How to Create Informational Posts

Informational posts are the articles and announcements your agency publishes to a web portal. Each post has its own public address, so you can send the link in a message, turn it into a QR code, or let readers share it themselves.

### Overview

- **What it is:** A post holds a title, summary, body, an optional featured image, and optional sections that add a file, a form, or an extra block of text.
- **Why it matters:** One public address gives you a single place to point clients to, instead of repeating the same instructions by phone or in every message.
- **Who uses it:** Staff with access to the **Admin** menu, since **Posts** sits in the **Portals** section of the app.
- **Expected outcomes:** A post that is live on your portal at its own address, or held as a draft, scheduled, private, or expired until you want it read.

### Prerequisites

- Access to **Admin** > **Portals** in the main navigation
- At least one portal, since the publish confirmation stops until a **Portal** is selected
- A portal that already has its public web address set up, otherwise the post publishes with no link to share
- Files and forms created in advance if you plan to add a **File** or **Form** section

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Create the post

1. Go to **Admin** > **Portals**.
2. Click the **Posts** tab.
3. Enter a headline in the **Title** field of the **Create Post** card.
4. Click **Create**.

New posts start as drafts on your default portal, and the editor opens as soon as the post is created.

#### Step 2: Write the content

1. Enter a short description in the **Summary** field.
2. Write the post in the **Body** editor.
3. Drop an image on the **Featured Image** card, or click the card to choose one (JPG, PNG, or GIF up to 10 MB).
4. Enter a description in **Describe this image** so it is read aloud to visitors who cannot see it.
5. Click **Add section** below the body to add a **Text**, **File**, or **Form** block.
6. Click **Save**.

#### Step 3: Choose the portal and the schedule

1. Open **Publishing** in the settings panel beside the editor.
2. Select the **Portal** that will carry the post.
3. Select a **Location**, or leave **Any location**.
4. Choose or type a **Category**.
5. Add up to 10 **Tags**, pressing Enter or a comma after each one.
6. Set the **Publish date** and **Time** to schedule the post, or leave them blank so it goes live when you publish.
7. Set the **Expiry date** and **Time** if the post should stop being available on a set date.

Dates and times use your agency timezone.

#### Step 4: Set the public address

1. Open **Public address** in the settings panel.
2. Edit the **Address** field, using lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens, up to 36 characters.
3. Click **Use title** to build the address from the title instead.
4. Click **Copy link** or **Open** to check the finished address.

#### Step 5: Turn on sharing

1. Open **Options** in the settings panel.
2. Select the **Default language**, which is shown when a visitor's language is not available.
3. Select **Allow sharing** to add Facebook, WhatsApp, and X buttons to the post on the portal.

#### Step 6: Publish the post

1. Click **Preview** to read the post as it appears on the portal.
2. Click **Publish**, or select **Published** or **Private** in the **Status** menu.
3. Read the confirmation banner, then click **Confirm**.

#### Step 7: Share the post

1. Click **Tools** > **Copy link** to copy the public address.
2. Paste the link into a text message, email, or auto message.
3. Click **Tools** > **QR code** to open **Design Studio** with the **Quick QR image** panel and the post link already filled in.
4. Click **Tools** > **Download PDF** to open your browser print dialog and keep a copy of the post.

### What to Expect

A banner at the top of the editor states whether the post is a draft, live, scheduled, expired, or private, and links to it once it is live. Changes to a published post go live when you save. On the portal, each post ends with a **Share this post** row holding **Copy link**, **Email**, and **Print**, plus the Facebook, WhatsApp, and X buttons when **Allow sharing** is on. A draft post is not on the portal at all, a private post asks a signed out visitor to sign in first, and an expired post tells visitors it is no longer available.

### Best Practices

- Select a **Portal** and enter a title in the default language before you publish, because the confirmation blocks the change until both are set.
- Click **Use title** for a readable address, then leave the address alone once the post is public, since changing it breaks links you have already shared.
- Fill in **Describe this image** for every featured image so the post stays accessible.
- Set an **Expiry date** on notices that only apply for a while, so readers are told the post is out of date instead of following stale instructions.
- Apply a **Category** and **Tags** so you can filter the **Posts** list as your library grows.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Who can read a Private post?**

A: Only clients signed in to the portal. A signed out visitor who opens the link is asked to sign in first.

**Q: Can one post appear on more than one portal?**

A: No. A post has a single **Portal**. Click **Tools** > **Duplicate** to create a draft copy, then select the other portal on the copy.

**Q: How do I take a post off the portal?**

A: Click **Tools** > **Unpublish** in the editor, which returns the post to draft. You can also select rows on the **Posts** list and click **Unpublish**.

**Q: Can I publish the same post in another language?**

A: Yes. Click **Add language** above the title, then write the new tab yourself or click **Translate tools** > **Auto translate from English**. Sections are shared across languages, so write them in your default language.

**Q: What happens to the link if I change the address?**

A: Links to the old address stop working when you save, and the editor warns you before that happens.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** The post is published but is not on the portal.

**Symptoms:** The editor banner reads "Published but not visible: no portal is assigned" and the **Visibility** column on the **Posts** list reads **No portal**.

**Solution:** Select a **Portal** under **Publishing**, then save the post.

**Issue:** A published post has no link to share.

**Symptoms:** The banner reports that the portal does not have a public address yet, and the list shows **Portal not ready**.

**Solution:** Click **Edit portal** next to the **Portal** field, finish the portal web address setup, then reopen the post.

**Issue:** The publish confirmation will not go through.

**Symptoms:** The banner reads "Choose a portal before publishing" or "Add a title in English before publishing" and **Confirm** stays disabled.

**Solution:** Add the missing portal or title, then click **Publish** again.

**Issue:** Saving stops with an address error.

**Symptoms:** A message such as "The address cannot be blank" or "Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only" appears beside the settings panel.

**Solution:** Open **Public address**, correct the **Address** field, then click **Save** again.

### Related Articles

- [How to create posts](/how-to-create-posts)
- [How to Create Web Portals](/how-to-create-web-portals)
- [How to generate qr codes](/how-to-generate-qr-codes)
- [How to Manage Files](/how-to-manage-files)
- [How to Create Forms](/how-to-create-forms)