---
title: "What is Collections & Layouts?"
slug: "what-is-collections-and-layouts"
tags: ["collections"]
updated: 2026-11-03T22:03:09Z
published: 2026-11-03T22:03:09Z
canonical: "support.skykit.com/what-is-collections-and-layouts"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.skykit.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Collections & Layouts?

A Collection a way to build what plays on your screens in Skykit Beam. Collections can play whole screen layouts one after another, and each zone in a layout can run its own Playlist, like a Playlist of Playlists. You device what goes in each zone, when each layout plays, and on which Displays.

## How a Collection is Built

| Part | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Collection | The container you assign to your Displays. It holds one or more entries and plays them in order. |
| Entry | One screen layout in the Collection. Each entry has its own layout, content, lead zone, and play rules. |
| Layout | How the screen is divided: a single pane, or two or more zones. Layouts come in landscape and portrait, and Unified View layouts span a video wall on an E500. |
| Zone | One area of a layout. Each zone plays a content item, Playlist, or Program (legacy). |
| Lead Zone | Option. The zone whose content decides when the entry finishes playing and the Collection moves to the next entry. |
| Play Rules | Optional. Dates, times, days, and Display labels that control when and where an entry plays. |

## An Example

Say your lobby screen should show your logo in one corner, rotate company announcements in the main zone, and show the weather in another zone. At lunch time, it should switch to a full-screen cafeteria menu.

You can build both screens as entries in one Collection: a multi-zone entry with the logo, an announcements Playlist, and then weather, then a single-zone entry with the cafeteria menu. Set Play Rules so the menu entry plays only at lunch time. Then play the Collection on your Displays without changing content by hand.

## What You Can Put in a Zone

- **Content items:** images, video, web pages, Dashboards, and other content from your **Content** library
- **Playlists:** a rotating set of content inside one zone
- **Programs (Legacy):** Programs may be added to Collections, but multi-zone Programs will not play in multi-zone Collection entries. See [Programs in Collections — What Plays Where](/v1/docs/programs-in-collections-what-plays-where).

## Keeping Collections Up to Date

You can add, copy, reorder, and remove entries as your needs change. When you update a content item or Playlist that’s used in a Collection, publishing it will ensure your updates apply to the Collection automatically.

If a content item or Playlist used in a Collection is deleted, that zone will show a [blue exclamation mark](/v1/docs/what-does-it-mean-if-i-see-a-blue-exclamation-mark-on-my-display) on your Display if it is playing in a multi-zone layout. In a single zone layout, the entire entry will be skipped.

## Classic Collections

If your Enterprise account was created before May 2026, your Collections list may also show Classic Collections, marked with a red **CLASSIC VERSION OF COLLECTIONS** label. They will keep playing and can still be edited, but new Classic Collections can’t be created. See [What’s Changed from Classic Collections to Collections & Layouts](/v1/docs/whats-changed-in-collections).

## Next Steps

- [How to Set Up Collections & Layouts](/v1/docs/how-to-set-up-collections-layouts)
- [Collections & Layouts: Common Setup Scenarios](/v1/docs/common-setup-scenarios)
- [Collections & Layouts Key Terms](/v1/docs/collections-layouts-key-terms)
- [Content Sizing Guidelines for Collections & Layouts](/v1/docs/content-sizing-guideline-for-collections-layouts)
- [Troubleshooting Collections](/v1/docs/troubleshooting-collections)