The Basic is a custom block that allows you to create a block with a title, body text, and assign an optional color styling. It can be used as a Global and In-line block.
To create a Basic block
- From the admin panel, click on Shortcuts » All Content » Blocks.
- Click on the +Add content block button.
- From the list of available blocks, click on Basic block.
- Configure the available options (outlined below).
- Click Save to finish.
Configure your Basic block
Available options include:
- Block description - (required) - A brief description of your block
- Color this box with a Branding Color - (optional) - Check this box if the contents of this box should be recolored to a category branding color.
- Collapse this block - (optional) - Check this box if this block should turn into a collapsible block that will show the block title and expand the content when clicked.
- Body - (optional) - a full WYISWYG content area to add your text
- Revision information - (recommended) - any time you make an update to this block it's recommended that you include a brief description of the change. The Revision option represents your way of rolling back the content to an earlier save point.
When the block configurations are complete, move on to reviewing your block's visibility.
When to use the Collapse feature
It's important to give careful consideration to when it's appropriate to use the Collapse this block feature as it can lead to accessibility issues and a flag in SiteImprove. Keep in mind that some members of our community have disabilities that affect mobility and having to click additional boxes can present a physical barrier to accessing the desired information.
When to use it:
- For asides, meaning information that is "nice to know" or adds extra details that wouldn't otherwise be missed in the main body of content. If the text is important enough to be on the page, then it's important enough to be visible at all times.
When not to use it:
- To shorten the page length. If you find that you have so much information on the page you're using the collapsible feature to make it shorter or less overwhelming, it's time to evaluate your page's structure and determine the need for one or more new pages and link out to that content.
Additional reason to use this feature sparingly:
- If a person uses a text search on your page for a specific word and that word is within a collapsed element, it won't be immediately obvious where that text is on the page. As mentioned at the beginning of this section, this can prove problematic for some people experiencing mobility disorders who will then need to click through every collapsed block to find the information for which they're searching.