This article presents an overview of the admin-configuration areas of your Community Essentials site. It also provides instructions on how to:
- use the search and filter features to speed up your work,
- add and remove columns to customize what displays on a list page,
- multi-select database records to perform "bulk" actions, and
- access different lists from a main list page.
NOTE: This interface is only available to Super Admins. Any admin settings that you configure in the Admin interface will be automatically applied to your "open" and "staff" communities.
Access the Admin interface
- Click the gear icon > Admin.
Dashboard
The Dashboard displays charts that provide at-a-glance metrics to understand community engagement over time. You can select which charts to display and even pin your favorite ones to the top of the Dashboard for quick access to the data you need.
TIP: The Dashboard is customizable per individual admin.
Navigation
Use the Navigation panel to navigate the interface. It provides a streamlined and intuitive user experience.
TIP: If your organization has multiple Higher Logic products (e.g., Community Essentials and one of the Communications products), each is represented by a tab at the top of the panel.
| Navigation Panel | Features |
|---|---|
 |
The orientation is vertical, rather than horizontal, for mobile optimization.
You can search by menu terms to filter the navigation panel.
Items with a < have sub-sections, as shown. A black border indicates which area you are in. Blue shading indicates which page of that area is loaded. |
List pages
Many admin pages have a list structure. These list pages make it easy to find and manage your content.
Let's take a look at some of the features available on these list page.
Search
Click the magnifying glass to display the search field. The search feature queries a set of available columns that have been heavily indexed so that results are presented fast. The searchable columns are the text fields within a given list.
The list will automatically update with each typed character and display all records (visible and hidden) that contain a match. Click the X to clear the search field to restore the original list.
Filter
Many list pages feature a filter, enabling multiple fields to be combined using an “AND” operator for a more focused search.
Columns
List pages include multiple columns that can be displayed or hidden making it easy to locate the content you're looking for. The number of columns per list page will vary, depending on the page's content.
Multi-select
Many list pages support multi-selection. In these lists, you can perform bulk actions for efficient multi-item management.
Select multiple contacts
The key used to multi-select rows is device-dependent.
- To select multiple, non-sequential rows: click a row, press and hold the Ctrl (Windows) or command (Mac) key, and then select each of the other rows you want to manage.
- To select multiple, sequential rows: click a row, press and hold the Shift (PC and Mac) key, and then click the last row in the sequence that you want to capture.
TIP: After multi-selecting but BEFORE acting on the selected contacts, you can add and deselect contacts via the check boxes to their left.
Multi-list pages
On many list pages, there is a down arrow to the right of the page title. This indicates that there are other lists with related content. For example, the Users List page's "default" list is that of your Enabled users. Click the dropdown to access lists of Deactivated, Pending Approval, and Rejected users.
Preview Panel
A Preview Panel is available on many list pages. Upon clicking an item in the list, the panel opens and provides an at-a-glance view of key data and metrics.
- Dots under a field value indicate that the data can be edited.
On-Page Help
Available on most pages in the Admin interface is our Help Panel. Click the (?) icon in the upper-right corner to expand it. Page-specific topics provide information and instructions that are unique to the current page. Many topics include a Learn more… link you can click to view more in-depth information in our product knowledge base. For pages that don't yet have specific help topics, a set of default topics are presented.
Users List
The Users List page enables admins to manage user contact information and permissions in one location.
WARNING: Do not create or edit user records on this page. The records of all members of your Community Essentials site are managed in your integrated AMS database, which is the authoritative records database for your account. Additions and user-record edits must be performed in your AMS database only.
Communities List
Use the Communities List page to manage your Community Essentials site's moderation settings and view permissions.
NOTE: Accounts that have licensed nested communities and/or microsites can view their community "families" on this page.
