STEP 1: Enter Headline(s) and Body Text
- Click Add a Story under the SNO Dashboard dropdown at the top of the page.
- Enter the Headline for the article.
- If you would like a secondary headline or deck for the story, type it into the appropriate box underneath the headline field.
- Either type or paste the main body of the story in the main box on the page.
STEP 2: Determine Story Page Layout
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Every story has options for its story page layout: Full-Width, Single Sidebar, Immersive Photo, Immersive Half Photo and Dual Sidebars*. Simply, select which template you want to use. The default for this option can be set on the SNO Design Options page under the options for Story Page Templates tab.
*The Dual Sidebars template is only available if your site is set to display at least 1200 pixels wide.
STEP 3: Set the Featured Image
- Just right of the body text field find the set Featured Image box; click on the set featured image button.
- Click on Upload Files in the upper left-hand corner, then click select files or drag and drop the picture you would like to be the featured image for this story. The picture will upload and a set of fields/boxes will appear to the right.
- Type your caption in the caption box.
- Type the photographer’s name in the photographer box. If there is a staff profile for the photographer, this field is what will enable your site to automatically link this story to that staff profile - if the photo was not taken by a staff member we recommend putting the photo attribution at the end of the caption line.
- Click the set featured image button in the lower right-hand corner.
- You will now see your featured image appear in the featured image box.
STEP 4: Complete the Custom Fields
IMPORTANT: Not all of these features will show up on the homepage, but they will show up on a story’s page. While the descriptions for each custom field make its purpose obvious, read below for more information.
Writer’s Name: Be sure to add a writer for each story——this is what will connect the story to a writer’s profile on the staff page. Click the Add Another Writer button to add as many additional bylines as you need.
Job Title: You can add something like “Staff Writer” or “News Editor” in this box. This box will disappear if there are multiple writers on a story.
Featured Image Location: This choice determines where the photo is displayed on the story page. It does not affect its placement on the homepage or other pages. Do not choose Slideshow of All Attached Images unless you have attached many images to the story.
Add Video/Embed Code: Click this to reveal the options to add a video or audio piece to your story. Read this support article for more information about placing video pieces into your story. Audio is very similar - here is the support article on how to embed audio pieces into your story. Reminder: Audio and video files must be uploaded to a third party site and inserted into your story using the embed code from that site.
Embed Code or Video URL: Paste the embed code for the video or audio piece you'd like to have displayed on the story page.
Video Location: This choice determines where the video or audio player is displayed on the story page.
Embed/Video Credit Line: Be sure to add a credit line for each audio or video piece ——this is what will connect the story to a creator’s profile on the staff page. Click the Add Another Credit Line button to add as many additional bylines as you need.
Embed/Video Caption: If you wish to have a caption under the video or audio player enter that text here. If the video/audio was not created by a staff member we recommend putting the attribution at the end of the caption line rather than using the Embed/Video Credit Line field.
Category: Scroll down to the box with category choices in the right column and select the appropriate category. NOTE: The Showcase category is best used for the top area or showcase display on the homepage. You may assign a story to multiple categories, but this will cause it to show up in multiple places on your homepage.
Tags: This is another way to group stories together. It is not related to SEO or the search function. It can be a way for your readers to find similar content that may span multiple categories, or you can use tags rather than creating a lot of sub-categories.
Sports Center Attachments: This field is only available if you have the Site Booster add-on. Select which sport’s page this story should appear on. Sports pages are accessed via the dropdown menu on the Scores and Schedules page, which appears as a dropdown under the sports button on your top navigation menu.
STEP 4b: Customize the Story Design
Customize Sidebar Content: This allows you to pick a different sidebar than the default to display on the story page. You can learn more about how to create custom sidebars in this support article.
Customize Header & Footer: This allows you to select a different header and/or footer than the default to display on the story page. You can learn more about how to create custom headers and footers in this support article.
Customize Story Design: This allows you to adjust many design elements on the story page to differ from the default template’s design.
STEP 5: Publish
The Publish button is in the right column about halfway down. If you return to edit this story, this button will have changed to the Update button. After making any changes to the story or its settings, you will need to click the Update button for them to take effect.