How to create posts

Posts are articles and announcements published to your portal. Create one from the **Posts** page, write the body in as many languages as your audience needs, then publish it to a portal where anyone with the link can read it.

### Overview

- **What it is:** **Posts** are articles and announcements you publish to a portal, each with a title, summary, body, optional featured image, and optional sections that add a file, a form, or an extra block of text.
- **Why it matters:** A published post gives your agency one public address to share, so you can point clients to current instructions instead of answering the same question by phone.
- **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 public address, readable in each language you added, or held as a draft, scheduled, or private until you are ready.

### Prerequisites

- Access to **Admin** > **Portals** in the main navigation
- At least one portal, since a post cannot be published without one
- A portal that already has its public web address configured, otherwise the post publishes with no link
- Files and forms created in advance if you plan to add **File** or **Form** sections

### 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, using the toolbar for headings, **Bold**, **Italic**, **Bullet list**, **Numbered list**, **Link**, and **Image**.
3. Select an item under **Link to a form or file** in the **Link** popover to link to one of your forms or files.
4. Drop an image on the **Featured Image** card, or click the card to choose one (JPG, PNG, or GIF up to 10 MB).
5. Enter a description in **Describe this image** so the image is read aloud to visitors who cannot see it.
6. Click **Save**.

#### Step 3: Add sections

1. Click **Add section** below the body.
2. Select **Text**, **File**, or **Form** from the menu.
3. Enter a **Section title**.
4. Write the **Content**, or choose an item under **Select file** or **Select form**.
5. Drag a section by its handle, or use the up and down arrows, to reorder it.

Sections are shown in every language, so write them in your default language.

#### Step 4: Set the publishing details

1. Open **Publishing** in the settings panel beside the editor.
2. Select the **Portal** the post belongs to.
3. Select a **Location**, or select **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 5: 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 6: Add another language

1. Click **Add language** above the title and choose a language.
2. Enter the title, summary, and body on the new language tab.
3. Click **Translate tools** > **Auto translate from English** to translate the text instead of typing it (the button names your default language, so it reads differently if your default is not English).
4. Click **Translate tools** > **Copy from English** when you want to start from the original text.
5. Change **Default language** under **Options** if the post should fall back to something other than English.

A language tab marked **Empty** has no title, summary, or body yet.

#### Step 7: Publish

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 message, then click **Confirm**.

### 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. The save button reads **Saved** when everything is stored and **Save** when you have edits outstanding, and an **Unsaved changes** badge appears alongside it. If you close the tab mid edit, the editor offers your unsaved work back with **Restore them** the next time you open the post. On the **Posts** list, the **Status** and **Visibility** columns report the same detail for every post at once, and the **Languages** column lists the language codes each post carries.

### Best Practices

- Assign a portal and enter a title in the default language first, because the publish 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.
- Add a language tab for each audience you serve, and check the auto translated text before you publish it.
- Apply a **Category** and **Tags** so you can filter the **Posts** list as your library grows.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I schedule a post to publish later?**

A: Yes. Set the **Publish date** and **Time** under **Publishing**, then publish the post. The banner reads "Scheduled" until that moment arrives, and times use your agency timezone.

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

A: Only clients signed in to the portal. Select **Private** in the **Status** menu and confirm the change to limit it that way.

**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: Do sections translate with the rest of the post?**

A: No. Sections are one shared list shown in every language, so write them in your default language.

**Q: Can I reuse a post as the starting point for another?**

A: Yes. Click **Tools** > **Duplicate** to create a draft copy titled with "(copy)" at the end, then edit it. The copy starts without an address or featured image.

### Troubleshooting

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

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

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

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

**Symptoms:** The editor 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 and finish the portal web address setup, then reopen the post.

**Issue:** The publish confirmation refuses to go through.

**Symptoms:** The banner reads "Choose a portal before publishing" or asks you to add a title in your default language, and **Confirm** stays disabled.

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

**Issue:** Saving stops and an error appears under the settings panel.

**Symptoms:** Messages such as "The address cannot be blank" or "Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only" appear.

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

### Related Articles

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