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Question Can I leave notes for myself or other staff members?
Answer Yes, the Admin Zone includes a dedicated "Notes" block for you and your staff to leave messages and reminders. This space serves as a shared communication hub for your team.
Question How can I stay informed about the latest Composr version?
Answer The Admin Zone dashboard displays information about your current Composr version and alerts you if it's not the most recent one. A link will be provided to guide you through the upgrade process if necessary.
Question What is the action log, and how can I use it?
Answer The action log keeps track of administrative and content-related actions on your website. It allows you to see who did what and when, providing valuable insights into site activity and accountability. You can filter the log to focus on specific actions, users, or timeframes. It's also helpful for revisiting previous tasks by providing links to the relevant content or settings.
Go to the Admin Zone > Audit > Action logs. A quick action log block is also available on the dashboard.
Question What is the staff checklist in the Admin Zone?
Answer The staff checklist is an automatically generated list of tasks that need attention on your website. It includes routine updates like assigning new awards or adding news, as well as less frequent but important tasks like backups, software updates, newsletters, content validation, and periodic content reviews. You can customize the frequency of these tasks in the 'Configuration' section under 'Administrative options'. You can also add your own custom tasks. Anyone with Admin Zone access can see the checklist. So you can collaborate with your highest level staff on it.
Question I'm lost! How can I find a specific feature or setting?
Answer The Admin Zone has a powerful search feature that you can access under the Help icon. It searches through various categories, including configuration options, privileges, templates, language strings, administrative modules, and more. You can even refine your search by adding "@sectionname" to the end of your search term to limit results to a specific section.
Question How do I access the Admin Zone?
Answer You can access the Admin Zone by clicking the "Admin Zone" link located at the bottom of every page on your website, assuming you are using the default theme. If you are logged in as a staff member, your user menu will also have a link to the Admin Zone or the Content Management Zone. You might be asked to log in again / confirm your session for security reasons.
Question What is the Admin Zone?
Answer The Admin Zone is a special section of your Composr website that allows authorized staff members to perform various administrative tasks. It serves as the central hub for managing content, configuring settings, monitoring activity, and maintaining the overall health of your website.
Question What should I avoid doing in Composr to maintain accessibility?
Answer Avoid using Comcode tags or other HTML elements that create dynamic effects in the user's browser, such as ticker and jumping. These can have a negative impact on navigation and scrolling.
Provide alternate information for multimedia you upload so those with auditory impairments can still understand the content.
Avoid creating multiple content items with the same title, as this can lead to accessibility issues and general user confusion.
Question How does Composr handle forms for accessibility?
Answer The web standards checker ensures that form labels are properly positioned and explicitly associated with their controls.
It also checks that form elements have a logical tab order and are keyboard operable.
Question How does Composr ensure accessible data tables?
Answer The web standards checker enforces proper markup for data tables, including identifying row and column headers, and associating data cells with header cells.
It ensures that tables are not used for layout (flex boxes and HTML grids are preferred for mobile responsiveness) unless they make sense when linearized.
Composr provides summaries for tables to aid non-visual user agents in understanding their structure and content.

Top 10 Entries

Question How are time zones handled in Composr statistics?
Answer All times in Composr statistics are displayed according to the configured website time zone, regardless of visitor or user account time zones. While this is a limitation due to pre-computation, some graphs displaying hourly stats and country filtering offer insights into local times for manual analysis.
Question What are the limitations of pre-computed statistics in Composr?
Answer Pre-computed statistics introduce certain limitations:
  • Filtering constraints: Limits filtering options to those incorporated in the data structure.
  • Historical data limitation: To maintain site stability, statistics older than 31 days aren't pre-processed. This may lead to data gaps if the system scheduler malfunctions or statistical data is manually deleted.
Question Why does Composr use pre-computed statistics?
Answer Composr generates statistics from pre-computed data for several reasons:
  • GDPR compliance: Prevents indefinite storage of raw (potentially personal) data while preserving historical statistics.
  • Computational efficiency: Avoids real-time execution of complex calculations, ensuring optimal performance.
  • Scalability: Handles vast amounts of data without performance degradation.
  • Responsiveness: Enables quick and seamless statistics browsing and filtering.
  • Data accessibility: Makes generated data readily available for other Composr components.
Question What are KPIs and how are they used in Composr?
Answer KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are specific measurements selected for marketing analysis. In Composr, time-series graphs can be added as KPIs. They offer several benefits:
  • Quick reference: Available on the Admin Zone dashboard staff checklist.
  • Target setting: Allows setting targets against KPIs, visualized on graphs and in overview summaries.
  • Notifications: Staff members receive regular notifications regarding target achievement status.
Question How can I perform split testing in Composr?
Answer Split testing in Composr involves combining tracking codes with events. The simplest approach utilizes Tempcode:
  • Random tracking code: Choose a random tracking code from a set and activate it for the user session.
  • Conditional output: Generate different content variations based on the active tracking code.
Subsequently, you can analyze event success rates based on the assigned tracking codes, utilizing both inbuilt events and custom-created events.
Question What is the purpose of tracking codes in Composr?
Answer Tracking codes help you identify the sources driving user sessions to your website or associate specific split testing variations with users. Composr offers integrated referral tracking through various means:
  • URL parameter: The _t URL parameter can contain any custom tracking code, automatically registered by the stats addon.
  • Recommend addon: This addon automatically includes tracking codes for the referral source, referring member, and the referred page.
  • Member joining: When a referred member joins, the referring member receives points and a friend request.
  • Referrals addon: Allows manual tracking code input upon joining and facilitates a referrer reward system.
  • Stats addon: Generates graphs of tracking codes, including conversion rate measurements.
  • User lookup tool: Allows checking if a user accessed the site via a tracking code.
  • Tempcode integration: Inject tracking codes into Tempcode using symbols like {$SET_TRACKING_CODE,some code} or {$SPLIT_TEST,some code,some other code}.
Question What are the different ways to track events in Composr?
Answer Composr offers various methods for tracking events:
  • Inbuilt events: Automatically recorded for actions like form submissions, purchases, newsletter signups, etc.
  • Tempcode symbol: Use the {$LOG_STATS_EVENT,event} symbol within your templates to track events when the template is displayed.
  • JavaScript function: Employ the $cms.statsEventTrack JavaScript function to track events from within your JavaScript code.
  • HTML data attribute: Add data-click-stats-event-track="{ category: 'some event', nativeTracking: true }" to HTML elements. This method acts as a wrapper for the JavaScript function.
  • URL wrapping: Wrap URLs in links using the {$STATS_TRACK_URL,URL,event} symbol. This approach records events via a redirection script and doesn't rely on JavaScript.

The JavaScript and HTML data attribute methods can also be integrated with Google Analytics events.
Question How do I install geo-location data for Composr statistics?
Answer Geo-location data installation is usually automatic during the Composr installation process. If not, you can manually install it by navigating to Admin Zone > Audit > Site statistics > Install geolocation data. This action will reschedule the installation task. If you don't see this option, the geo-location data is already installed.
Question What are the key differences between Google Analytics and Composr statistics?
Answer While there is some overlap, Composr statistics and Google Analytics are complementary tools.

Google Analytics Pros:
  • Offers sophisticated functionality for professional marketers.
  • Integrates with other Google products like AdSense and Search Console.
  • Provides insights based on Google's marketing data, such as visitor demographics.

Google Analytics Cons:
  • Limited to web visit data unless custom programming or complex configuration is implemented.
  • Relies on JavaScript for tracking, which can be blocked by users.
  • Uses tracking cookies, raising privacy concerns and potential GDPR compliance issues.
  • Data is potentially sold to third-party data brokers or used for targeted advertising by Google.
  • Closed-source platform.

Composr Statistics Pros:
  • Server-side tracking, independent of JavaScript and browser configurations.
  • Contextual information and graphs for data beyond web visits (e.g., sales).
  • Enhanced privacy as it only uses IP addresses, session IDs, and member IDs.
  • Complete data control as it is hosted on your website.
  • Open-source addon, fully customizable.

Basic users may find Composr statistics sufficient, while expert marketers might prefer the power of Google Analytics.
Question What tools and strategies can be used for staff training and development?
Answer While Composr itself doesn't provide built-in training features, several approaches can be used for staff development:
  • Documentation & Tutorials: Utilize the extensive Composr documentation and tutorials available online to familiarize staff with the platform's functionalities.
  • Mentorship: Pair experienced staff with newcomers to provide guidance and support during the initial learning phase.
  • Private Forums & Chat: Create dedicated communication channels where staff can exchange knowledge, ask questions, and share best practices.
  • Regular Meetings: Conduct regular staff meetings to discuss updates, share information, and address any arising challenges.
  • External Resources: Leverage external resources like online courses or workshops focused on relevant skills, such as content management or community moderation.

By investing in ongoing staff training and development, communities can ensure their teams possess the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their roles effectively and contribute to the platform's overall success.