Setup a simple blog within Concrete CMS

If you require a simple blog on your site, follow these simple instructions to get up and running. There is also an addon available: https://marketplace.concretecms.com/marketplace/addons/hw-simple-blog/

Step 1 Setup the main blog page list

In the dashboard go to: Dashboard -> Pages & Themes -> Page Types. And select add new page type. Enter the following:

Page Type Name: Blog

Page Type Handle: blog

Default Page Template: Full

Launch in Composer?: Yes

Is this page type frequently added? : No

Allowed Page Templates: Selected Page Templates

Page Templates: Full

Publish Method: Choose from all pages when publishing

And Add to save

Step 2 Setup the blog page

As in step 1 add new page type and Enter the following:

Page Type Name: Blog Entry

Page Type Handle: blog_entry

Default Page Template: Right Sidebar

Launch in Composer?: Yes

Is this page type frequently added? : Yes

Allowed Page Templates: Selected Page Templates

Page Templates: Right Sidebar

Publish Method: Choose from pages of a certain type

Publish Beneath Pages of Type: Blog

And Add to save

Your Page types page should look like

Step 3:

Navigate to System & Settings -> Attributes -> Topics

Add Topic Tree

Call the topic tree Blog Entries and add. When you go back into the Topics page, you will see a folder generated. Click on the word categories and select add Topic. You can then add keywords which will be used later to filter your blog.

You will then have to add this as an attribute. Under System & Settings -> Attributes -> Sets, under Category create a new set with

Handle: blog

Name: Blog

Then go to Pages & Themes -> Attributes add an topic attribute. Handle: blog_entry_topics

Name: Blog Entry Topics

Set: Blog

Searchable: Field available in Dashboard Page Search

Topic Tree: Blog Entries

Step 4:

Back to Dashboard -> Pages & Themes -> Page Types.

Within the Blog row select Edit Form Add Set Set Name: Details

Select Add Set.

Then on the details row hover the mouse to the right hand side and a + icon will appear.

Select Built-In Properties tab and choose Page Name Select the + icon again and again under Built-In Properties choose Page Location. The Compose Form screen should look like

Step 5:

Back to page types and now we are going to do the same as step 4 but for the blog entry. Click edit form on the Blog entry line.

Add set and call it Post Details. Select the + icon from the right hand side of the Post Details Line and select under Built-in properties page Name. This time we will rename it to Entry Name. On the Page Name line hover on the right hand side and select the pencil. In custom label type Entry Name and save.

The next line to add is the Public date/Time under built in properties.

The next line to add is the url slug, this is under built in properties.

The next line to add is the description, this is under built in properties. Rename this to Short Description.

The next line to add is Page Location, this is under built in properties.

The next line to add is Blog Entry Topics, this is under attributes rename this to Topics.

Then add another set and call it Content.

Add Page Thumbnail from the attributes page( If you don’t have one then you will have to create it To create the Page Thumbnail attribute go to Pages & Themes -> Attributes New Image/File attribute with the following.

Handle: thumbnail

Name: Page Thumbnail

Set: Navigation and Indexing ) And lastly add the content block under content. The Compose page should look like:

Step 6:

Back to the Page type page on the Blog row select Output. You will see The Full page template, click Edit Defaults. This is where we create the page, and how you want to look like.

On the page toolbar select the + to add a block. Choose the Page Title Block and position on the page. Use the default settings and add.

The next step what I do is to create a new Layout and create 2 columns. Drag the right column to the third to last position and fill the space left with the left column.

In the left column add the Page list block with the following settings.

Number of Pages to Display: 10

Page Type: Blog Entry

Enable Other Blocks to Filter This Page List: Select

Pagination: Select

Location: Everywhere

Sort: Most recent first

Output:

Provide Rss Feeds: Yes

Include Page Name: Yes

Include Page Description: Yes

Include Public Page Date: Yes

Display Thumbnail Image: No

Use Different Link than Page Name: No

Title of Page List:

Message to Display when No Pages Listed: No posts to this Blog

In the Right column Add blocks Choose Topic List

Mode: Search – Display a list of all topics for use on a search

Topic Tree: Blog Entries

Title: Topics

Then Add the Date Navigation Block.

Filtering By Parent Page: Blog

By Page Type: Blog Entry

Formatting: Archives

Then publish the page.

Step 7:

Back to the Dashboard, go to Pages and Themes, Page Type page - On the Blog Entry row select the Output button. You will then see the template for the right Sidebar and click Edit defaults.

Again press the + button on the page tool bar to add a new block to the page.

The first block to add is the Page Title - leave the default settings. Then add another block, this time under "Other", drag across the Composer control block. You will be presented with a drop down, choose Content.

For the right hand sidebar we need to add the Next and Previous Nav block.

Next Label: Next Post

Previous Label: Last Post

Up Label: Leave blank

Exclude System Pages: check

Order Pages: Chronological

The next block is the Share This Page block. You can add the social network services you require.

In the page footer add the Conversation block

Message List Display mode: Threaded

Ordering: Earliest first

Rating: Enable comment rating

Paginate Message List: Yes, display only a sub-set of messages at a time

Messages per page: 50

Add new messages: Top

Posting Add message label: New Message

Enable posting: Yes

Display posting form: Top

Date format: use site format

And Save

Publish the page.

Step 8:

Create the Blog page - go to the Sitemap, add page of Page type Blog

Name: Name the page "Blog" (Or whatever you want to call your blog)

Step 9:

Create your first blog entry.

Click the blog page node within the Sitemap and choose "add a page" from the menu. Choose Blog entry as the page type and fill out the form you created in step 5.

That is it your blog is setup and running although you may want to go back into the page defaults and add some more styling to the blocks. If you are using the Elemental theme there are some added custom classes under design and custom classes for the block.