This article explains how to build All News and News Details pages in Composer using the Posts module, including configuring Post element formats and setting up a Default Board Post Page.
💡Quick answers
- What is the difference between homepage and interior page Post elements? Homepage Post elements have fixed settings that shouldn't be changed except per your Site Instructions, while interior page Post elements can be freely customized with a wide variety of display and format options.
- Building an All News page: what are the steps? Steps: add a blank or two-column Composer page, insert a Post element, configure its format (Grid or List), turn on Content Filters to display posts from the boards you want, choose Content Details, and set Link To a News Details page or pop-up.
- What is a Default Board Post Page or News Details page? It is a dynamic, templated page that displays the full content of a single post when a reader clicks its title, giving each post a direct URL for SEO, sharing, and email use.
- Why should I set up a Default Board Post Page? It gives each post a direct URL for newsletters and search engines, enables social media sharing and RSS or email subscriptions, and lets you preview posts before a board is connected.
- Setting up a Default Board Post Page: what are the main steps? Steps: create or repurpose a page with a Single-format Post element, configure the element settings including Override Page Title and SEO Metadata, hide the page from navigation and publish it, then set it as the Default Board Post Page in the board's settings.
- What happens when you check Override Page Title and SEO Metadata? The Page Title, SEO Title, SEO Description, and Open Graph Image are dynamically replaced with the post's title, summary, and thumbnail.
This article will help you to learn how to build pages of different types in Composer where you can configure and display posts from the Posts module.Â
In this article
- Disclaimer: Homepage vs interior page post elements
- All News page
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News Details page (or Default Board Post Page)
Disclaimer: Homepage vs interior page post elements
Before you start building pages, it's important to understand the difference between Post elements that already exist on your homepage and those you have more freedom to add and configure on interior pages of your website. Â
Post elements on homepage vs interior pages
The way you will configure Post elements on the homepage are very limited compared to the wide variety of options you can adjust on interior pages.Â
- Homepage Post elements: Post elements may already be created for you on your homepage. They have very fixed settings that should only be adjusted according to your Site Instructions.
- Interior page Post elements: Post elements can be placed onto interior pages and customized with a wide variety of different settings to display images just the way you would like them! You can even change the format of your Post elements, but only on interior pages.
All News pageÂ
Your All News Page will show all of the news items from any boards you decide to connect here. Many websites have a button on their homepage leading to this page that is labeled "View All News" or "All News & Announcements."Â
Build an All News pageÂ
If you are building an All News page from scratch, here are a few quick options for you:Â
- Start with a blank Composer page with no layout added; a full width column.
- Insert a Post element (Element Library, Module tab > Post element).
- Click the settings gear to configure the Post element settings.
- Select Grid format. Turn off the Element title.Â
- Toggle on Content Filters > Display posts from Board(s) and connect the board(s) whose posts you'd like to display here.Â
- Content Details: Choose which parts of your post you'd like to display on this page. A good start might be: Post Title, Publish Date, Summary, Thumbnail.Â
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Pop-up or Page: If you choose to open your posts up into a pop-up, select from Pop-up Details. If opening a post onto a page, select Link To > Page and select the News Details page.
Important Note
If you haven't created your News Details page yet, click Save and come back to set the Link To setting after you've done this.
- Consider adding Post Tools elements above the grid or in a narrow side column so that visitors can search and/or filter by topic.
- From the Page Layout & Appearance menu, add the 2/3 + 1/3 layout option.Â
- In the wider left column, add a Post element (Element Library, Module tab > Post element).Â
- Click the settings gear to configure the Post element settings.
- Select List format. Turn off the Element title.Â
- Toggle on Content Filters > Display posts from Board(s) and connect the board(s) whose posts you'd like to display here.
- Content Details: Choose which parts of your post you'd like to display on this page. A good start might be: Post Title, Publish Date, Thumbnail, Read more.Â
News Details page (or Default Board Post Page)
The Default Board Post Page (DBPP) or also called, "News Details page" is a dynamic page used to view the details of a single post's content. When a reader clicks on the title of a post from a post element on any page in the site, the reader can be directed to this dynamic, templated page to read the content.Â
This is a short demonstration of how the DBPP works on the live end.Â
Here are some benefits to having a default board post page:
- Direct URL: Each post receives a direct URL allowing it to be used in newsletters or sent out in an email, for example. Clicking the link brings the reader to the dynamically populated DBPP to read the post content. Â
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Without a direct URL or content existing on a page, search engines will not pick up your post content. Now the link can be tracked in your site analytics, providing details on how many clicks this particular post receives.Â
- Share to Social Media:Â Configure Social Media Connections and then a DBPP allows you to share your posts to social media.Â
- Enable reader subscriptions: In the Post Element Settings > Controls, there is an option to Display alert icons giving the reader the option to subscribe to RSS feeds or subscribe to receive email alerts when a new post is published on the board. A DBPP is required in order for these subscriptions to be enabled.
- Preview your post: Use the eyeball in the bottom right corner to preview the live version, but remember this won't be activated until you apply a DBPP to the board. Â
Build a DBPP / News Details page
Convinced? We thought so! Let's walk through the step-by-step process to help you create and configure a Default Board Post Page so that you can have all of the benefits above!Â
Here are the steps to follow:
Any page on your site can be a default post page as long as it has a Single-format Post element on it.Â
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Create a new page in Composer or open a page that might be called "News Details" or "Post Details" in your Composer page tree.
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Add a Post element from the Module section of the element library.
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Click the Post element gear to open the settings and choose Single format.Â
- Toggle OFF the element title.
- Under Content Filters, select any boards that you want to be able to display in the element.Â
- Edit any other settings as desired.
- Under Formatting select the box next to Override Page Title and SEO Metadata. This will replace the page title with the post title.
- Save the element.
What will happen when I check the box next to Override Page Title and SEO Metadata?
- the following fields on the Page Settings > SEO tab will be overridden:
- the Page Title and SEO Title will be replaced dynamically with the Post Title.
- the SEO Description will be replaced by the Post Summary.
- the Open Graph Image will be replaced by the Post Thumbnail.
- Open the page settings to be sure the Page Name is toggled ON.Â
- Check the boxes to Hide this Page from Navigation (and or internal/external search) in your page settings.
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Publish your page.
Once your Post page is complete, you can set it as the Default Board Post Page on each individual board.
- Navigate to the Boards tab in Posts
- Choose a folder whose boards you'd like to manage and whose posts you'd like to display on your News Details / DBPP page.
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Hover over the board, click on the three-dot Action Menu, and open up Settings.
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Choose the page you just created in the window that pops up, next to Default Board Post Page.
Once this page is set, you’ll see the blue "i" / info circle when creating a post.
- Hover over the blue circle to confirm that your default board post page had been connected and receive a reminder to make your URL slug unique for this post.
- Click on the link icon to see and copy the full URL.
- Paste the URL into a new browser tab to confirm that the post appears as you want it to on your new default board post page.Â
Now you can enjoy all the benefits that come with using posts with a Default Board Post Page.Â
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