A content list is a list of content pages displayed on your site. They're used for many reasons and can be organized and displayed differently. You can build a content list through any WYSIWYG Editor or the Content List option from the More menu in admin, and you can list content filtered by content types and content labels.
This article will cover a lot, but the main topics are:
- Before you start
- Create or edit a content list through the WYSIWYG editor
- Insert or redesign an existing content list
Or, you can watch this video to get started:
Before You Start
Before you start creating content lists, there are a few questions to think about:
- What kind of content do you want to include?
- Which content types are you listing?
- What content labels do you need to have?
- How many items do you want to list?
You can list as many items as you want, but we recommend short content lists that quickly convey information.
There are many things you can do with content lists. You could list pages focusing on a specific topic (such as sustainability or keeping your area clean) or libraries in a particular area. Have a look at Ideas for content lists for more inspiration.
Please note that, by default, images on content lists will display as usual when viewed on a desktop but not on a mobile device. This improves the user's experience when viewing your site, and gives you more screen space to add the important content.
Create or Edit a Content List Through the WYSIWYG
When you're ready to start creating it, navigate to the page where you want to build your content list.
- If the page has already been published, select Update to start a new WIP version.
- Click on the WYSIWYG Editor to open it.
- Place your cursor in the text field where you want to add the list and select the Insert Content Lists icon in the WYSIWYG toolbar.
- Go to the Create tab, choose Base on content types and labels, and press Next.
- Select what content you want to include in the Options menu. You can also select the number of items to display and the sorting order. When you're done, select Next.
- Select how you want to present your content list in the Templates menu. When you're done, select Next.
- Add a title for the content list in the Related content title field and add links to more information in the Related content more info link fields.
- Press Insert to finish editing the list, and Save Content And Close to close the WYSIWYG Editor.
- Preview the page to check your content list, then Publish it when you're ready.
If you need to edit your list, select it in the WYSIWYG Editor and select the Insert Content Lists icon in the WYSIWYG toolbar.
Pages will only be visible in your lists if they're visible to search. To check this, go to the Settings tab of the page and ensure that the Hide this page from search box is unchecked.
Options
Use these options to ensure your lists display the content you want.
| Content types to include |
Use this setting to choose which content types you will include in your content list: All: Source from all content types on your site Some: Choose which content types to include. For example, if you're building a content list for event pages, select OC Event. |
| Content labels to include |
Use this setting to filter your content list using content labels: All: Content will be drawn from pages with any content labels. This option is best used with other filters, like choosing certain content types or Direct child pages only. Has all content labels from current page: Content will be drawn from pages with all of the labels of the currently viewed page. This option can create highly targeted lists, such as events for a specific audience at a particular venue. Has any content labels from current page: Content will be drawn from pages with any of the labels of the currently viewed page. Some: Content will be drawn from pages with the labels you specify. |
| Maximum number of items to display |
Use this setting to choose the maximum number of items to display. We recommend no more than three links per page to keep your page from becoming too long and crowded. |
| Include content from |
Use this setting to choose where in your site your content list will source pages from: Whole content tree: Content can be sourced from anywhere in your site tree Direct child pages only: Content can only be sourced from direct child pages of the page the list appears on |
| Sort |
Use these drop-down options to define how content is sorted. These options are contextual, so the options you'll see depend on the content type you're setting up. Most are self-explanatory, but "sequence" can be tricky; "sequence" refers to the order of pages in the site tree. |
Templates
Use these options to decide how to set the layout of your content list. Click through the options at the top of the menu to see various Grid, Stream, List, and Container views. Each option is displayed as a preview to see how your lists will look.
A popular choice is a grid option, displaying the listed pages' images, titles, and descriptions. A grid option allows users to see what the content is about without taking up the screen space that a stream listing would. All lists appear in a stream on mobile devices, so it's important to create short content lists with only the most relevant content.
Title and Links
Use these fields to add a styled heading to your content list and an additional link below. These settings are all optional.
| Related content title | |
| Title | The heading displayed above the content list. Make sure this heading is relevant to all pages of the content type. |
| Title heading level | The styled heading level, which is used for the title. |
| Related content more info link | |
| Link text | The text displayed below the content list for an additional information link. This text will not be shown if a URL is not entered. |
| URL (start with http:// or https://) | The URL for an additional information link displayed below the content list. |
| Open in | Choose whether the link opens in the same browser window or a new one. |
| Show as | Choose whether the link appears as link text or as a Call-to-action button. |
Insert or Edit an Existing Content List
If you have developer experience, particularly with HTML, you can create a list in More > Content Lists, which you can insert into any WYSIWYG Editor. You can also redesign this list in a WYSIWYG Editor and use it as a source for the content.
Please note that while this will mirror these lists' content, elements such as search bars available on OC Module Interface templates will not be displayed. We recommend creating content lists yourself to get a visual understanding of how your list will look. Users without developer experience should only create content lists through the WYSIWYG Editor.
- Navigate to the page you want to edit. If the page has already been published, select Update.
- Click on the WYSIWYG Editor to open it.
- Place your cursor in the text field where you want to add the list and select the Insert Content Lists icon in the WYSIWYG toolbar.
- In the Browse tab, select an existing content list, then choose Insert.
- To redesign a list based on an existing content list, go to the Create Tab, select Source from existing content list, and select Next.
- Choose a content list to source from, then press Next to choose your Template and set a title and additional link.
- Press Insert to finish editing the list, and Save Content And Close to close the WYSIWYG Editor.
- Preview the page to check your content list, then Publish it when you're ready.
We recommend training your content authors specifically on the creation of content lists and how to use them. Content authors must know how to make and maintain content lists based on specific content types and labels. We also recommend documenting your lists and labels so future content authors know which lists and pages use which labels.