Setting target in hyperlink in Nationbuilder content editor

When you add an image in the content editor in NationBuilder, you see this screen:

In the drop down menu by "Target", you have the option of having the link open in a new window or the same window. If it's important for you to keep the user on your site and opening the link will take them to an entirely different site, you may want to have the link open in a new window. That way, your site will remain open in the user's browser and they won't have to make any extra effort to get back to your site. On the other hand, if the link is simply another page within your site, you may not need to have the link open in a new window.

Padding between images and text in a NB page

When you add a photo to a page on your NationBuilder site, you don't want the text bumping right up against the photo. There should be a little bit of space between the photo and text or between the photo and another photo. This space is called "padding". NationBuilder makes it easy enough to set the padding when you first add a photo. Below you see the tool for inserting and editing an image.

Notice "Vertical Space" and "Horizontal Space" at the bottom. Vertical Space is where you enter the number of pixels of white space between your image and any text or image above or below it, and Horizontal Space is where you enter the number of pixels of white space between your image and any text or image to the left or right of it. For example, if you want to have 5 pixels of horizontal space, simply enter "5".

A pixel is a very small amount of space. Five pixels will probably be the right amount of space normally. Instructions from NationBuilder are here.

You can edit the photos by going into the content editor, clicking on the photo itself and then clicking on the image tool. 

Embedding video in a NationBuilder site

Instead of letting you upload videos, NationBuilder lets you embed links so your videos will be available within the page itself, rather than making the user click on a link and go to another page to view the video. NationBuilder explains how in this post.

The first thing to know is that you cannot embed video links from just any site. For example, you can embed links from YouTube, but not from Joe Smith's Video Production website. You can't, that is, unless Joe Smith's Video Production website is a provider for embedly. If Joe Smith doesn't want his company partnering with Embed, all he has to do is upload his videos to YouTube (or another Embed provider) and you can use the YouTube link.

The second thing to know is that NationBuilder cautions there can sometimes be glitches and the video won't show up right away. Here's a helpful hint: Make sure there are no blank spaces in front of the link. 

NationBuilder makes it clear that the link should be on its own line without any formatting added. But if you accidentally have so much as an extra blank space in front of the link, it won't work. The link has to be on its own line without any anything extra added. Nothing extra. At. All.

If you just can't figure out what is wrong, delete the link and add it again. Sometimes that approach is easier that hunting for the actual problem which can be difficult to spot.

Advantage to using a blog page-type

When you create a new page, you have to choose a page type. If your homepage is a blog page, you can automatically feature excerpts from blogs on other pages on the site. This keeps the homepage active and highlights other pages that users may not see right away otherwise. Remember that simply writing a blog does not make the page a blog-type page. Also remember that photos can be a blog. It's a great way to show everyone how well your event went without writing a single word. Having that photo blog automatically featured on your homepage keeps the event fresh in everyone's mind and introduces newcomers to your organization's focus. One caveat: Once you create a page, you cannot change the page type.

,

To select blog type when creating a new page:

1. Log in to NationBuilder and select the website.
2. Select "New Page".
3. Select page type. 

To feature excerpts from other pages on your homepage (assuming it is a blog-type page):

1. On the homepage, click "Blog Settings."
2. Check the box that says "Show all blog posts on this site, not just ones under this blog."