Category Templates

Category Pages are the automatically generated pages that you see when you click on a category from your navigation menu or on a category widget title. These pages show all the stories assigned to a particular category like News, Sports, Opinions, etc. SNO has three built-in template options for your category page display: Preview Tiles, List, and List with Sidebar.

You also have the ability to create a custom category sidebar and add a custom header graphic to your category page. If you want to customize your category page using widgets, you can create a Custom Widget-Based page.

Setting the Template for your Category

Under the Category Templates section on the SNO Design Options page, you can choose a default template to use, and set templates for individual categories in the first column. There are options to customize each template on the right side of the Category Templates settings page.

Preview Tiles

The Preview Tiles option displays a customizable group of boxes that fill the page, each showing the featured image headline and date of a different story. The Preview Tiles template can be customized in various ways to display your stories or content in aesthetically pleasing and intuitive ways.

List

The List option is just like it sounds -- a long list of infinitely scrolling stories assigned to that category. This option takes up the width of the whole page. You have the option to change this template to use pagination at the top of the List Template Settings on the Category Templates settings page (third column), if you prefer that to an infinite scroll.

List with Sidebar

The List with Sidebar option displays the stories in a particular category across two thirds of the page and a sidebar that you fill with widgets is displayed in the other third. 

Creating a Custom Category Sidebar

If your category is set to use the List with Sidebar template, you are able to create a custom sidebar for any category, which will appear only on that category page.

1. Go to Design Options -> Category Templates. In the first column, find the category for which you want to create a custom sidebar, and click to expand its settings.
2. Use the Template dropdown menu to set your category template to List with Sidebar.
3. Check the box for “Activate Custom Sidebar.”
4. Save All Design options in the upper right corner.
5. Now, when you go to the Widget Control Panel, you will see a widget area called <Category name> Sidebar (Ex: News Sidebar, Features Sidebar, etc.).
6. Add any widgets you would like to appear in the sidebar of this category page into the new widget area.

Adding a Custom Header Graphic to your Category Page

If you'd like to add a custom header graphic to a a category page, you must have a Site Header - Graphic content block in your header design, and must be using the newest version of our theme, FLEX Pro. You can add a custom header to any of our three category templates. 

1. Go to Design Options -> Category Templates.
2. In the first column, Locate the category to which you want to add a custom header graphic. Click to expand its settings.
3. Check the box in front of “Activate Custom Header Graphic.”
4. Click the button for Upload Custom Header.
5. Choose an image in your Media Library for your custom category page header graphic or click on the “Upload files” tab, and upload your image. Then click the “Use this image” button.
6. Click Save All Design Options in the upper right corner.
7. Make sure that your Site Header - Graphic content block is set to “Allow Custom Header Graphics on Category Views and Widget-Based Pages.” 
   1. Go to Design Options -> Site Designer.
   2. Place your cursor in your Site Header - Graphic content block, and click on the gear that appears in the upper left corner to open its settings.
   3. Check the box for “Allow Custom Header Graphics on Category Views and Widget-Based Pages.” (You may have to scroll down to locate it)
   4. Save All Design Options in the upper right corner.

Learn more about Categories.