# Layouts and \_ViewStart

A layout holds the frame every page shares (the head, the menu, the footer) and @RenderBody() marks where each view goes. \_ViewStart picks the layout, and \_ViewImports holds what every view needs.

![Cheat sheet: Layouts and \_ViewStart](https://fsdtrainingmedia.blob.core.windows.net/public/images/2026/11/0d8398cb2e324275983db268126144eb.webp)

- Category: ASP.NET Core
- Level: Apprentice
- Tags: \_Layout.cshtml, \_ViewImports.cshtml, \_ViewStart.cshtml, <section>, aspnet-core, Layout (razor), razor, RenderBody
- Updated: November 3, 2026

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/cheat-sheets/razor-views-layouts-and-viewstart-cheat-sheet