A dashboard is the presentation layer of Publisher, which is more conventionally known as a page. There are three main types of dashboard:
- Global dashboard
- Module dashboard
- Channel dashboard
The dashboard is a user's first interaction with Publisher and needs to be dynamic and to keep up with trends and themes.
An example of what the dashboard can look like is below:
Please note that we have improved Publisher filters to remember user defined filter selections when reviewing articles. This means that when a user filters to view certain content, after browsing for and viewing an article and then returning to the previous page, the filter selection will be saved
Publisher has drag and drop functionality which allows an administrator to customise each section of the page. Additionally, the panel that sits in that section design can be implemented using custom CSS.
Homepage dashboard for new instances
As of March 2024, to accelerate and improve implementation, your Publisher instance includes a helpful dashboard, offering guidance and insights to help swiftly set up and launch your site.
This dashboard exemplifies effective Publisher dashboard design and enables you to promptly observe results when, for example, implementing a theme
Editing your dashboard
Editing a dashboard can be done in the following ways. The first is by clicking the Edit pencil icon on the top right-hand side of any dashboard where you have edit rights:
The Edit dashboard screen opens:
Click Save to save your changes.
The second method is via module set up. Navigate to your user profile drop-down menu and click Content hub:
And navigate to either Home dashboard, Channels or Modules depending on which dashboard you want to edit:
The Edit screen opens:
Building dashboards
The editor has been designed to enable the simple creation of mobile optimised content, and consists of sections (horizontal) and columns, i.e., the vertical alignment of content in the section and panels in the columns.
To start your dashboard edit, click Add section:
A new blank section is added:
Sections
In a section, you can:
- Define the number of columns
- Apply a background colour
- Use a background image
- Drag and drop the order of the sections
There is no limit to the number of sections or panels on a dashboard and the only limit for a section is a maximum of four columns in the section.
Columns
The column layouts maintain a framework to allow for mobile-optimised features of the application:
Panels
There are many different types of panel that you can use in a dashboard:
Each panel can display different types of content. For example, the Collaborate feed panel has the following additional options:
Once you have configured your dashboard, you can preview the layout before saving. Click Preview and then select the view:
The preview feature works in all browsers but requires popups to be enabled.
