Editing pages

Use the Pages app to create and edit pages on a Magnolia author instance. When you are done editing, publish the changes to public instances.

Toolbars

Green toolbars identify editable page elements:

Page bar allows you to choose a content entry language.
Area bars are containers. Click the bar to add a component in the area.
Component bars allow you to edit and move page components.

A dark green toolbar shows which element currently has the focus.

In a freshly opened page all toolbars are light green. Nothing is selected so nothing is in focus.
When you click an area it gets the focus. The area bar turns dark green.
When you click a component bar it gets the focus. The component bar turns dark green. The parent area is now light green.

Templates

Pages are based on templates. A template gives the page structure which is important for presenting content in the right order and building a consistent looking site. A template defines what components editors can create, edit and move on the page. They also define how many components are allowed in a particular area of the page. Without a template it would be difficult to keep the site design consistent. See Templating for more.

Example: Choosing a template for a new page

Components

Components are the smallest blocks of editable content. At its simplest, a component consists of a heading and some text but can contain almost anything.

To add a component, select an area first and click Add component in the action bar.
To duplicate a component, select it and click Duplicate component in the action bar.
To move a component, drag it above another component in the same area.
To delete a component, select it and click Delete component in the action bar.
To copy a component, select it and click Copy component in the action bar.
To copy all components in an area, click on the area bar and click Copy components.
To paste a component/s, copy the component/s, click on an area bar and click Paste component/s. You can paste the component multiple times by repeating the procedure.

Note that if you copy a component from one area to another, the component must also be available in the target area for the paste operation to work.

Example: Adding a new component.

The component that has just been added to the page or duplicated in it will remain selected for further editorial actions.

Dialogs

In Magnolia, you edit content in a dialog. A dialog typically contains a form. Editors type content into the form fields and the dialog stores the content in the repository. You can create your own dialogs.

Example: Editing a text and image component in a dialog.

Previewing pages

Click Preview page to see the page without toolbars.

Preview on tablet and smartphone

Use the dropdown in the page bar to switch between desktop, or tablet and smartphone in both landscape and portrait view. The resolution of the non-desktop options display in the status bar. The resolutions are some of the most common device sizes on the market. See mydevice.io for more.

Preview in a separate tab

The Pages app provides a link on the page bar to open the current page in a new tab showing it not surrounded by the page editor.

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Publication status

The page editor displays the publication status in the status bar at the bottom of the screen and on each component that has changed:

Published (green, solid): Content was published from the author instance to the public instance. Identical content exists on both instances.
Modified (yellow/amber, two rings): Content was modified since publication. The author instance is not in sync with the public.
Unpublished (red, one ring): Content exists only on the author instance. It was never published.

A fresh Magnolia installation does not have versioned content. Demo content is bootstrapped and immediately marked as "published". You see a green publication status but no publication has actually happened.

Editing with a touch device

Touch devices such as tablets are first-class citizens in Magnolia. You can use a touch device for all editorial tasks such as managing and editing pages, and most administration tasks. See Certified stack for browser compatibility.

Long-press on the action bar to see all actions. Big touch targets are friendlier for fingers.

Example: Managing pages in a tablet.

Example: Editing a page in a tablet

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