Login
Status page

Help

Documentation

  1. Twixl Help
  2. Content in your app
  3. Special collections

Sidebar

Twixl Support Team Updated: - Created :

    You can add a fully customizable Sidebar to your app. This is a quick access menu and resides in the top right corner of your app (1). It is managed using a special collection on the Twixl Platform called 'Sidebar'.

    Hamburger Menu

    1. How to activate the Sidebar?

    The Sidebar isn't enabled by default.
    By uploading and publishing your first content item via Twixl Platform > Content > Sidebar, the Sidebar is enabled.

     

    2. How to deactivate the Sidebar

    To deactivate the Sidebar, you can just click the disable icon.

    3. General remarks

    GEAR MENU:

    When enabling the Sidebar, the ‘Gear Menu’ (to access certain configuration settings) will be moved to the bottom of the Sidebar (see (2) in the screenshot on top).

    ACTIVATION AND DEACTIVATION:

    When you want to temporarily deactivate the Sidebar, no content will be deleted. The options will just be disabled and the special collection will become invisible.

    4. What type of content can be added to your Sidebar?

    Since the Sidebar is actually a special collection, it has to contain content items. The following types of content Items are supported in the Sidebar:

    • Placeholder: Ideal to add an image or a logo
    • Collection Link: Ideal to create navigation shortcuts
    • Web link: Ideal to link to social media, a privacy policy, etc.

    For more info about the different types of content items, you can check this article.

    5. Upload Content Items

    Click the 'add' button in Twixl platform > Content > Sidebar

    A pop up appears in which you can upload a Placeholder(s), Web Link(s) and/or Collection link(s).

    1. Placeholder
      You can either drag&drop a file on this area or click 'select files' to add files from your drive.
    2. Weblink
      Enter a link to a web page and confirm by clicking 'Add'.
    3. Collection link
      Click on the dropdown icon, select the collection link and confirm by clicking 'Add'.

    All the items you add will be listed below in a practical table that allows you to change some of the most important fields.

    1. Thumbnail
      You can upload a different thumbnail by clicking on the thumbnail and selecting a thumbnail from your files.
    2. Title
      Change the title of your content item by simply typing anything in this field
    3. Publish date
      By default, the publish date field will be empty. In that case, the content item will remain unpublished. If one adds a publish date in the past, the content item will be published immediately and that date will count for subscription periods. When a date in the future is selected, the content item will show the scheduled status in the content item list until the publish date equals the actual date. At that moment, the content item will be published automatically.
    4. Item style
      By default, the default item style will be selected but one can change the item style by clicking the field and selecting the desired item style.

    All the content items will only be added to the Sidebar by confirming via 'save'.  

    6. Look & Feel of the Sidebar

    The layout of your Sidebar is fully customizable. You can change the layout by using the usual Twixl Platform options:

    • The Sidebar has a default width of 300px (tablets & phones), you can change that in the Grid Style.
    • The overall layout is defined by a Grid Style of your choice.
    • The layout per content item is defined by one or more Item Styles of your choice.

    TIP:

    We strongly advise you to use separate Grid and Item Styles for your Sidebar. Also, give them a good and logical name (e.g. Sidebar Style 1). This way it will be much easier to organise and select different Styles in different Collections / Content Items of your app.

    7. Custom URL Scheme

    Via 'Weblink' you can also use a custom URL scheme to refer to specific content such as collections or articles and much more.
    For more info, see this article.