Using the Content Item Editor

The content item editor page is subdivided into two sections: the content editor and the sidebar widgets. This article will cover what they are and how to use them.

Content Editor

Occupying the bulk of the page, the content editor, gives you all the tools you need to write your article.

It is subdivided into three main sections: the editor tabs, action buttons, and the text editor itself.

Editor Tabs

If this is the first time you're using EasyContent and you haven't edited your templates yet, then you're most likely using the default template, which will have two editor tabs: Main Tab and Example Tab (You Can Delete It). There's a third default tab called CMS Fields, but it's hidden by default.

Clicking on a tab lets you switch to it and add or edit its content. Tabs help separate different parts of your article. For example, the main tab is where your article's main text can be edited and the CMS fields tab is where you can add meta information such as meta title, meta description, etc.

You can customize these tabs as well as add new ones based on your needs on the templates page, which you can learn more about here.  

Action Buttons

Next, we have the action buttons section. They allow the currently assigned user(s) to perform various actions (such as submit, approve, etc.) on the content item.

The number of available buttons will vary depending on the user's role and permissions and the item's current workflow status.

The export tools can also be found here and will be visible to users that have permission to access them.

This lets a user export the item as HTML or Word Document or published it to a WordPress site if a WordPress connection is set up. Learn more about connecting a WordPress website to your project here.

You can also generate a shareable link, similar to Google Docs, that you can share with anyone on the internet by clicking the share icon. You can learn more about shareable links here.

Text Editor

The text editor has three widgets by default:

• The title widget, which is the article's <h1> tag
• The content widget, the article's body
• The files widget, which lets users add files to the article

You can add additional widgets by clicking the "customize template" link in the editor tabs section.

This will take you to the template editor. Learn more about templates here.

Sidebar Widgets

The sidebar contains widgets that are used for managing the content item's internal metadata (used within EasyContent as a means to make it easier to organize and search for your items) as well as its workflow status, messages related to it, and revision history.

The sidebar is subdivided into two tabs: Controls and Comments.

Sidebar: Controls

The controls tab, as the name implies, contains the control widgets. Through these widgets, you can change the item's workflow status, change assigned users, add deadlines, and more.

Let's have a more detailed look at all the available widgets here.

Item details widget

This widget holds the item's metadata. They are not used externally (e.g. when syncing to an external CMS), rather they are used for organizing your content items in a project. Adding proper titles, keywords, descriptions, and categories not only makes it easier for your writers to understand more about what they need to write but also helps you easily search and organize articles on the content items page.

Workflow status widget

This widget displays the item's current, previous, and future workflow statuses. It also displays who is responsible for them, if any, as well as deadlines, if any. The options that are available here will vary depending on the viewing user's role and permissions.

You can use this widget to change the item's workflow status on the fly provided that you have permission to do so. Click the status name and it will be set as the current Workflow status.

Revisions widget

This widget displays all previous revisions of an item. You can view, delete, or restore a revision and also compare two different revisions to see how the item changed over time.

Messages widget

If you are responsible for at least one workflow status of a content item, a user can send you a message regarding the said item, in which case the message can be viewed from this widget.

Feedback widget

Finally, we have the feedback widget. It displays all feedback given to the content item by editors, admins, or other responsible roles.

Sidebar: Comments

Here you can view all comments added to the item. You can also add a new comment, reply to an existing comment, resolve a comment, or edit (your own) comments.

Adding Comments

There are multiple ways to add comments. The first is via the comments tab by clicking the Add new comment link.

Our comment system can recognize links. You can add a link to your comment and it will automatically be converted to a hyperlink.

The second way to add a comment is by highlighting something in the text editor and clicking the insert comment icon from the context menu.

Lastly, you can hover your mouse on the right edge of a field (like the title field) and the insert comment icon will appear.

Replying to Comments

To reply to a comment, click reply.

Editing and Deleting Your Comments

You can edit or delete your own comments by clicking the three-dot menu next to it.

Conclusion

You've learned about the different editor tabs and how they can be customized using templates, the action buttons and how they change depending on the item's workflow status and the permission of the user viewing the item, about the sidebar and how to use its elements to change a content item's workflow status and its details.

You've also learned how to add comments to the text or parts of the editor to make it easier to collaborate with your team.

With this, you are now ready to start creating great content with your team!

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to send us a message at support@easycontent.io and we'll be more than happy to assist you! You might also want to check out the templates help article next.