Document Feed Version 2

Document Feed is a tool under File Manager that lets you display files in a document feed on a webpage so users can search and filter through them.

Video: Introduction to document feeds

To create a searchable document feed on your website, you need to:

1. Create a category and information fields for your document feed
2. Assign a file folder to your category
3. Upload documents to the assigned folder
4. Fill in the category field information for each uploaded document
5. Embed your Document Feed on a web page

Create a category and information fields

Categories define what types of files will be displayed in a document feed, how the files can be searched and what information fields will be available.

Video: Creating categories and adding fields

To create a category:

1. Log in to the backend of i:Create and go to the File Manager in the top left of the page.
2. In the File Manager click “Actions” at the top right of the file list.
3. Select “Manage Categories” from the list of available options. You will be taken to the Categories list.
4. Enter a new category name in the title field and select “Add Category Name”.

Your category will now display in the category list.

Adding Fields

After creating a category, you need to add information fields that users can search and filter by to find the information they are looking for. For example, a Bylaw feed might include the date the bylaws were adopted, the bylaw number, and a brief summary of each bylaw’s content. When you upload files to your new category later, you will fill out the information fields you’ve selected for each document. You will be able to select which fields are public and which are hidden when you embed your document feed in a page later on. You need to add at least one field per document feed category in order for the document feed pagination to load correctly.

To add fields to your category:

1. Select “Edit” next to the category you want to add fields to
2. Select the “Add Field” button
3. Enter a title for your field (i.e., Bylaw Name, Bylaw Number, Description, Date of Adoption, etc.)
4. Select a Type for the field. This will determine how that field is presented in the document feed.
5. Select the “Save Category Fields” button to complete the process.

Field Types

Each field type allows you to add information to your feed in a different format. The available field types are:

• Text: used to add a single word, title, or short phrase. Examples could include a documents title, number, or author
• Multi-Line: adds a multi-line area for larger amounts of text. Examples include a summary, description, or abstract
• Image: adds a thumbnail image to documents
• Dropdown: provides a series of pre-created options to choose from that users can filter the document feed based on
• Checkbox List: operates as a dropdown but lets users select more than one option to filter by
• Date: adds a date field to display Date of Upload or Adoption, Expiry Date, Archive Date, etc.

Adding documents to your feed

To add the documents you want users to view in your feed, you first need to assign a document feed folder, then upload documents and fill in their field information.

Video: Assigning document feed folders and uploading documents

Assigning a document feed folder

Each document feed category pulls documents to display from one or more folders. To assign a folder to a category:

1. In File Manager, go to the parent folder of the folder you want to assign – not the target folder itself
2. Move your mouse over the folder name in the "File Name" column
3. Select “Assign Category” from the options
4. Select the required category from the dropdown list
5. Click “OK” to complete the process

Uploading documents

To have documents and thumbnail images appear in a document feed, you have to upload them to the assigned folder. Learn how to upload files to File Manager.

Fill in document field information

To fill in the field information for a file:

1. Find the file in File Manager
2. Move your mouse over the file’s name and select “Edit”. If edit is not available, you may be working with a file type that cannot be displayed in a document feed
3. At the right of the file edit window you will see a list of fields defined by the parent folder’s category. Fill in these fields.
4. Scroll back to the top of the interface and click “Save File”
5. Repeat these steps for each file in the folder

Embedding a document feed on a webpage

The final step in adding a document feed to your website is to embed it onto a web page.

Video: Adding a document feed to a webpage

To add a document feed to your web page:

1. Navigate to the selected webpage and open the i:Create edit toolbar
2. Place your cursor in the editable area and click the “iCreate Document Feed” tool in the main tool bar
3. Complete the fields in the document feed dialogue
4. Click “Save” to complete the process
5. Save your i:Create page. When the preview updates you will be able to see your document feed and how it will appear to the public. You will need to exit the editor to fully test your document feed

Complete the document feed dialogue fields

When adding a document feed to a content page on your website, you can customize the following options.

Importing documents to a feed

Large numbers of documents can be imported to a feed in a single operation using a spread sheet and zip file.

Video: Importing documents to your feed

To perform a large-scale document import, you will first need to have your category and all its fields created.

Next you will need to assemble all documents to be imported into a zip folder. This includes all secondary files such as cover images and thumb nails. For detailed instructions on creating a zip folder please refer to your operating system's help resources.

To import documents to your feed:

1. Login to the workbench and navigate to the File Manager.
2. Locate the target folder for the import and confirm that it is assigned to your selected category. If the target folder does not have a category move your mouse over it and the “Assign Category” option will appear.
3. Chose your selected category from the list. Be cautious as deleting or reassigning a category will delete the data field information for existing files.
4. Click “Actions” and select “Import Documents” from the list of available options.
5. Select your target category from the “Category” dropdown.
6. Click the “Download CSV Template” link next to the category selector and save the file.
7. Open the CSV (the default file name is import_template.csv). Fill in the data fields for each file in your zip folder. It may be helpful to have your zip file open to compare file names. Once all data is entered save the CSV file.
   • Example import file
   • Some fields may require specific formatting:
   • Date fields are in the month / day / year format (e.g. 12/4/2023, or 09/05/2023)
   • Drop down and checkbox options must match the field options exactly for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
   • Checkbox options with multiple selections must be separated with the pipe symbol: a vertical line most often found on the backslash key. Do not include spaces on either side of the pipe.
8. Click the “Browse” button next to the “Select a folder” field and select the File Manager folder where you will store your files.
9. Use the “Browse” option in the “CSV Data File” field to select the import CSV.
10. In The “Zip File” field use the “Browse” option to select the zip file containing your documents.
11. Click the upload button to complete the process. The document import can take several minutes if you are importing many files or larger files. If any errors occur, you will be informed of what went wrong. These are often due to incorrect data formats, like date, or spelling mistakes in multiple choice options. Correct the errors and retry as needed.

If you have existing document feeds tied to the import folder and category your imported files will appear in the linked feeds automatically.