Multimedia content

Creating a slider gallery

What's inside this article:


Basic information

User groups: Contributor_2020, Journalist_2020, Editor_2020, Master Editor_2020, Multimedia Upload_2020
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This article explains how to create and publish a new slider gallery in Pangea CMS.

What is a slider gallery?

A slider gallery presents pairs of images for direct comparison. It is ideal for illustrating:

  • How a place has changed over time
  • The impact of a specific event

Every slider gallery is published as a standalone content page. The page can include one or more image pairs. Each pair features a 'before' and an 'after' view. Visitors can explore the changes interactively by dragging a slider to compare the two images.

Embedded slider galleries

You can also embed a slider gallery on an article page. Readers can compare images and move between image pairs without leaving the article.

For instructions on embedding, see our Embedding Pangea content article.



Upload images

Before you create a slider gallery, check that the images you want to use are available in Pangea CMS. If not, you need to upload them first.

In Pangea CMS, you can browse and use the following types of images:

  • Internal: Images that have already been uploaded by Pangea CMS users. If your images have already been uploaded, you do not need to upload them again.
  • External: Images from external wire agencies. You can browse and upload external images from the slider gallery edit page in Pangea CMS. You do not need to upload them in advance.

For upload instructions, see our Uploading images article.



Open the edit page and add general settings

To start creating a slider gallery, go to Create > Multimedia > Slider gallery.

To add the general settings, select General in the left menu.

You cannot save the slider gallery until you add the following required settings:

  • Title
  • Categories

Find more details below:

Via General > Title, add the main title for the slider gallery.

If you don't add additional titles, the main title appears:

  • On the slider gallery page
  • In teaser cards for the slider gallery on your website
  • In teaser cards for the slider gallery on social media

You can create additional titles for different contexts. For information about the title options, see our Creating an article article.

To add one or more categories, go to General > Categories.

Categories organize your website content by topic. For example, your website might have a 'Politics' category for all political content. Every content page must have at least one category, but you can add multiple categories if needed.

For detailed information, see our Adding categories for a content page article.

The following settings are not required, but we recommend filling them for every content page:

  • Introduction
  • URL slug

Find more details below:

An introduction is important for:

  • Attracting readers: Your introduction appears in teaser cards across your website and social media.
  • Search engine optimization (SEO): Your introduction is used as the meta description, which helps search engines like Google to rank your page.

You can create up to three different introductions that appear in different contexts:

  • Main introduction: Appears on the slider gallery page (optional), as well as in teaser cards and as the meta description.
  • Teaser introduction: Replaces the main introduction in teaser cards and as the meta description.
  • Social introduction: Replaces other introductions only in teaser cards on social media.

Create the main introduction via General > Introduction.

To display the introduction on the slider gallery page, select Display introduction.

NOTE: The Display introduction setting controls if the introduction appears on the slider gallery page. If this is unticked, your introduction may still appear in teaser cards and as the meta description.

For information about the introduction options, see our Creating an article article.

Create a URL slug via General > URL slug.

A URL slug is a string of human-readable text, separated by hyphens. A clear and concise URL slug helps to improve usability by telling you exactly where you will go after clicking a link. Human-readable slugs also help pages to rank more highly on search engine results pages.

When creating a URL slug, follow the guidelines below:

  • Use the local language for your site.
  • Use clear, human-readable language.
  • Separate words with hyphens ('new-york' not 'newyork').

The content of the URL slug should be similar to the main title. However, it does not need to match the title exactly. To keep your slug concise:

  • Include just words that are essential to convey meaning.
  • Do not include words with no semantic value (such as 'a' and 'the').
  • Do not include prepositions and linking words (such as 'and', 'of', and 'at').

For detailed information, see our Create a URL slug for a content page article.



Add an image pair to your gallery

A slider gallery can include one or more images pairs. To add the first image pair to your gallery, select Images > Add new pair.

The Search & attach dialog opens. On this dialog, find and attach two images. You cannot proceed unless exactly two images are attached.

For detailed information, see:


Search internal images

Select the Internal tab to search images that have been uploaded to Pangea CMS by users.

To run an image search:

  1. If needed, click Clear to remove existing search filters.
  2. Enter keywords and adjust the filters according to your needs.
  3. Click Search.

The results refresh to match your search criteria.

Keyword search in Pangea CMS works as follows:

  • The results show all valid images with a match for your keywords in at least one of the following fields:
    • Title
    • Description
  • Enter a single keyword or a phrase. If you enter a phrase, surround it with quotes ("") for more precise results. For example, if you enter "cats are wonderful creatures" (with quotes), the results include only items with this exact phrase. Without quotes, results may also include items with these keywords separately in a different order.
  • The results only show items with an exact match for your search query. For example, if you enter "Zelenskyy", results do not include items that use other spellings (such as "Zelensky" or "Zelenskyi").
  • For most images, the Title is in English. For this reason, you normally need to search in English. The image Description can also include text in other languages (if this data was manually provided at upload).

For detailed information, see our Running an image search article.


Search external images

Select the External tab to search images from external wire agencies.

Pangea supports connections to the following agencies:

  • AFP (Agence France-Presse)
  • AP (Associated Press)
  • Reuters

Availability varies, depending on your entity (RFE, VOA, or OCB). Different entities have different agency subscriptions. In Pangea CMS, you may have access to images from some or all of these agencies.

For detailed information, see our Running an image search article.


Attach and add images

To attach an image, click the + Attach button.

The image then appears on the Attached items list.

The following options are available for attached items:

  • Reorder: Reorder items using drag and drop.
  • Remove: Click Remove to remove an attached item.

After attaching two images, click Add. This action adds the image pair to the slider gallery edit page in Pangea CMS.

NOTE: You cannot proceed unless exactly two images are attached.



Add captions and alt text

For detailed information, see:


Add captions

A caption is a short description shown beneath an image. In slider galleries, you can create a caption for each image pair. Captions play a key role in storytelling. You can use this space to:

  • Specify the location.
  • Specify the date for each image.
  • Highlight key differences between the images.
  • Provide additional context to aid understanding.

We recommend that you add a caption for every image pair in the Caption box. The default English caption for the first image is automatically prefilled. You need to create a custom caption in your local language. Your custom caption only appears in the current gallery and does not overwrite the default caption.

To see the default English caption for the second image, click the Image detail button.

In addition to the default caption, the following information is provided for each image to help you create the caption:

  • (A): Description: Click the Image detail button to see the internal image description.
  • (B): Metadata: The metadata appears below the image.

Click Restore to default to show the default English caption in the Caption box.

NOTE: If you restore the default caption, any custom text in the Caption box is overwritten.


Add alt text

Alt text is a short and simple description of what you can see in an image. It is included in the HTML code for the image and is not normally displayed on the page itself. Alt text serves several important purposes:

  • Accessibility: Screen readers read alt text aloud for users who cannot see the image, including those with visual impairments.
  • Fallback: If the image fails to load, the alt text appears in its place.
  • SEO: Search engines use alt text to understand the content of images. Effective alt text can improve the visibility of your images in search results.

For detailed information with examples, see our Creating alt text article.

In the Alt text box, you can add alt text for each image. If you do not add alt text for an image, the caption is used as the alt text.



Crop your images

We recommend that both images in each image pair use the same Aspect ratio describes the proportional relationship between the width and height of an image (such as 16:9 or 3:4). Aspect ratio determines the shape of an image but not its size. Learn more..

If both images use the same aspect ratio, they appear full-size in their original aspect ratio on the slider gallery page. If the images have different aspect ratios, Pangea CMS may crop the second image to fit alongside the first.

Manual cropping

To manually crop an image:

  1. Click the Crop image button.
  2. Drag the crop box to select the part of the image you want to display.

Manual cropping maintains the standard 16:9 ratio.



Reorder your images and image pairs

Reorder images

To switch the order of the images in an image pair, click the arrows between the images.

Reorder image pairs

If your slider gallery contains several image pairs, the order in Pangea CMS matches the order in the published gallery.

To change the position of an image pair, use the selector at the bottom of the pair settings. For example, selecting 1 places the pair first in the gallery.



Add a sensitive content warning

You can add a sensitive content warning to any image pair. Add a warning if one or both images in the pair may be upsetting or offensive for certain audiences. This applies for images depicting:

  • Violence or the aftermath of violent incidents
  • Abuse or cruelty
  • Disturbing or traumatic situations
  • Sensitive cultural or religious content

To add a warning, select Contains sensitive content.

When Contains sensitive content is selected, the image pair is covered with a short disclaimer on the public site. Visitors can choose whether to reveal the images.

Limitations for the first image

If the first image pair has a sensitive content warning, you cannot save the gallery without a custom teaser image. This is because by default, the first image in the first pair is used as the teaser image. The teaser image appears on other pages where the warning cannot be shown.

The following options are available:

  • Move the sensitive image pair so it is not the first pair in the gallery.
  • Add a custom teaser image that replaces the first image.



Configure gallery settings

To adjust the gallery settings, click Gallery in the left menu.

In this section, you can:

  • Add custom image labels for all pairs in the gallery.
  • Change the slider position for all pairs in the gallery.

If you do not make changes to the gallery settings, the default settings for your website apply.

For detailed information, see:


Add custom image labels

You can adjust the following settings:

  • Label (image 1): The label for the first image in every image pair. The default value for your site is prefilled. To use a custom value, enter it here.
  • Label (image 2): The label for the second image in every image pair. The default value for your site is prefilled. To use a custom value, enter it here.


Change the slider position

Under Slider starting point, you can set the starting position of the slider. This controls how much of the first image is visible when a visitor opens the page.

For example, if 75 is selected, visitors see 75% of the first image and 25% of the second image.

The default value for your site is preset. To set a custom value, move the indicator.



Choose a teaser image

The teaser image appears in the teaser card for the slider gallery. The teaser card may appear on widgets, category pages, and external platforms where the gallery is shared.

By default, the first image in the first pair is used as the teaser image. If you want to use a different image, select Website teaser in the left menu. You can select the horizontal and vertical teaser images separately.

For detailed information about website teaser settings, see our Customizing the website teaser for a content page article.



Request editorial review or publish

Every content page has an internal publication status in Pangea CMS. Three statuses signal different stages of the publication process:

  • Draft: The page is not published. The content is still in progress and is not yet ready for editorial review.
  • Edited: The page is not published. The first draft of the content is prepared and waiting for editorial review.
  • Published: The page is published.

After fully preparing the content and all relevant settings, you can take one of the following actions:


Request editorial review

Request editorial review by changing the status of the gallery from Draft to Edited. This signals to editors that the content is ready for review.

Follow these steps:

  1. Select Edited in the selector.
  2. Click Save or Save & close.

The gallery status is now Edited.


Publish immediately

NOTE: Users in these Rights in Pangea CMS are regulated through user groups. Each user belongs to a specific group. This defines which areas of Pangea CMS they can access and what actions they can perform. Learn more. can publish a new slider gallery: Journalist_2020, Editor_2020, Master Editor_2020, Multimedia Upload_2020.

If you have authorization, you can publish immediately. When you publish a new content page, make sure the content is accurate and ready for your audience.

Follow these steps:

  1. Select Published in the selector.
  2. Click Publish or Publish & close.

The gallery is now live on your website. The publication date and time on the page are set automatically.

You can also schedule publication for a specific time and date in the future. For instructions, see our Publishing a new content page article.