Working with the CMS (Overview)

This article gives a general overview of the interface for working with the CMS.

Be aware that your instance of HandsOn Connect will have different page layout defaults depending on the template you've chosen.  Menu items and availability of blocks and AddOns will vary depending on the features you have chosen to activate or purchased as HandsOn Connect Add-Ons.

If there is a block or AddOn not available on your site, that you wish to have added, please open a support ticket.

CMS Menu Items

The easiest way to access elements of the CMS is through the black menu bar located at the top of the page.

  1. Content:  Allows you to define Content Types, and to create and edit pages

3. Blocks: Blocks are elements that can be placed within pages.  The Home Page for example, is nothing more than a collection of blocks.   See this Chapter which discusses all the different blocks and how they work.

4. Add-Ons - The Add-Ons menu contains special items in the CMS.  All users have access to some AddOns (included with HOC), and other features are premium add-ons that can be purchased.  Some Add-Ons are only activated for advanced coders who need deeper access to features in the CMS.  Add-ons require advanced training and are not intended for general CMS users.

5. Recycle Bin - The Recycle Bin allows you to recover items you've deleted in the CMS

6. Regions - Clicking on The Regions menu allow you to see the various regions where you can place blocks, content, etc  Click again to hide the region names.

7. Return to Salesforce - clicking on this link will exit you out of the CMS and return you to Salesforce.  (You can also still access Salesforce in the other tab from which you launched the CMS.

8. CMS Admin Mode - this heading just advices you are in CMS admin mode.  Clicking on opens a box asking for an "Elevation Code" - which is for the use of our support staff and developers only.

9 and 10.  View Mobile Order / View Tablet Order - The page layouts for phones (mobile) and Tablets are different than for the desktop version of the site. Click on these links to be able to edit how the layout of a page is best arranged for those devices.  A default will be shown - but you can optimize the page for mobile or tablet so that it makes sense on those device configurations.  When working in mobile or tablet view, click on  Return to Desktop View to get back to the main view of your website.

CMS controls that are visible on the page itself

There are a number of markers and icons that show you how your page is laid out.  Here is what each element does:

1. Outlines appear around each block or section of the page. This shows you how much space each block is occupying and its position on the page.

2.  The icon of a square and a pencil gives you access to edit that particular block, form or page.  Click on it to edit that page element.

3. On Menu (navigation) elements on the page - an icon that looks like bullet points, allows you to edit that menu directly.  

4. The icon with two crossed arrows is the 'move' icon.  Click on it to drag a block or element to a new position on the page.  This allows you to quickly reorder how the elements appear on the page.

 

Some page elements you see in the CMS may not be used

There are space holders for some elements that you may not be using in the CMS.   In the example below, a section is labeled "Section where will be render the block of third level menu"  (sorry about the awkward English there :-)  and that just indicates that if you have a third level menu you add -- this is where it will appear in this template.

If you are not using a third level menu - this 'placeholder' will not be visible on the published site.

When working in the CMS, its handy to have a second browser opened or a new window with a private or incognito window opened, to display the Public Site as it appears to the public.  That way you can see the effect of the work you're doing in the CMS, and how it will appear on your actual website.

Note:  Browsers often cache and will not immediately display your changes.  Either turn off browser caching or click 'reload' a number of times to be sure you're seeing the newest version of your website.

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