Feature Guides
These are the main articles about major Brightspot functions.
Access Restriction
Brightspot sites can be configured to limit access to certain individuals. This feature guide will explore how to configure site access using CAS, GRO, and net IDs.
Articles
Articles are one of the most used content types. They are similar to a page but much more simplified
and only allow a Rich Text module for content. However, they offer specific features such as the ability to add authors, subheadlines, and posted update tracking to the article.
and only allow a Rich Text module for content. However, they offer specific features such as the ability to add authors, subheadlines, and posted update tracking to the article.
Asides and Belows
Aside and Below options allow, as the names state, putting modules aside or below the main content of a page as seen below. It allows links and other information to be displayed as a quick way to navigate through the site.
Bulk Edit
Making changes to lots of different pages can be very time-consuming, but Brightspot has tools to reduce that time in significant ways. This article will go over ways in which content on a website can be edited in bulk which only applies to items of the same content type. Bulk editing is not available for items of different content types. Note that this is different from bulk uploading content to a website.
Bulk Upload
Bulk uploading articles, events, images, and attachments is available to Brightspot editors who are mass-editing the website. This section will go over some common bulk uploading options and methods as well as how to use the uploaded content.
Calendars and Events
A great Brightspot feature is being able to add events and calendars to webpages. These make it easy to keep track of and make users aware of the exciting new happenings that are going on in your field. This feature guide will explore how to create a calendar, how to create an event and how to display the two different content types on a page.
Content Templates
Content templates allow editors to create a standard starting point for common content. For example, if an editor regularly creates pages that follow a set format, use the same modules, or use standard sections or tags, they can use a content template with common modules, settings, text, or images already in place. They can even add a button in the Quick Start menu on their Dashboard for easy access to create new content using a content template.
Customization and CSS
Brightspot allows content creators to modify the actual page with raw HTML, CSS, and Javascript if specific and custom changes need to occur to the site. This will not be a tutorial on HTML/CSS/JS but rather how to set up the module to start making specific, custom changes to your content.
Dashboards
The dashboard is the place to streamline your site editing. It can be customized for a site, a role, or for a particular user.
Digital Signage
Digital signage can be shown on monitors, televisions, and other devices to promote your brand.
Directory and Employees
Employees can be set to be automatically ingested (e.g. imported) into a site or can also be manually created. Once employee pages exist, pages can be configured to display subsets of these employees on a site. This guide will explore how to ingest employees automatically, modify employees, and how to set up a page of employees.
Footer
Footers are the very bottom of any webpage that displays information (usually a logo or contact information). Creating a custom footer allows for a more personalized webpage.
Forms
A form is a content type built directly into Brightspot. Forms are useful for signing people up for an event, collecting a survey, or automatically setting up an event with Event Forms.
Header
A header will help your site become easy to navigate and keep websites more uniform across the BYU site.
Help and Training
The BYU Websites Team has created a lot of training and help content so that you can create your site as smoothly as possible.
Images and Videos
Images and Videos are critical components of any webpage. However, importing videos and images can have more settings than one realizes.
Lists
Lists display content in different ways to give a unique look to the site while allowing clear and concise information to be displayed to a user.
Payments
Brightspot does not have a shopping cart or payment processing system, and linking directly to a checkout process from Brightspot is not allowed. You can, however, link to a Transact shopping cart, charge a student account, or use Mendix for a portion of your site.
Promos
Promos allow you to "beautify" your links and content on Brightspot with photos, short descriptions, and a layout that will help users understand and be more likely to click on your content. Headers of pages make great promos, as they are able to display full-width photos and links and make the page look professional.
Revisions and History
Brightspot gives the capability to modify a published page and save it without having to publish it right away. It can also set launch dates for content needed to be published in the future.
Rich Text
The Rich Text module allows for powerful customization for the body of your Brighspot page, whether it is a simple block of text or large document like blocks that include images, forms and links to other sites.
Scheduling and Workflow
This article will talk about how to set a future date for content to be published or removed and to set specific steps in publishing content. These steps can be tied to user roles and permissions.
Search
The search content type creates a custom search bar that has many powerful search functions. It's perfect for customizing the search or filter needs of a specific section or website. This article will also suggest a few ways to optimize site search.
Sections
Sometimes sites are large and have many pages included within. Sections are Brightspots way to help organize these many pages to keep your site organized.
Sharing Content and Modules
One of Brightspot's strengths is sharing content within an instance (i.e. within the BYU Brightspot sites). For example, a college can feature articles from BYU News that relate to that college, and departments can do the same with articles from the same college or BYU News. This article will also talk about shared modules.
Site Publishing
You've been hard at work, making your website just how you want it, and now you're ready to make it live! Congratulations! Launching a site only takes a few simple steps.
Sites and Settings
The Sites and Settings area is only available to those who have the "Site-admin" permission role type for a website. Access it by clicking the hamburger menu button at the top left of any screen and opening the Admin area. The Sites and Settings page contains most site-wide settings.
Social Feeds
This article talks about how to add recent X(Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram posts to a website.
Tags
Tags are words or phrases used for organizing or marking related content on a website. They can help in sorting, searching, and filtering content.
Translation
You can create alternate language versions of your pages in Brightspot. You essentially need to rebuild your site in each language you want to use, but once the translation has been set up it becomes easy to manage the versions in Brightspot.
URLs and Redirects
URLs and redirects can be set up to allow multiple addresses to point to the same content.
User Permissions
Brightspot allows website administrators granular control over editor access to their website. This article will explore how to manage site hierarchies, permission sets, and user roles.