diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_startcmsproject.yml b/.github/workflows/test_startcmsproject.yml
index 5652695..7a37325 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_startcmsproject.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_startcmsproject.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,42 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
+  validate-install-rules:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - name: Set up Python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+      with:
+        python-version: '3.13'
+    - name: Validate djangocms_install_rules.json against its schema
+      run: |
+        python -m pip install jsonschema
+        python << 'EOF'
+        import json
+        import os
+        import sys
+        import jsonschema
+
+        with open("djangocms_install_rules.json") as f:
+            doc = json.load(f)
+
+        schema_file = os.path.basename(doc.get("$schema", ""))
+        if not schema_file:
+            sys.exit("djangocms_install_rules.json has no $schema reference")
+        if not os.path.exists(schema_file):
+            sys.exit(f"Referenced schema {schema_file} not found in repository")
+
+        with open(schema_file) as f:
+            schema = json.load(f)
+
+        jsonschema.Draft7Validator.check_schema(schema)
+        errors = list(jsonschema.Draft7Validator(schema).iter_errors(doc))
+        for error in errors:
+            print(f"ERROR at {list(error.absolute_path)}: {error.message}")
+        sys.exit(1 if errors else 0)
+        EOF
+
   create-project:
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
@@ -33,4 +69,4 @@ jobs:
         source ./.venv/bin/activate
         python -m pip install --upgrade pip
         python -m pip install Django~=${{ matrix.django-version }} django-cms
-        djangocms mysite --noinput --template https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/archive/${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}.zip
+        djangocms mysite --noinput --name requirements.in --template https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/archive/${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}.zip
diff --git a/djangocms_install_rules.json b/djangocms_install_rules.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8863672
--- /dev/null
+++ b/djangocms_install_rules.json
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+{
+    "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/django-cms/cms-template/main/djangocms_install_rules.schema.v1.json",
+    "comment": "Rules used by `djangocms .` to add django CMS to an existing project. Fetched from the cms-template repository (branch matching the installed django CMS major.minor), with this file as the bundled fallback. Each `when` condition may contain a `flag` (truthy command option) and/or a `mode` (list of matching --mode values). For installed_apps and middleware a rule may also carry a `before` or `after` anchor (an existing entry) for positional insertion; otherwise items are appended.",
+    "installed_apps": [
+        {"items": ["djangocms_simple_admin_style"], "before": "django.contrib.admin"},
+        {
+            "items": [
+                "django.contrib.sites",
+                "cms",
+                "menus",
+                "treebeard",
+                "sekizai",
+                "filer",
+                "easy_thumbnails",
+                "djangocms_frontend",
+                "djangocms_text",
+                "djangocms_link"
+            ]
+        },
+        {"items": ["djangocms_versioning"], "when": {"flag": "versioning"}},
+        {"items": ["djangocms_moderation"], "when": {"flag": "moderation"}},
+        {"items": ["djangocms_alias"], "when": {"flag": "alias"}},
+        {"items": ["djangocms_stories", "taggit", "taggit_autosuggest"], "when": {"flag": "stories"}},
+        {"items": ["rest_framework", "djangocms_rest"], "when": {"mode": ["headless", "hybrid"]}}
+    ],
+    "middleware": [
+        {
+            "items": ["django.middleware.locale.LocaleMiddleware"],
+            "after": "django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware"
+        },
+        {
+            "items": [
+                "cms.middleware.user.CurrentUserMiddleware",
+                "cms.middleware.page.CurrentPageMiddleware",
+                "cms.middleware.toolbar.ToolbarMiddleware",
+                "cms.middleware.language.LanguageCookieMiddleware"
+            ]
+        }
+    ],
+    "context_processors": [
+        {
+            "items": [
+                "django.template.context_processors.i18n",
+                "sekizai.context_processors.sekizai",
+                "cms.context_processors.cms_settings"
+            ]
+        }
+    ],
+    "settings": [
+        {"name": "SITE_ID", "snippet": "SITE_ID = 1"},
+        {"name": "X_FRAME_OPTIONS", "snippet": "X_FRAME_OPTIONS = \"SAMEORIGIN\""},
+        {"name": "CMS_CONFIRM_VERSION4", "snippet": "CMS_CONFIRM_VERSION4 = True"},
+        {"name": "LANGUAGES", "snippet": "LANGUAGES = [\n    (\"{language_code}\", \"{language_name}\"),\n]"},
+        {"name": "CMS_TEMPLATES", "snippet": "CMS_TEMPLATES = [\n    (\"cms-base.html\", \"Default\"),\n]", "when": {"mode": ["traditional", "hybrid"]}},
+        {"name": "CMS_PLACEHOLDERS", "snippet": "CMS_PLACEHOLDERS = [\n    (\"cms-base.html\", (\"content\",), \"Content\"),\n]", "when": {"mode": ["headless"]}}
+    ],
+    "urls": [
+        {"pattern": "path(\"api/\", include(\"djangocms_rest.urls\"))", "when": {"mode": ["headless", "hybrid"]}},
+        {"pattern": "path(\"taggit_autosuggest/\", include(\"taggit_autosuggest.urls\"))", "when": {"flag": "stories"}},
+        {"pattern": "path(\"\", include(\"cms.urls\"))", "when": {"mode": ["traditional", "hybrid"]}}
+    ],
+    "packages": {
+        "filer": "django-filer"
+    },
+    "template_dir": {
+        "path": "templates",
+        "base_template": "cms-base.html",
+        "base_template_content": "{% extends \"bootstrap5/base.html\" %}{# Replace this with your CMS base template1 #}\n",
+        "when": {"mode": ["traditional", "hybrid"]}
+    }
+}
diff --git a/djangocms_install_rules.schema.v1.json b/djangocms_install_rules.schema.v1.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5034a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/djangocms_install_rules.schema.v1.json
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+{
+    "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+    "$id": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/django-cms/cms-template/main/djangocms_install_rules.schema.v1.json",
+    "title": "django CMS install rules",
+    "description": "Rules used by `djangocms .` to add django CMS to an existing Django project. Fetched from the cms-template repository (branch matching the installed django CMS major.minor), with the bundled file as fallback.",
+    "type": "object",
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "properties": {
+        "$schema": {
+            "type": "string"
+        },
+        "comment": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Free-form documentation; ignored by the installer."
+        },
+        "installed_apps": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "Apps to add to INSTALLED_APPS. Items are appended unless a before/after anchor is given.",
+            "items": {
+                "$ref": "#/definitions/anchoredRule"
+            }
+        },
+        "middleware": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "Middleware to add to MIDDLEWARE. Items are appended unless a before/after anchor is given.",
+            "items": {
+                "$ref": "#/definitions/anchoredRule"
+            }
+        },
+        "context_processors": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "Context processors to append to the template OPTIONS.",
+            "items": {
+                "$ref": "#/definitions/itemsRule"
+            }
+        },
+        "settings": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "Settings snippets to append to settings.py if the named setting is not already defined.",
+            "items": {
+                "$ref": "#/definitions/settingRule"
+            }
+        },
+        "urls": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "description": "URL patterns to add to the project urlpatterns.",
+            "items": {
+                "$ref": "#/definitions/urlRule"
+            }
+        },
+        "packages": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "Maps an installed app or module name to its pip requirement, where the two differ.",
+            "additionalProperties": {
+                "type": "string"
+            }
+        },
+        "template_dir": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "Template directory to create, with an optional base template to seed it.",
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "required": ["path"],
+            "properties": {
+                "path": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Directory (relative to the project root) to create and register in TEMPLATES['DIRS']."
+                },
+                "base_template": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Filename of the base template to create inside the template directory."
+                },
+                "base_template_content": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Initial content of the base template."
+                },
+                "when": {
+                    "$ref": "#/definitions/when"
+                },
+                "comment": {
+                    "type": "string"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    "definitions": {
+        "when": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "Condition for applying a rule. All given criteria must match.",
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "minProperties": 1,
+            "properties": {
+                "flag": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Name of a command option that must be truthy (e.g. \"versioning\" for --versioning)."
+                },
+                "mode": {
+                    "type": "array",
+                    "description": "The rule applies if the --mode value is one of these.",
+                    "minItems": 1,
+                    "items": {
+                        "enum": ["traditional", "headless", "hybrid"]
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        "itemsRule": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "required": ["items"],
+            "properties": {
+                "items": {
+                    "type": "array",
+                    "minItems": 1,
+                    "items": {
+                        "type": "string"
+                    }
+                },
+                "when": {
+                    "$ref": "#/definitions/when"
+                },
+                "comment": {
+                    "type": "string"
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        "anchoredRule": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "required": ["items"],
+            "not": {
+                "required": ["before", "after"]
+            },
+            "properties": {
+                "items": {
+                    "type": "array",
+                    "minItems": 1,
+                    "items": {
+                        "type": "string"
+                    }
+                },
+                "before": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Existing entry before which the items are inserted."
+                },
+                "after": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Existing entry after which the items are inserted."
+                },
+                "when": {
+                    "$ref": "#/definitions/when"
+                },
+                "comment": {
+                    "type": "string"
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        "settingRule": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "required": ["name", "snippet"],
+            "properties": {
+                "name": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Setting name; the snippet is only added if this setting is not already defined."
+                },
+                "snippet": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Python code appended to settings.py. May contain {language_code}/{language_name} placeholders."
+                },
+                "when": {
+                    "$ref": "#/definitions/when"
+                },
+                "comment": {
+                    "type": "string"
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        "urlRule": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "required": ["pattern"],
+            "properties": {
+                "pattern": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Python expression for the URL pattern, e.g. path(\"\", include(\"cms.urls\"))."
+                },
+                "when": {
+                    "$ref": "#/definitions/when"
+                },
+                "comment": {
+                    "type": "string"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/project_name/settings.py-tpl b/project_name/settings.py-tpl
index 017ee5f..a65cb10 100644
--- a/project_name/settings.py-tpl
+++ b/project_name/settings.py-tpl
@@ -51,13 +51,22 @@ INSTALLED_APPS = [
     'menus',
 
     'djangocms_text',
-    'djangocms_link',
-    'djangocms_alias',
-    'djangocms_versioning',
-
+    'djangocms_link',{% if alias %}
+    'djangocms_alias',{% endif %}{% if versioning %}
+    'djangocms_versioning',{% endif %}{% if moderation %}
+    'djangocms_moderation',{% endif %}
+{% if stories %}
+    'djangocms_stories',
+    'taggit',
+    'taggit-autosuggest',
+    'parler',
+{% endif %}
+{% if mode == "headless" or mode == "hybrid" %}
+    'djangocms_rest',
+    'rest_framework',
+{% endif %}
     'sekizai',
     'treebeard',
-    'parler',
 
     'filer',
     'easy_thumbnails',
@@ -198,12 +207,18 @@ CMS_CONFIRM_VERSION4 = True
 
 SITE_ID = 1
 
-# A base template is part of this setup
+{% if mode == "headless" %}# A setting to define which placeholders are used
+
+CMS_PLACEHOLDERS = (
+    ("base.html", ("content", "Content"))
+)
+{% else %}# A base template is part of this setup
 # https://docs.django-cms.org/en/{% if cms_docs_version %}release-{{ cms_docs_version }}.x{% else %}latest{% endif %}/reference/configuration.html#cms-templates
 
 CMS_TEMPLATES = (
     ("base.html", _("Standard")),
 )
+{% endif %}
 
 # Enable permissions
 # https://docs.django-cms.org/en/{% if cms_docs_version %}release-{{ cms_docs_version }}.x{% else %}latest{% endif %}/topics/permissions.html
diff --git a/project_name/urls.py-tpl b/project_name/urls.py-tpl
index 76b4f7b..9d53af8 100644
--- a/project_name/urls.py-tpl
+++ b/project_name/urls.py-tpl
@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ from django.views.i18n import JavaScriptCatalog
 urlpatterns = i18n_patterns(
     path('jsi18n/', JavaScriptCatalog.as_view(), name='javascript-catalog'),
     path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
-    path('filer/', include('filer.urls')),
-    path('', include('cms.urls')),
+    path('filer/', include('filer.urls')),{% if stories %}
+    path('taggit_autosuggest', include('taggit_autosuggest.urls')){% endif %}{% if mode == "hybrid" or mode == "headless" %}
+    path('api', include("djangocms_rest.urls"))),{% endif %}{% if mode == "hybrid" or mode == "traditional" %}
+    path('', include('cms.urls')),{% endif %}
 )
 
 
diff --git a/requirements.in b/requirements.in
index 19560cd..f09582e 100644
--- a/requirements.in
+++ b/requirements.in
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-djangocms-versioning
-djangocms-alias
-djangocms-frontend>=2.0.0a1
+djangocms-frontend>=2.0.0
 django-filer
 djangocms-text
-django-fsm<3
 djangocms-simple-admin-style
-django-treebeard!=5.0.3
+django-parler{% if versioning %}djangocms-versioning
+{% endif %}{% if alias %}djangocms-alias
+{% endif %}{% if moderation %}djangocms-moderation
+{% endif %}{% if mode == "headless" or mode == "hybrid" %}djangocms-rest
+{% endif %}{% if stories %}djangocms-stories
+{% endif %}