Features: A-Z Index

A

Administration Zone

Administration Zone

B

Banners

Banners

C

Calendar

Calendar

Catalogues

Catalogues

Chatrooms and IM

Chatrooms and IM

Community features

Community features

Content Sharing

Content Sharing

Conversr Forums

Conversr Forums

Conversr Topic Polls

Conversr Topic Polls

D

Design without barriers

Design without barriers

Downloads

Downloads

E

Ease of Use

Ease of Use

eCommerce and Subscriptions

eCommerce and Subscriptions

Extendable

Extendable

F

Featured Content

Featured Content

G

Galleries

Galleries

I

Installation

Installation

Integration

Integration

L

Localisation

Localisation

M

Membership

Membership

N

News and Blogs

News and Blogs

Newsletters

Newsletters

P

Parental Controls

Parental Controls

Performance

Performance

Points

Points

Privacy Tools

Privacy Tools

Q

Quizzes and Surveys

Quizzes and Surveys

R

Rich Media

Rich Media

S

Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation

Searching

Searching

Security

Security

Spam Protection

Spam Protection

Stay on Top

Stay on Top

Structure / Navigation

Structure / Navigation

Support Tickets

Support Tickets

T

Template Programming Language

Template Programming Language

Testing tools

Testing tools

Themeing tools

Themeing tools

Third party integration

Third party integration

W

Warnings / Moderation

Warnings / Moderation

Web Pages

Web Pages

Web standards

Web standards

Website Polls

Website Polls

White-labeling (Debranding)

White-labeling (Debranding)

Wiki+

Wiki+

Newest 10 Entries

Title Integration
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Description

Convert from other software: See our importing tutorial for a list of importers.

Use an existing member system: See our download page for a list of forum drivers.

Convert an HTML site into Composr pages

LDAP support for corporate networks (Conversr only)

HTTP authentication: Tie into an existing HTTP authentication-based login system (Conversr only)

Proxying system: Programmers can integrate any existing scripts using our sophisticated proxying system (which includes full cookie support).

Minimodules and miniblocks: Programmers can port existing PHP code into Composr itself without having to strictly conform it to Composr's framework

Title Structure / Navigation
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Description

Intuitive sitemap editor: Visually browse your site structure.

Menu editor: Our user friendly editor can work with several different kinds of menu design (drop-downs, tree menus, pop-ups, etc)

Zones (sub-sites): Organise your pages into separate zones. Zones can have different menus, themes, permissions, and content. They can also use a sub-domain.

Full structural control: Edit, move, and delete existing pages and modules.

Redirects: Set up redirects if you move pages, or if you want pages to appear in more than one zone.

Title White-labeling (Debranding)
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Description

Use Composr for clients and pretend you made it.

We ensure Composr is not hard-coded anywhere in the software where it would appear to an average user.

Title Web standards
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Description

Responsive design and hi-dpi images

True and correct XHTML5 markup

WCAG, ATAG: Meeting of accessibility guidelines in full.

Tableless CSS markup, with no hacks

Support for all major web browsers

Inbuilt tools for checking webstandards conformance of XHTML5, CSS, and JavaScript

Extra markup semantics including Dublin Core support, schema.org, Open Graph, and microformats.

Standards-based JavaScript (modern DOM and AJAX, no DOM-0 or innerHTML)

Automatic cleanup of bad XHTML5: HTML outside your control (e.g. from RSS) will be cleaned up for you.

Title Performance
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Description

Highly optimised code

Can run CDNs

Multiple levels of caching

Sophisticated template compiler

Self-learning optimisation system

Automatic pruning of old cache files when caches get large

Title Localisation
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Description

Translate Composr into your own language

Translate content into multiple languages

Custom time and date formatting

Language packs: Download new language packs as users post them; host multiple languages on your website at the same time.

Time zone support: Members may choose their own time zones, and dates / times will adapt to them.

Support for different character sets and Unicode

Serve different theme images for different languages

Right-to-left languages possible

Title Ease of Use
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Description

Professionally designed user interfaces

AJAX techniques: Streamlined website interaction.

WYSIWYG editing

Tutorials: Over 200 written tutorials, and a growing collection of video tutorials.

Displays great on mobiles: Mobile browsers can be automatically detected, or the user can select the mobile version from the footer. All public website features work great on QVGA or higher. The default theme is also responsive and will adapt to the client screen size.

A consistent and fully integrated feature-set: Breadcrumb navigation, previews, and many other features we didn't have space to mention here – are all present right across Composr.

Title Search Engine Optimisation
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Description

Supports different URL schemes and textual monikers

Automatic site-map generation: Both XML Sitemaps and sitemaps for users.

Metadata: Meta descriptions and keywords for all content. Auto-summarisation.

Keyword density analysis when previewing content

Correct use of HTTP status codes

Content-contextualised page titles

Semantic and accessible markup (e.g. ‘alt tags')

Title Privacy Tools
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Description

Compliance with major data protection legislation such as the GDPR

Allow members to download or purge their personal data from their profile. Set a limit on the number of days between downloads / purges to preserve server resources.

Also manage member data to a more technical degree in the Administration Zone.

Allow members to purge their data upon deleting their member account

Composr is careful to maintain important data (such as warnings or bans) when members request their data to be purged from their profile. But this data can still be purged on the admin side (in the Admin Zone).

Automatic generation of a basic Privacy Policy based on site settings and installed addons

Cookie Consent notice

Set declarations on the rules page which members must agree to on registration (or whenever they are changed) which are also stored in the database and e-mailed to the member as a written copy

Title Security
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Description

Automatic detection, logging, notifying, and banning of hackers

2-factor-authentication: E-mail based 2-factor-authentication security when unrecognised IP addresses are used with certain usergroups (optional, Conversr-only).

Password strength checks: Enforce minimum password strengths based on length and use of upper / lower case, numbers, and symbols, and avoiding repeated characters (Conversr-only).

Architectural approaches to combat all major exploit techniques

A JavaScript framework that makes XSS attacks virtually impossible

Defence-in-depth: Multiple layers of built-in security.

Encrypted custom profile fields: Once set the CPF can't be read unless a key password is entered (Conversr-only, requires OpenSSL).

Extensive support and use of Content Security Policy (CSP)

Track failed logins and automatically ban brute-force attacks

HTML filtering

Protection against CSRF attacks: Forms and AJAX requests make use of randomly generated POST tokens

Root-kit detection kit for developers

Cookies are secure and HttpOnly where possible to prevent session hijacking

Set number of days that passwords expire or must be changed

Top 10 Entries

Question How can I filter the news archive to show specific content?
Answer The news system allows advanced filtering:
  • Blog vs. Non-Blog Posts: Choose to display blog posts only, regular news posts only, or both.
  • Category Filtering: Limit results to specific news categories.
  • Double Filtering: Apply a second category filter for a two-level categorization system (useful for large sites).

These filters are controlled through parameters passed to the news blocks and carried through navigation links. When viewing a news post, you can also filter by the categories associated with that post.
Question How do I display external RSS feeds on my Composr website?
Answer Composr offers two blocks for displaying RSS and Atom feeds in a news-like format:
  • main_rss block: Suitable for main content areas
  • side_rss block: Designed for sidebars and smaller spaces

To add a block, use the Block Construction Assistant or insert the following Comcode into your page:

[block="http://example.com/feed.xml"]main_rss[/block] [block="http://example.com/feed.xml"]side_rss[/block]
Replace "http://example.com/feed.xml" with the actual feed URL.

Important: Exercise caution when using external feeds. Ensure the source is trustworthy, as malicious feeds can contain harmful code.
Question What are RSS/Atom feeds and how do they benefit my website?
Answer Feeds, in formats like RSS and Atom, are XML files that syndicate your website content, making it accessible beyond your website. They can be viewed using feed reader applications (e.g., Feedly, Vienna) or integrated into other websites or web browsers.

Composr supports both RSS and Atom for syndicating news and other content. While RSS is more common, Atom is a cleaner, standardized format. Both effectively share your content updates.

Benefits:
  • Wider audience reach: Your content becomes accessible to those using feed readers and aggregators.
  • Content repurposing: Other websites can incorporate your feed, increasing visibility.
  • Increased traffic: Users discovering your content in feeds may visit your website directly.
  • Staying on top: Those who use your RSS feeds will see when you post new news articles.
Question What are Personal Categories/Blogs in Composr? How do I create one?
Answer Composr allows members of permitted usergroups to have their own personal news categories, also known as "blogs". These blogs appear as a tab on the member's profile (Conversr-only) and may also appear in the main news block depending on your configuration.

To create a blog, a member simply adds a news post and selects their personal category. If the category doesn't exist, it will be automatically created upon submission.

A dedicated "Blogs" CMS module (Admin Zone > Content > Blogs) is available if the "Separate blogs" configuration option is enabled. This simplified module focuses on blog posting and can be used to restrict members from submitting to general website news.
Question What is "pinging" and how does it work in Composr?
Answer In blogging, "pinging" is an automatic notification sent to blog search engines and other services when you publish a new post. Composr can automatically ping services defined in Admin Zone > Setup > Configuration > Feature options. These services then index your new article, making it searchable.

A default ping service (http://pingomatic.com/ping/?title=title&blogurl=url&rssurl=rss) is pre-configured to relay your ping to numerous other services.

You can customize the ping URL with these placeholders:
  • title: The article title
  • url: The article URL
  • rss: The URL of your news RSS feed

Pinging only occurs for news categories accessible to the public (guests).
Question How do I schedule a news post to be published at a specific time?
Answer Once you have enabled the system scheduler (requires the Composr calendar and commandr addons), an advanced scheduling option will appear when adding or editing news posts. By setting a future date and time, your post will remain unvalidated until the chosen time, at which point it will be automatically validated and published.
Question How can members edit their profiles and account settings?
Answer Members can edit their profiles and account settings through the "Edit" tab on their profile page. They can change their password, update personal information, manage their avatar and signature, and adjust their privacy settings. Administrators have access to additional options for managing member accounts.
Question What is the difference between member terms?
Answer
  • Visitor: Any one or device who visits the site but is not necessarily identified
  • User: Any visitor who can be identified (e.g. has a session ID or tracked IP address)
  • Guest: A user who is not logged in (in Conversr, they all share a special "Guest" ID / account)
  • Member: A user who is logged in with a registered account on the website (they have a username and a member ID)
  • Author: Specific to the authors addon, a profile of an entity (could be a member, individual, or even a company) who makes content for the site
  • Subscriber: A user who receives newsletters from the site (they do not necessarily have to be a member)
  • Submitter: A user who submitted content (usually a member, but could be a guest if the site is very open to submissions)
  • Staff: A member who moderates any significant portion of the website
  • Super-moderator: A staff member with global moderation capabilities
    • Moderator: Same as super-moderator but does not have those capabilities globally; they may only be able to moderate certain sections or content
  • Super-administrator: A staff member with literally undeniable access to everything on the site
    • Administrator: Same as super-administrator but they might not have access to the most elevated of privileges such as accessing maintenance scripts

It's important to understand these distinctions to properly manage permissions, track user activity, and personalize the website experience.
Question What are Welcome Emails and how do they work?
Answer Welcome Emails are a series of automated emails sent to new members on a predefined schedule. They can be used to introduce the website's features, encourage engagement, and provide helpful information. Website administrators can customize the content and schedule of these emails.
Question How can I enhance or enforce the security of member passwords?
Answer Composr offers several features to improve password security:

  • Password Strength Setting: Administrators can set a minimum password strength requirement, forcing members to choose stronger passwords. Password strengths are calculated on a scale of 1-10 using algorithms that take into account letters (including case), numbers, symbols, repeat characters, use of dictionary words, and use of usernames / dates of birth / e-mail addresses.
  • Forced Password Resets: Administrators can force specific members or all members to change their passwords upon next login, enhancing security in case of potential breaches.
  • Expiring passwords: Administrators can require members to change their password after so many days.
  • Encrypted CPFs: If the server has the OpenSSL PHP extension installed, specific CPFs (such as ones containing other passwords) can be encrypted to protect sensitive member data in case of a server compromise.