Content Management FAQs

[Craig]

UPDATED 3/22/2010 to reflect changes in new CMS
This is just a start, I'm sure this list will continue to grow quite a bit. Please feel free to ask for elaboration or to suggest new FAQs in this thread.

How Does the CMS Template System Work?



When A New Site is Made
Your website gets a copy of each of the default or template web pages that we have created.

List of CMS pages and where they are used
CMS Folder Structure

CMS Pages That are not customized
Although visitors only see these pages from your domain, they are replicas of the PAS Default web pages. Some values change based on the name of your website, the stats of your users and for other reasons. These variables are stored in {{ tokens }}. Although the site reflects it's correct name, and users see their correct stats, you are still using the Default Page. Anytime the Default Page is updated, you will automatically also get these updates.

CMS Pages That are customized
Anytime you use the Content Management System to edit a page in any way, you have created a new page that is no longer connected to the default PAS template. Updates made to the template page will not affect your site. This is because we don't want to over-write any changes you have made, we want you to be able to keep your custom content! Your visitors only see your new page, and never the original template. The pages continue to function because variables are still transmitted through tokens, and each visitor sees the information that relates to them and your website.

Should I Change Pages at All?
Yes! Many of the template pages are only meant to be a starting point. For the best results you should change most of the pages to suit your needs, and to fit your target demographic. A good start would be to edit your offers pages which are within the "rakeback" folder.

Will I miss important updates if I customize my pages?
Not usually. We have taken care to start with pages that won't need to be updated often. If we do install an important update we will post an announcement in the forums and attempt to notify you.

What pages receive the most updates?
Special promotions such as races and rolls need to be updated monthly. Therefore if you edit these pages, you should be careful to read our newsletters and check the forums for updates. Usually such updates don't take much time, but it is important to keep your visitors informed so do them promptly when possible.

How do I edit content through the CMS?
Please see the following beginners tutorial: Customizing Page Content

I'm trying to edit/translate the sign-up forms, but my pages don't seem to be saving. How do the sign up forms work?
There are 4 sign-up pages that must be updated. Two pages exist for users who are logged in, and two for users who are not logged in. If you update the page for users who are not logged in, you will not be able to review the changes unless you logout. Please be sure to maintain the integrity of these pages by accurately translating phrases that describe rakeback or bonuses. Also be very careful when making changes to the html in the forms to be sure that all input fields exist and function correctly.

For signups who are not logged in:
signup-forms > room-signup-form > bonus-signup > signup-bonus-visitor.html
signup-forms > room-signup-form > rakeback-signup > signup-rakeback-visitor.html

For signups who are logged in:
signup-forms > room-signup-form > bonus-signup > signup-bonus-member.html
signup-forms > room-signup-form > rakeback-signup > signup-rakeback-member.html

What If I made a mistake?
You can undo your changes by by reverting to an earlier revision. In your CMS, click on file with contents you want to edit, then click "View Revisions" button located above content well. Click "View" to see various revisions and then click green "Restore Page to This Revision" button to restore page to desired state. If you encounter a problem please don't hesitate to submit a support ticket. For the most reliable functionality we recommend downloading and using the latest version of Mozilla Firefox

What is a token?
A token is anything that is enclosed in double { signs, e.g. {{ token }}. You should take care not to edit these unless you are sure how they work and what they do.

Can I translate my site to a different language?
Yes, you can safely edit text as long as it is not a token, html tag, or code snippet such as an IF/THEN statement. To safely translate words generated by tokens, go to the following page in your CMS:

Content > Word Translation > yoursite

What Should I know before I use the CMS?
Reading tutorials and browsing the forum is a good idea. Also a general knowledge of HTML & CSS is very helpful.

Can I use third party software to build/customize my website?
Poker Affiliate Solutions doesn't directly support any third party web development applications. That said, any editor that produces standardized HTML code will work just fine for developing content to insert into your website. These applications will not integrate directly with our software, but you can cut and paste any HTML/CSS output into your PAS website.

I'm stuck, where can I get help?
This forum is the best place to ask your questions, we monitor it nearly everyday and will respond as quickly as possible.

How do I make new pages?
Open CMS for your site. Click on "Create a New Page", give your page a name, do not uses dashes or other non alpha numeric characters. Do not use a file name that is used somewhere else in your CMS. Enter your desired content. Click Save.

How do I link to new pages?
Regardless of the folder in which your new file resides, the path will always be the same. http://www.yoursite.com/page-name.html (where the name of the new page is "page name". Notice that spaces in the file name will be substituted with dashes in the path. Do not use non alpha numeric characters when naming your new page.To make a link to your page:

<a href="http://www.yoursite.com/page-name.html">Page Name</a>

Where can I upload images for my website?
Simply login to your CMS and go to:

Content > Main CMS

Click green "Upload and Image" button and follow prompts to upload an image from your local machine.

[mark_s]

Updates made to FAQ to reflect changes in new CMS. See above.