "data.introtext" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.fulltext` | string | Nested field "data.fulltext" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.catid` | number | Nested field "data.catid" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.state` | number | Nested field "data.state" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.created` | string | Nested field "data.created" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.created_by` | number | Nested field "data.created_by" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.created_user_id` | number | Nested field "data.created_user_id" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.modified` | string | Nested field "data.modified" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.modified_by` | number | Nested field "data.modified_by" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.modified_user_id` | number | Nested field "data.modified_user_id" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.created_time` | string | Nested field "data.created_time" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.modified_time` | string | Nested field "data.modified_time" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.access` | number | Nested field "data.access" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.language` | string | Nested field "data.language" from this node's output payload. |
| `data.featured` | number | Nested field "data.featured" from this node's output payload. |
| `audit_user.id` | number | Nested field "audit_user.id" from this node's output payload. |
| `audit_user.username` | string | Nested field "audit_user.username" from this node's output payload. |
| `audit_user.email` | string | Nested field "audit_user.email" from this node's output payload. |
| `audit_user.name` | string | Nested field "audit_user.name" from this node's output payload. |
| `audit_user.guest` | boolean | Nested field "audit_user.guest" from this node's output payload. |
| `audit_user.client` | string | Nested field "audit_user.client" from this node's output payload. |
| `audit_type` | string | What kind of item triggered the event — for example article, category, or user. |

## Related nodes

Other steps in the same area of the palette:

- **Content After Delete** (`event-onContentAfterDelete`) — Joomla Events › Content Events
- **Content After Display** (`event-onContentAfterDisplay`) — Joomla Events › Content Events
- **Content After Save** (`event-onContentAfterSave`) — Joomla Events › Content Events
- **Content After Title** (`event-onContentAfterTitle`) — Joomla Events › Content Events
- **Content Before Change State** (`event-onContentBeforeChangeState`) — Joomla Events › Content Events