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Create a Live blog page

What's inside this article:


Basic information

Live blog lets you cover developing events in real-time by publishing a series of posts on a live feed. This article explains how to create a new Live blog page from Pangea CMS.

To get started, go to Create > Text > Live blog.



Add the main title

Add the main title for the Live blog via Editor > Add title....

The title is displayed at the top of the published Live blog page and is also important for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). For details, see the following article:



Add Categories

Categories organize the content on your site by topic. For example, your site might have a "Politics" Category for all content relating to politics. Every content page has at least one Category. The Categories impact how and where the content is shared.

Add one or more Categories via Editor > Add Categories. Before you can save the Live blog, you need to add at least one Category.

If you add multiple Categories, one Primary Category must be selected. Click your chosen Primary Category so it is marked blue.

The name of the Primary Category is displayed at the top of the published Live blog. The name functions as a link to the Category page for the Category. For details, see the following article:



Add a Main visual

The Main visual for a Live blog might be displayed on various public pages. By default, the Main visual is displayed:

  • On the published Live blog page.
  • In the preview for the Live blog on the public site.
  • In the preview for the Live blog on social media platforms.

Add a Main visual via Editor > Add Main visual.

You might use any of the following items as the Main visual:

  • Image
  • Dynamic infographics
  • Loop video
  • Photo gallery
  • Slider gallery
  • Video

To search for a Main visual, select the relevant tab:

  • Content: Search for a content item (such as a Video).
  • Image: Search for an image.

After selecting a Main visual, you might perform the following actions:


Add the Main visual caption

Type the caption directly below the Main visual on the Editor subpage. An effective caption provides context for the visual and explains its relevance to the story.

If you select an image as the Main visual, hit the Image detail button to view the internal description and metadata. This information might help you to formulate the caption and is not displayed on the public site.


Add the Main visual alt text

Add alt text for the Main visual via General > Main visual alt text.

Alt text is a simple description of what is directly visible in the image. Alt text has many purposes. Most importantly, it is read aloud by screen readers for visually impaired visitors to your site. By adding effective alt text for images, you help make your site more accessible. For details, see the following article:


Crop the Main visual

If you select an image as the Main visual, the image is automatically cropped to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio. You can avoid unwanted cropping by selecting a Main visual that already fits this aspect ratio. For details, see the following article:

To manually crop the image, hit the Crop the image button. You can change which section of the image is visible, but you cannot change the aspect ratio.



Add an introduction

An introduction tells visitors what to expect from the Live blog and might be displayed on a number of public pages. A content page with an effective introduction looks more attractive when it is shared and previewed.

If your site displays introductions by default on text content pages, enter the introduction via Editor > Add introduction....

Otherwise, enter the introduction via General > Introduction. To display the introduction on the Live blog page, tick Display introduction.

NOTE: The Display introduction setting controls if the introduction is displayed on the published Live blog page. Even if this option is unticked, the introduction might still be displayed on other public pages.

The introduction is important for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). For details, see the following article:



Add a URL slug

A URL slug is included in the URL for the Live blog page. Creating a URL slug improves usability and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

Create a URL slug via General > URL slug. For detailed information, see the following article:



Set when the Live blog will be active

It is important to set when the Live blog will be active. The following behavior applies only while the Live blog is active:

  • A LIVE badge is displayed on the Live blog page and on widgets where the Live blog is promoted.
  • Visitors to the Live blog page see a "New posts" notification when a new post is published. Visitors can click the notification to refresh the page and go straight to the latest post.

Select Live broadcasting in the left panel to set when the Live blog will be active.

Follow these steps:

  1. Under Date & time from, select the start time for the Live blog.
  2. Under Date & time to, select the end time for the Live blog.

Enter the times according to the local time for your site (not the local time on your device). You can click the Time and date button in the primary navigation to check the local time for your site.

If you tick Display time stamp, a time stamp showing the date and time of publication will be displayed for every post.



Add the first post

You might also add the first post before the Live blog is published. By adding a post before publication, you ensure that content will be available on the page as soon as the Live blog is published. The first post introduces the topic of the Live blog and lets visitors know what the expect.

Before you can add the first post, you need to save the Live blog internally in Pangea CMS. To save the Live blog, hit the Save button.

To add a post, hit the + New post button.

For detailed information about the settings for a Live blog post, see the following article:

A Live blog post might include embedded external media items, such as X (Twitter) posts, YouTube videos, Datawrapper visualizations and more. For detailed information, see the following article:



Publish the Live blog

To publish the Live blog:

  1. Select Published in the status drop-down menu.
  2. Select Publish or Publish & close.

The Live blog is now published. The publication date and time on the published page are set automatically to the moment of publication.

For detailed inforamtion about the various publication options in Pangea CMS (including scheduled publication), see the following article:



Add and manage highlights

Highlights provide an at-a-glance summary of key Live blog developments with links to selected posts. This lets visitors quickly grasp the subject matter as soon as they land on the page.

Highlights are displayed at the side of the page on desktop, or above the most recent post on mobile and tablet.

The following options are available when you add highlights:

  • Automated highlights: The most recent posts that have a title are automatically included in highlights.
  • Manual highlights: You can manually select which posts are included in highlights.

For detailed information, see the following article: