Site Templates site-templates

The Site Templates console is similar to the Group Templates console, which is focused on functions of interest to Community groups.

Site Templates Console site-templates-console

In the Author environment, to reach the community sites console:

This console displays the templates from which a community site can be created and allows new site templates to be created.

Create Site Template create-site-template

To get started creating a site template, select Create.

This opens the Site Editor panel that contains three subpanels:

Basic info basic-info

On the Basic Info panel, a name, description and whether the template is enabled or disabled are configured:

Thumbnail thumbnail

(Optional) Select the Upload Image icon to display a thumbnail along with the name and description to creators of community sites.

Structure structure

To add community functions, drag from the right side to the left in the order the site menu links should appear. Styles are applied to the template during creation of the site.

For example, if you want a home page, drag the Page function from the library and drop under the template builder. This results in the page configuration dialog opening. See the functions console for information about the configuration dialogs.

Continue dragging and dropping any other community functions desired for a community site based on this template.

The page function provides an empty page. The Groups function lets you create a group site (subcommunity) within the community site.

Group Templates for Groups Function group-templates-for-groups-function

When including a Groups function in the site template, the configuration requires the specification of the group template choices allowed when a new group is created in the publish environment.

By selecting two or more community group templates, a choice is provided to the group administrator when actually creating a group in the community.

Edit Site Template edit-site-template

When viewing site templates in the main Site Templates console, it is possible to select an existing site template for edit.

This process provides the same panels as creating a site template.