Gradual has just unveiled a new blog and resource editor that allows for more customization and better handling of PDFs, images, videos, and more.
New text and background color options
Add a custom color to use in your blog or resource using RGB, Hex Code, HSL, color picker or from the color spectrum:
New icon styles and options
Paste Markdown content directly into the editor and automatically convert it into formatted content
Upload Markdown (.md) files to import their contents into the editor
Local PDF upload support
Insert content using a URL, including embeddable content such as iframes and public Instagram photos, profiles, carousels, and Reels
Embed a webpage directly in your content and customize its display height
Emoji picker for inserting emojis directly into your content
Better handling of alignment and resizing for images, videos, and PDFs
Better handling of table formatting, and additional elements supported within tables like images, videos, and more
Captions and link generation for images, videos, and PDF elements
Ability to apply code formatting to code blocks
Support for Markdown and HTML blocks, so you can add formatted content, custom tables, callout boxes, or approved embed code directly in the editor
The editor also includes additional formatting and layout tools to help you create richer content more efficiently, including:
Undo and redo
Text highlighting
Adjustable line height
Todo lists
Collapsible sections
Dividers
Three-column layouts
Inline equations
Creating a Blog (with the New Blog & Resource Editor)
Creating a blog with this new editor does not change much from the legacy editor, but there are new icons and features displayed in the editor menu.
Sign into your dashboard.
Select the Content tab from the main menu, and then Blogs from within that menu.
Select the +Create New Blog button in the upper right.
Fill in the necessary information like Title, URL Slug and Sub Title. The Sub Title populates under the Title on the Resource page and should be a one-liner description.
The Summary populates under the Title on the Content page and, while not necessary, provides another opportunity for a one-liner description.
Sub Title and Summary can be the same text.
Fill the Content description with your content.
The Table of Contents (TOC) is enabled by default for new blogs and is automatically generated from the heading styles used in your content. You can disable the TOC if you don’t want it displayed. You can also add PDFs, links, tables, images, emojis, Markdown blocks, HTML blocks, and embedded webpages in the content block.
To embed a webpage directly in your content, select Webpage Embed from the editor toolbar. Enter the webpage’s HTTPS URL, then set the display height for the embedded page. The default height is 600px.
The webpage will display within the width of the content area and at the height you specify. Adjusting the height can give longer webpages more room to display and help reduce the need for scrolling within the embedded content.
To embed other supported external content, such as a video or iframe, you can continue to select Insert via URL from the Insert menu and enter the content URL.
The editor also includes additional formatting and layout tools such as undo and redo, todo lists, collapsible sections, adjustable line height, text highlighting, dividers, three-column layouts, inline equations, and contextual editing toolbars for text, tables, and images.
Use Markdown blocks when you want to paste markdown-formatted content, such as tables, lists, or code-heavy instructions. Use HTML blocks when you need to add custom formatted content or approved embed code. The editor will clean the content before it is displayed to help keep the page safe.
Note: The webpage must allow embedding on the domain where your content is displayed. Some websites provide a dedicated embed URL or require the website owner to allow your community’s domain before the page can be displayed.
Upload a Cover Image and select, or add a category. If you would like to include tags to the post, and gate or limit access by spaces, make those selections.
Preview and publish. Before a blog is published, you can preview the post using the preview link, found in the upper right hand side of the Blog detail page in the dashboard.
Note: This link is a special tokenized link that will expire after 24 hours to prevent blogs from being viewed before they’re published.
💡 Pro Tip: You can paste Markdown-formatted content directly into the editor, and it will automatically convert into formatted content. You can also upload a Markdown (.md) file to import its contents. When copying content from Google Docs or other editors, double-check the formatting before publishing.
Note: If you make changes without saving them, Gradual will warn you before you leave the page or close your browser tab to help prevent accidental data loss. Save your changes or discard them before leaving the editor.
Embed Instagram content
You can embed public Instagram photos, profiles, carousels, and Reels in blogs and resources.
Open the blog or resource you'd like to edit, or create a new one.
In the content editor, place your cursor where you want the Instagram content to appear.
Select Insert via URL from the Insert menu.
Paste the public Instagram URL, then select Embed.
Wait for the Instagram preview to appear.
Here are links to more helpful articles around blogs:
Resources
Resources also use the new editor and support the same Table of Contents (TOC) functionality as blogs. Resources are generally best suited for evergreen documentation, guides, and other reference content, while blogs are typically used for announcements, updates, and time-sensitive posts.