How Do I Work with Microcontent: Visual Link Collections?

Purpose

A Visual Link Collection is made by putting different links together into one group.

When to use

Choose a visual link collection to organize and display multiple links with related images.

Elements of Visual Link Collections

  • Intro title: title of link collection, appears to the user, but is optional
  • Title: content limited to 75 characters, option to hide this title
  • Links: at least two links with no more than 12 links. Also create new links within this section

Visual Link Collection best practices

Visual Link Collections help organize disparate links into one unified whole. Links always include a visual component (an image) and may be placed on a Landing page. Links automatically break into 4 across.

 A collection of content of type "Link" gets assembled into a Visual Link Collection. 

Visual link collection example
As published on Iowa.gov

Each individual "Link" consists of a title, optional text, required image, and description. 

Adding links to a collection

If you are seeking images, choose from your approved stock photography provider, and save to your hard drive in order to add to the Media Library for your Link.  If you don't have a license for stock photography, you can submit a Service Desk request with the photo ID for any image on Shutterstock.com for DOM DoIT to get the photo for you.

1

Log in to your site

You can login to your site from login.iowa.gov.

Iowa.gov login screenshot

Each person on your agency team has a specific user role for the website. These roles set permissions. They control who can edit, review, and publish content. You can ask for a role change or remove a role. Just submit a ServiceNow support ticket if you need help.

Login using login.iowa.gov
2

Create a Link first, all Links are collected into Visual Link Collections

Select Content > Add Microcontent > Link and assemble all the pieces of your desired link together. Remember all Links require an image.

Add a link for a link collection
3

Create a Visual Link Collection

Navigate to Content > Add Microcontent > Visual Link Collection.

When you create the Visual Link Collection, you may then assemble all the desired Links you've previously created and sort them into the desired order.

Add link collection
4

Insert your Visual Link Collection

To insert your Visual Link Collection on a Basic page or Landing page, select the 'Insert Component' icon from the WYSIWYG toolbar.

Insert link collection

Select your desired Link Collection from the Link Collection library and it will be placed on your page.

5

Confirm your knowledge

Check out our Video Training Page for step-by-step visual help with your website.

Content Manager Website Creation Playlist