> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.scaleflex.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.scaleflex.com/portals/building-a-portal/connecting-content.md).

# Connecting content

Pull content into a Portal from your DAM and from datasets.

Most of what a Portal shows is written into it. Some of it is better pulled from somewhere else, so it stays right without anyone maintaining two copies.

There are three ways to do that.

## From the DAM

A section or a piece of text can be connected to your DAM, so it shows assets rather than content you typed.

| What                           | Where                                                                                                                                  |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Gallery sections**           | Show assets live, with search and filters. See [Gallery](/portals/building-a-portal/sections/gallery.md).                              |
| **Connect to DAM on text**     | Turns a piece of text into a route into your assets. See [Connect to DAM](/portals/building-a-portal/inline-editor/connect-to-dam.md). |
| **Lists connected to the DAM** | A list section drawing its rows from assets rather than from typed entries.                                                            |

What these share is that they follow the DAM. Add assets to a folder and the Portal shows them, with nobody editing the Portal.

## From a dataset

A **dataset** is a small table you define and fill in the Portal itself — fields, then rows. A list section can read one instead of holding items you typed, which is what drives a changelog, a job board, a directory or a schedule.

Use one when the same structured information appears more than once, or when it changes often enough that editing it inside a page would be tedious. Editing a row updates every section reading it, and reaches visitors without republishing.

A dataset belongs to the Portal it was created in. See [Datasets](/portals/portal-settings/datasets.md) for building one, and [Connect to dataset](/portals/portal-settings/datasets/connect-to-dataset.md) for pointing a section at it.

## In the widgets panel

On layouts with a widgets panel, the widgets pull from the DAM on their own:

| Widget                   | Shows                                                   |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Recently added media** | The newest assets, optionally from one folder or label. |
| **Last downloaded**      | What visitors have taken recently.                      |
| **Top downloaded**       | What visitors take most.                                |
| **Quick links**          | Links you set yourself.                                 |

The download widgets are the ones worth having — they surface what an audience actually wants, which is rarely what you would have featured.