Site Alerts

Which version do I have? Open Content → Add content → Site Alert. If the form has an Alert Icon field, follow this guide. If it has Severity and Placement fields instead, see Site Alerts on Older Sites.

A site alert is an urgent notice, such as a road closure, a boil water advisory or a weather closing. It shows in a band at the top of every page of your website. Each alert also has its own page with the full details, and all current alerts are listed on your site’s Alerts page.

Add a Site Alert

Go to Content → Add content → Site Alert, then fill in:

• Title – the short message shown in the band, such as “Main Street Closed for Repairs”. Visitors click it to open the alert’s page.
• Feature Image (optional) – a wide banner shown at the top of the alert’s page. Select Open File Browser or Choose File, then describe the image in Alternative text. The recommended size is shown under the field.
• Alert Icon – type a word that describes the alert, such as “road”, “water” or “snowflake”, and pick an icon from the list. It shows beside the title.
• Body – the full details: what’s happening, where, until when, and what visitors should do.

Leave Published turned on at the top of the form, then select Save. The alert appears at the top of every page.

What Visitors See

• The alert band at the top of every page shows one alert: its icon, its title (which opens the alert’s page) and a View All Alerts link. On some sites it also shows the date the alert was published.
• The alert’s page shows the banner image and the Body.
• The Alerts page (/alerts) lists every published alert.

When no alert is published, the band doesn’t show.

End an Alert Automatically

To take an alert down at a set time, for example when a road reopens, open Scheduling options in the sidebar and set an Unpublish on date and time. To post it later, set Publish on instead. See Scheduled Content.

More Than One Alert

The band shows the alert at the top of your list. To choose which one, go to Content → Manage Site Alerts.

Drag an alert by the handle on the left of its row, then select Save order. The other alerts stay on the Alerts page.

Edit or Remove an Alert

On the Manage Site Alerts page, select Edit in the alert’s row. When the alert is over, turn off Published and save, so it leaves the band and the Alerts page. To remove it for good, select the arrow beside Edit, then Delete.

Tips

• Keep the title short and specific. Put dates, places and instructions in the Body.
• Use site alerts only for urgent, time-sensitive notices. Use News for everything else.
• Remove alerts as soon as they’re over, so visitors keep paying attention to the band.

If Your Site Alert Form Looks Different

If your form has Severity and Placement fields instead of Alert Icon, your site uses an earlier version of site alerts. See Site Alerts on Older Sites.