Posts Quickstart Guide: Introduction

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Introduction to Posts

The Posts module allows you to push continuously updated (dynamic) content to your audience. Each of these bits of content is called a “post." You can easily update your website whenever a new post is created in the backend. Posts are most often used on your homepage to display news items, but its flexibility allows for so much more on interior pages, as well. 

Remember that posts are:

1. First, created in the backend in the Posts module.
2. Then, configured in a specific way in a Post element on a Composer page to display dynamically to your visitors, updating anytime a new post is created.

Here are the basics on how to "quickstart" your Posts journey! 

Step 1: Get organized

Folder and board organization in the Posts module is important. Each folder can hold multiple boards that have similar characteristics or audiences. Every post that’s created is created within a Board. Boards have a common topic or theme, and all of the posts within them relate to it. You can display an entire Board on a Composer page, or even mix together multiple boards.

Here's why it helps to get organized early on: 

• Each folder holds boards that help to be organized together.  
• Permissions can be set at the folder level and protect or limit authorship to only specific folders.
• Multiple authors can "stay in their lane" and post on the board they've been assigned to. Harmony instead of chaos.

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 1: Get organized
• Organize content: Folders, boards, and posts
• Organize content: Tags and Categories
• Tags and Categories FAQs

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Step 2: Create and publish a post 

Choose the folder and board where you'd like a post to live. Have your text and maybe even a thumbnail image ready. 

How to create a post: 

• A post has, at minimum, a title and body.
• A post must live on a Board inside of a Folder.
• The Post Body Content is a full text editor, so a post body can include formatted text, images, videos, embeds, and much more.
• A post could use the External Redirect URL option to link a post title directly to another URL, webpage, or resource.
• You can even Display resources with a post and Share posts to Social Media!

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 2: Create and publish a post
• Create a post
• Adding thumbnails to boards and posts
• Share posts to Twitter ("X" or Facebook)

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Step 3: How do you want your posts to be read?

Here you can decide the level of engagement your readers can have when clicking on a post, as well as where they will be redirected to.

• Learn the difference between a post opening in a pop-up or a another page by use of a default board post page.

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 3: Decide how you want your posts to be read
• The Default Board Post Page

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Step 4: Build and configure your All News page 

The first page you'll need to build in Composer is an All News page where the reader has the option to to scroll through many news items. Another page that has many benefits is the Details page, or also called Default Board Post Page (DBPP). This page is a sort of template that single posts will open up onto, providing such benefits as a unique URL for each separate post and the ability to track SEO on your website with posts being read. 

• Walk through the process of creating an All News page where posts can be displayed and scrolled through on your site.

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 4: Build and configure your All News page

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Step 5: Build and configure your News Details page / Default Board Post Page (DBPP)

The next page in Composer that is used with the Posts module is called a News Details page or Default Board Post Page (DBPP). This page is a sort of template that single posts will open up onto, providing such benefits as a unique URL for each separate post and the ability to track SEO on your website with posts being read. 

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 5: Build and configure your News Details page / Default Board Post Page (DBPP)
• Create a Default Board Post Page (DBPP)

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Step 6: Engage readers with Post Tools elements 

Post Tools elements provide a way for your visitors to Filter, Navigate, and Search through posts on a page. In this step, we'll learn how to apply layout to a page so that a beautiful collaboration can take place between your Post elements and Post Tools elements on the same page. 

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 6: Engage readers with Post Tools elements
• Organize content: Tags and Categories
• Target posts in a Post element

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Step 7: Grant access levels 

If you will have many different authors of your posts, you can grant access levels that are very broad (Global Level) and still limit your authors to very specific areas (Board or Collections Level). This helps your authors know exactly where to do their job! 

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 7: Grant access levels
• Posts permissions
• The Finalsite Guide to Permissions

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Step 8: Continue to manage as needed 

Using the Posts module is an ongoing experience. As the school year progresses, you'll create new boards, expire old posts, go in different directions on your pages with existing Post elements. You'll learn new information from your community about the news they're interested in. New hiring brings on new authors who need permissions adjustments. You can transform the content from inaccessible PDFs into something magical by creating and displaying post elements together with post tools  elements. This, and more! 

See also: 

• Posts Quickstart Guide Step 8: Continue to manage as needed 
• Restore posts and boards in Posts module
• Get started with Collections
• Make a Collection
• Use Posts for course catalog or summer camp