Each story in the ‘Featured News’ slideshow is powered by an individual post added to the Posts module.
To add a new story, begin by uploading a thumbnail image for it:
- Click on the ‘folder’ icon button in Composer’s left navigation to access Resources.
- Click on the ‘Resources’ tab.
- Create or select an existing folder for your new thumbnail in the ‘Public’ directory.
- Click on the ‘Add Public Resource’ button at the top right of the Resources interface.
- Choose from the upload options available and upload the new image.
- Once the upload is complete, update the following image properties in the ‘Edit Resource Details’ window:
- Click into the ‘Title’ field and add a short title for your image. This is for internal use and will not be seen by the visitor.
- Click into the ‘Alt Text’ field and add a short description explaining the contents of the image. This is used by screen reading software to describe the image for visitors who are unable to see it.
- Click on the ‘Save’ button at the bottom of the ‘Edit Resource Details’ window.
Image Size: The recommended image size for the post thumbnail is 800px (wide) by 582px (high).
With the post thumbnail uploaded, add a new post to the Posts module:
- Click on the ‘Modules’ tab in Composer’s left navigation and select Posts.
- Click on the ‘Boards’ tab.
- Select the board that has been configured to display in the ‘Featured News’ slideshow. If you have configured the slideshow to display posts from multiple boards, select the most suitable board for the content of your story.
- Click on the ‘Create Post’ button at the top right of the Board interface.
- Add the content for your new post:
- Click into the ‘Title’ field and add a short title for your story.
- Click into the ‘Body Content’ content editor and add the full content of the story.
- Open the ‘Summary’ panel and type a short description in the content editor to introduce visitors to the story. We recommend adding a maximum of 30 words to maintain consistency with the original design.
- Open the ‘Category & Tags’ panel and select one or more options for the defined categories in this board. If a new category is required for this board, click on the ‘Manage Categories’ button to set up the new category first and then return to the ‘Category & Tags’ panel to select it.
- Open the ‘Thumbnail & Resource’ panel and click on the ‘Browse’ button to select the image you uploaded previously for the thumbnail.
- Click on the ‘Save’ button at the bottom right of the Post interface.
- Click on ‘Yes’ in the ‘Publish Now’ window to publish the post immediately.
Once the post has been published, it will display in the ‘Featured News’ slideshow automatically. The posts are set to display in date order.
Tip: To learn more about adding posts in Composer please read our Knowledge Base article on how to make a new post. To learn more about categories, tags and the differences between them please read our Knowledge Base article on Categories and Tags explained.