Collaborator Guide: External Content Links

Link community members out to an external URL to access content from a website, existing database, etc. using External Content.

The guide below walks you through the steps to create, edit and manage external content links from your dashboard.

Dashboard

The dashboard is the behind-the-scenes or back end of the community where you can create and manage content.  

The direct link to your dashboard is dashboard.gradual.com. 

Navigate to that link and sign in by entering your email address in the email field. This will prompt the system to send a magic link to your email inbox to log into the dashboard.

Follow the link in your inbox and you will be directed to the dashboard. Select the community you will be managing, and you're in!

Creating & Editing External Content

The guide below walks through creating and editing external content links and the access and permissions for those at the Editor (fewest permissions/most limited access) to the Admin level (most permissions/most expansive access).

The permissions and access build off of the level before, so Managers have all the permissions and access of an Editor plus any listed below that level. An Admin has all permissions and access of a Manager, plus those of a Manager, plus any listed below that level.

External Content Editor

As an Editor, you can create, edit and manage many elements of an external content piece.

Creating & Editing

Navigate to the Content menu item in the dashboard and select External Content.

Create

Edit

If at any time you want to make changes to the link, or information, you can do so by selecting the edit icon, or the eye icon in line with the content piece from the list, and selecting the 'Edit' button in the upper right.

Once published, you can change the Published Time. The most recently published content will be listed first on the homepage and content page.

External Content Manager

External Content Managers have all access and permissions listed above under External Content Editor, plus the ability to publish or unpublish the external content link.

Publish or Unpublish

Published:

Published external content pieces are visible and searchable on the front end to members.

Once you have uploaded and created the external content link and are ready for it to 'go live' on the front end of the community, you must Publish it. All content pieces remain unpublished and hidden until an admin or collaborator takes action to publish them.

You can publish it by selecting the eye icon in line with the external content piece from the list. From here you'll be navigated to the detail page, and you'll select the green 'Publish' button at the top.

Unpublished:

Unpublished external content pieces are hidden from members on the front end and the community home page or content page. Keep an external link unpublished while it's in draft form, or if you want it hidden until a certain date or time. All content pieces remain unpublished and hidden until an admin or collaborator takes action to publish them.

If you need to unpublish it, select the eye icon in line with the external content piece from the list. From here you'll be navigated to the detail page, and you'll select the red 'Unpublish' button at the top.

External Content Admin

Admins have all access and permissions listed above under Editor AND Manager, plus the ability to delete the content entirely if needed.

If you need to delete the content entirely, select the eye icon in line external content piece from the list. From here you'll be navigated to the detail page, and you'll select the white and red 'Delete' button at the top.

If you'd like the content to be hidden from the front-end community, simply Unpublish it by selecting the red 'Unpublish' button at the top.