Add your details to LaunchPad

This article details each tab of LaunchPad, the setup tool used during Finalsite website implementation, including the logo, color, and URL information required for every site and how each tab is approved before launch. LaunchPad applies only to schools in implementation or deployment; it is not used once a site is live.

Now that the purpose of LaunchPad is clear, the next step is to click through the tabs and confirm or fill in the details that will populate onto the new site.

In this article

• Tab 1. District and school info
• Tab 2. School URL and motto
  • Update a motto after the site is live
• Tab 3. Logos and assets
  • Logo definitions
    • Primary Logo URL
    • Primary Logo Alt-Text
    • Secondary Logo URL
    • Secondary Logo Alt-Text
    • Primary Thumbnail URL
    • Primary Alt-Text
    • Secondary Thumbnail URL
    • Secondary Thumbnail Alt-Text
    • Favicon
  • White versus color logos
  • Logo quick actions
• Tab 4. Colors
  • Enter colors
• Tab 5. SEO settings
• Tab 6. Themes
• Quick tutorial: LaunchPad quickstart guide

Each tab contains specific information to confirm and approve. All work is saved automatically, so edits can be made on the spot.

Tab 1. District and school info

• Review: Check the information displayed. Scroll side to side to see hidden columns.
• Edit: Click into any field to adjust or correct details, such as changing HS to High School or updating newly named schools and centers.
• Add new school: Click this button to add any missing schools into a new row beneath the existing ones.
• Delete: Click the trash can icon to remove any schools that will not be included in the site build.
• Approve: Once Approve is toggled on for every row, the Approve all toggle completes this tab.

Tab 2. School URL and motto

This tab is where the URLs used to access each site are entered and configured. Mottos and subtitles are also added here for themes that highlight or showcase them.

• Review: Check the information displayed. Scroll side to side to see hidden columns.
• Edit: Adjust any names. These set the way names populate onto the sites.
• Add new school: Click this button to add any missing schools into a new row beneath the existing ones.
• Delete: Click the trash can icon to remove any schools that will not be included in the site build.
• Approve: Once Approve is toggled on for every row, the Approve all toggle completes this tab.
• School URL: Enter the future "go live" URL into each field. Each district has a unique domain, with sub-domains for individual school websites. In Composer, every school is assigned its own domain. A sample URL structure looks like schoolname1.yourdistricturl.org.
• Motto (optional): A motto is a short phrase that captures a school or district's core values or focus. Several themes in the Finalsite library include a spot to showcase or highlight a motto.
• Subtitle: A subtitle may be an extension of those core values or another way to highlight the unique aspects of a district or school's approach to education.

Update a motto after the site is live

The Motto and Subtitle fields in LaunchPad apply during implementation only. Once the site launches, LaunchPad is no longer used and the motto is not edited there.

• Live sites: Update the motto in the Locations module.
• Sites built before Locations was released: If Locations module is not available on those sites, contact Finalsite Support for help.

Tab 3. Logos and assets

This tab is where the logos used on the site are uploaded.

Review the logo definitions

Primary Logo URL

The primary logo is the color version that appears in the header of the new website. Click Browse to search for and attach the logo that represents the district or school in that row. Drag and drop also works.

• Accepted file types: .png, .svg, .jpg
• Upload once and apply the same logo to other schools.

Primary Logo Alt-Text

Alt text enhances accessibility, searchability, and overall user experience.

Secondary Logo URL

This is the color version of the logo used in the footer.

Secondary Logo Alt-Text

Add alt text for this logo as well.

Primary Thumbnail URL

This is the white version of a logo, used when the header has a dark background.

Primary Alt-Text

Enter alt text for the primary thumbnail.

Secondary Thumbnail URL

This is the white version of a logo, used when the footer has a dark background.

Secondary Thumbnail Alt-Text

Enter alt text for the secondary thumbnail image.

Favicon

This is the small square icon that represents a website. It appears in the browser tab next to the page title and in the bookmarks bar. The best size for a favicon is 16 x 16 px or 32 x 32 px.

Tab 4. Colors

This tab determines the colors added to the website.

Each site can have two colors:

• Main color: The color that typically represents the brand identity, used to create a consistent and cohesive look. The main color must pass color contrast requirements for accessibility.
• Accent color: The color that highlights key elements and draws attention to specific areas such as buttons, links, and headings, complementing the main color. The accent color does not need to pass color contrast requirements for accessibility.

Enter colors

• Step 1: Find the hex code for the color to be entered.
• Step 2: Enter the hex code and press Enter. A swatch appears alongside the code.
• Step 3: Approve all colors.

If a color fails the contrast test, LaunchPad displays Choose Alternative Color, which helps identify a color that passes.

• Try a lighter color in the Accent Color column.
• Hover over the color swatch to reveal a Copy button, which copies a color to all schools.

Tab 5. SEO settings (optional)

This tab sets a unique identifier that connects the website to Google Analytics, which provides insights about user behavior, traffic sources, and engagement metrics.

A Google Analytics account is required before SEO settings can be entered. See the Google help article "Get started with Analytics." Once the Google Analytics process is complete, gather the following information to enter into LaunchPad:

• Google GA4 ID
• Custom Google tag manager ID
• Default head title: Appears in the browser tab and is used by search engines to understand the main topic of a page.
• Default meta description: A brief summary of a web page's content, typically around 50 to 60 characters. It appears in the search engine description.
• Default meta keywords: Specific keywords and phrases that describe the content of the web page. Their importance in SEO has diminished over time, but they can still provide context to search engines.

Tab 6. Themes

This final tab is where themes are browsed and tested before final approval.

• Step 1: Scroll through the Theme Library and select a theme inside the LaunchPad platform.
• Step 2: Once the theme opens, click the red Demo button on the left side of the theme.
• Step 3: Add the key details as needed in the left option panel.
• Step 4: Preview each option to get a feel for what the future site can look like.

Quick tutorial: LaunchPad quickstart guide