Managing Articles (Content Items)

Many websites have Articles in addition to the Static Content. Articles are different to Static Content in that they are a flow of content, such as a blog, a newsletter, reviews, or any other regularly updated list of content. This is why they are know as Content Items rather than Static Content Items. The term 'Article' is used inter-changably with Content Item. If your website does not have such a section, you can skip this page of the manual.

Managing Sections and Categories

As described on the Overview page of this manual, articles are stored within Categories which in turn are stored within Sections. The Sections and Categories are managed via the Section manager and Category Manager respectively. They operate in the same way as each other, with the exception that when creating or editing a Category you need to select which Section in which it is to be stored.

There are two ways to access the Section and Category Managers:

If you are at the Administrator Console home page, you can click the Section Manager or Category Manager buttons.
If you already in another section of the Administration Console you can find the Section Manager and Category Manager in the Content menu.

Using either of these methods you will see the open Section Manager or Category Manager. The Category Manager is pictured:

Section and Category Functions
To edit an existing Secton or Category, simply click on its title, or tick the appropriate check box to the left of the Secton or Category title, and click the edit button in the top-right corner
To add a new Secton or Category, click the New button in the top-right corner
To delete a Secton or Category, tick the appropriate check box to the left of the Secton or Category title, and click the Delete button in the top-right corner.
To publish an unpublished Secton or Category, tick the check box to the left of the Secton or Category (you can tick more than one) and click the Publish button in the top-right corner.
To unpublish a published Secton or Category, tick the check box to the left of the Secton or Category (you can tick more than one) and click the Unpublish button in the top-right corner.

If you find that your Section or Category is locked, as pictured to the right, it's because the item has been edited without the Save or Cancel button being used. This can happen if you use the Back button on your browser, or if you close your browser while editing an item. Using the same Administrator Console account you used to open the item (you can tell which account was used by hovering your mouse over the lock icon), simply edit the item again by clicking on the title. Remember to use either the Save button to save your changes or the Cancel button to discard your changes and close the item.

Once you have a Section or Category open you  are able to create or change the title, and create or change the description. The designated Section in which a Category is located cannot be changed once the Category has been created.

The Title and Name are the only required fields for Sections and Categories, though Categories obviously require a Section to be selected. A description of the Section or Category can be entered, but this is not used on most websites.

Editing Functions
To save the changes you've made to the Section or Category, click the Save button in the top-right corner. This will return you to the list of Sections or Categories.
To apply the changes you've made to the Section or Category, the title and the options WITHOUT returning to the list of Sections or Categories, click the Apply button in the top-right corner.
To cancel the changes you've made to your Section or Category, the heading or the options, click the Cancel button in the top-right corner. This will return you to the list of Sections or Categories.

Managing Articles (Content Items)

The Content Items themselves are accessed via the Content Items Manager. There are two ways to access the Content Items Manager:

If you are at the Administrator Console home page, you can click the Content Items Manager button.
If you already in another section of the Administration Console you can find the Content Items Manager in the Content menu.

Using either of these methods you will see the open Content Items Manager:

Item Functions
To edit an existing Content Item, simply click on its title, or tick the appropriate check box to the left of the item title, and click the edit button in the top-right corner
To add a new Content Item, click the New button in the top-right corner
To delete a Content Item, tick the appropriate check box to the left of the item title, and click the Delete button in the top-right corner.
To publish an unpublished Content Item, tick the check box to the left of the Content Item (you can tick more than one) and click the Publish button in the top-right corner.
To unpublish a published Content Item, tick the check box to the left of the Content Item (you can tick more than one) and click the Unpublish button in the top-right corner.

Content Items use the Publish and Unpublish functionality more frequently than Static Content Items. This is because 'Articles' are more likely to be relevant for a limited period of time.

If you find that your Content Item is locked, as pictured to the right, it's because the item has been edited without the Save or Cancel button being used. This can happen if you use the Back button on your browser, or if you close your browser while editing an item. Using the same Administrator Console account you used to open the item (you can tell which account was used by hovering your mouse over the lock icon), simply edit the item again by clicking on the title. Remember to use either the Save button to save your changes or the Cancel button to discard your changes and close the item.

Editing Content Items

Once you have a Content Item open you  are able to create and edit the content, create and change the title, change the Section & Category, and change the options.

Editing the Content

The content of your Content Item appears in the text box which occupies most of the screen. This is a simple interface which empowers you to easily create and update your content. When a new item is created, the content is initially blank. Once you type or paste in words and images you need to save the page using the buttons described directly below. Be aware of the automatic sign-out function previously described.

Editing Functions
To preview exactly how your Content Item willl appear in your browser, click the Preview button in the top-right corner
To save the changes you've made to the content, the title and the options, click the Save button in the top-right corner. This will return you to the list of Static Content items.
To apply the changes you've made to the content, the title and the options WITHOUT returning to the list of Static Content items, click the Apply button in the top-right corner.
To cancel the changes you've made to your content, the heading or the options, click the Cancel button in the top-right corner. This will return you to the list of Static Content items.

When editing Content Items you will be using the Text Editor. See the Article Index for the page on Using the Text Editor.

You may also wish to insert images. See the Article Index for the page on Managing Images.

Creating and Changing the Title

Each Content Item has two Title fields:

Title:	The Title is what is displayed at the top of the page when the parameter 'Display Title' is set to on (which is the default)
Title Alias:	The Title Alias can be a short version of the title. It is used to reference the item by other parts of the system.

Simply setting the Title Alias to be the same as the Title is fine in the majority of circumstances.

Setting and Changing the Section and Category

Each Content Item must reside in a Section and Category.

Changing Options

Content Items have parameters that can be used to change how the item appears and behaves. The Parameters, including the Publishing options, are found in the tabs on the right-side of the page when editing a Content Item.

Most of the options and parameters have Global settings, which are the default setting for that option. Changing the Global settings can have implications for other sections of your website, so we manage these for you. If you find yourself repeatedly setting the same option settings for every Static Content item on your website, contact us directly to discuss changing the Global settings.