Glossary

Creating a new Wikidot site
[[include include:languages pagename=start-a-wiki]]

Step 1. Getting prepared

You will need to create a Wikidot account first. Go to this page, and if you see the following message, click on "Get a new Wikidot account". When you've created your account, you can move on to Step 2.

Start_Wiki_01a.jpg

Taking the Tour: If you haven't yet, we strongly recommend that you Take a Tour of what Wikidot has to offer you. Even if you've created Wikidot sites before, you may find it interesting!

Step 2. Entering settings for your new site

Once you have created a Wikidot account, go back to the page from Step 1 to begin creating your new site:

Start_Wiki_01b_NewLayout2010.png

We'll give a short description for each of the input fields that you are presented with when creating your new site:

  • Site title: This field allows you to choose what your new Wikidot site will be named, for example "My Wikidot Site".
  • Tagline: The tagline is a short description that will appear beneath your site title, and tells visitors what your site is about in a few words. The tag line is optional.
  • Web address: This is the location on the Internet that you'll be able to find your Wikidot site after it's created! It is a sub-domain of Wikidot.com, which means that it will be something like "example.wikidot.com" (if you type 'example' into the text field).

    Only alphanumeric characters and the dash character is allowed. That means you can use any lowercase letter of the alphabet, any number, or the "-" dash character.
  • Site content language: This can not be changed later! This allows you to set your website up as being either English or Polish. You are allowed to use any language for your website's content, but this choice determines what language the error messages and site manager will use.
  • Access policy This is where you decide what type of website you'd like to create. If you want something that is visible to everyone, choose "Open" or "Closed". If you want a website that is visible only to site members, choose "Private". You can find out more about access policies on the appropriate page.
  • Please confirm: You are required to read and agree with the Terms of Service before you can create your first Wikidot site.

    It is strongly recommended that you read the Terms of Service. We're not just saying that because we want you to read it! The Terms of Service tells you what you are and are not allowed to use your Wikidot site for, and well as a wealth of other information.

NOTE: The "Site title", "Tagline", "Web address" and "Access policy" can all be changed after you create your website using the Site Manager. You'll find a link to the site manager in the sidebar menu of your new Wikidot site!

If you are having trouble finding something in the Site Manager, you can ask the community for help!

Step 3. Welcome!

Once you have completed all of those fields and have clicked on the button to confirm your settings, you are well on your way to creating your own website or wiki at Wikidot!

Congratulations, and welcome to the Wikidot Community!

You will be redirected to the home page of your new site. This is called the start page because it is located at "example.wikidot.com/start"

Your next step is: First Steps On A New Wiki
Tags: new_wiki site start


Delete a Wiki site
[[include include:languages pagename=delete-a-wiki]]

This can be done only by the founder of a wiki site!

If you really want to do so - you will find this action under

Site_manager -> Misc Actions -> Delete this Site.
This opens the following frame:

If you are unsure, better change the Site from "public" to "private"
(see: public or private )

extreme_delete_01.jpg


The corresponding action is Restore a Wiki, if you really want to get it back…
Tags: delete extreme membership site


First Steps On A New Wiki
[[include include:languages pagename=first-steps-on-a-new-wiki]]

1. Your wiki is created - and these pages exist

If you create a new wiki you will get automatically a lot of "pages":
(do not delete them! )
Page title Page category Page name (URL)
Side nav nav:side
Top Bar Menu nav nav:top
Recent Changes system system:recent-changes
List All Pages system system:list-all-pages
Join This Site system system:join
Site Members system system:members
Page Tags system system:page-tags-list
No Title system system:page-tags
Search The Site search search:site
How To Edit Pages – Quickstart _default how-to-edit-pages
Contact _default contact
What Is A Wiki Site? _default what-is-a-wiki-site
Welcome To Your New Wikidot Site _default start
Manage Site admin admin:manage

2. Forum is switched on – and these pages exist

After enabling the "forum" in the Site manager (page name "admin:manage", title "Manage Site") you will have these following "standard" pages created automatically too – do not remove/rename/delete these pages!

Page title Page category Page name (url)
Forum Thread forum forum:thread
Forum Categories forum forum:start
Forum Category forum forum:category
Recent Forum Posts forum forum:recent-posts
Recent Threads forum forum:recent-threads
New Forum Thread forum forum:new-thread

3. Your "home" page is built

One of them is called "start" (title = "Welcome to your new Wikidot site") and will look like the following copied content. This page is set by default (at the beginning) to be shown with the URL of your site. You can change this later in the "admin:manage" page.

Welcome to your new Wikidot site

If this is your first site

Then there are some things you need to know:

  • You can configure all security and other settings online, using the Site Manager. When you invite other people to help build this site they don't have access to the Site Manager unless you make them administrators like yourself. Check out the Permissions section.
  • Your Wikidot site has two menus, one at the side called 'nav:side', and one at the top called 'nav:top'. These are Wikidot pages, and you can edit them like any page.
  • To edit a page, go to the page and click the Edit button. You can change everything in the main area of your page. The Wikidot language is easy to learn but powerful.
  • You can attach images and other files to any page, then display them and link to them in the page.
  • Every Wikidot page has a history of edits, and you can undo anything. So feel secure, and experiment.
  • You can choose different themes in the Site Manager, and you can write your own theme if you know CSS.
  • To start a forum on your site, see the Site Manager » Forum.
  • The license for this Wikidot site has been set to Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. If you want to change this, use the Site Manager.
  • If you want to learn more, make sure you visit the Documentation section at www.wikidot.com.

If you've already created other sites

Then we don't need to tell you how addictive Wikidot is. But maybe it's worth reminding you of some of the advanced Wikidot features:

  • You can run your Wikidot site on its own web domain name.
  • You can use Google Analytics to measure traffic going to your site.
  • Giving away free wikis is not enough for us – we are also offering you a way to earn money from your wiki using our AdSense implementation.

We hope you enjoy using Wikidot as much as we do. If you want to discuss Wikidot, there's an active community of Wikidot enthusiasts where you can share tips and ideas.

Consider upgrading to a Pro Account

With a Pro Account you get:

  • more new wiki Sites to create,
  • more storage,
  • and a lot of other useful features such as: custom domain, advanced web statistics, site cloning, favicons, secure SSL access, and more.

Prices start at only $2 a month.

Check our plans for more information or visit My Account panel to upgrade instantly.

4. What is the next step?

You should really read this page before you go on with the next howto: copied from Site Check List!

4.1. Save your start page

(It is a good idea to know later what advice wikidot has given!)

How and where to do this: your start page after the creation of your site is by default set to "start" and contains important first tips from wikidot. You should create your own start (and Welcome) page, but before doing this you should save this automatic created first start-page.

a) "Edit" (or use buttons "+options" and "-viewsource") the welcome page (your open first start page) and "mark & copy" all the source text into your intermediate storage.

4.1.1. Create your "archive" start page

How and where to do this: ("Rename" in this situation is perhaps a dangerous task, new visitors can not know which dependencies will arrive and what to do with them)

b) Create a new page "start0" (as an example) – it is to key in the new name on the address-bar behind the xxx.wikidot.com/__ __ and press "Enter" on your keyboard.

c) this opens the "New page" window and offers you the "create page" button:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The page does not (yet) exist.
The page ……… you want to access does not exist.

create page
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

d) Click on the create page link and the Edit window opens.

e) "Paste" the text-source from the original start page into this input window and

f) Change the "Title" of the page to "Old welcome" and

g) Click on save!

Note1: Now you can change the original "start" page to your own wishes! Later you will perhaps build an extra menu-link to find the "old welcome" page under "xxx.wikidot.com/start0".
Note2: The start page (often called "Home page") is the "normal landing" page when people type in the URL-"Site name" in the address bar. But there is no real neccessity to name it "start". You can take every page as the landing page for normal usages (there is another landing page for unallowed visitors) and have only to set the page name of this "custom landing page" as the "start" page in the Site manager for your site. On the other hand – using a different name for the Home page could be confusing later for yourself and other people too!

5. Create menu bars

Where and how to store the navigation menu.

5.0. Created menu bars exist!

How and where to do this: with the "Site creation" 2 navigation pages were created: "nav:side" and "nav:top", using the special namespace called category "nav". To change these pages, key in the name on the address bar after the xxx.wikidot.com/ and press "Enter".

These pagenames are default and can later be renamed in the "site manager" (although this is not recommended). You can always have a look on the navigation pages of the Wikidot Community site: nav.top or nav.side. Click at the bottom of the pages on "+options" and "-view source", or use the "src" button at the top of the left side menu.

5.1. Create your own menu structure

How and where to do this: the menus are stored on these pages. Be sure you know what you plan for the future.
Hints "how to do" are given on help:menu

It is a good idea to save & use the standard menus from wikidot. Think of the visitors who will come to your site and will have at the first entry no idea what to read first and where to go… "Do not let them think too long"…

Note1: you can change the used navigation pages in the "site manager" under "Appearance" -> "Navigation_elements" for every category extra or like the _default. But changes in naming convention is not recommended. If you want no top bar menu than you should clear the page name here.
Note2: You have to consider the appearance of your site in coordination with the themes - again for every category extra (or like the _default). You do this in the "site manager" under "Appearance" -> "Themes". Here you can choose and test some layout themes with or without the navigation bar. The top bar usage you can remove on the navigation elements.

Tags: new_wiki site start


Public or Private: Access policy
This can be done only by the admin of a wiki site!

You can always change Your Site between having an "open", "closed" or "private" access policy.

if You really want to do so - you will find this menu under

Site_manager / Access policy : this opens following frame (see inserted image at the bottom).

Open Closed Private
View pages1 Anyone Anyone Site members only
Become a member Anyone Anyone, but with administrator verification or if they know the entry password you set Anyone, but with administrator verification or if they know the entry password you set
Editing pages Set permissions in Site Manager Set permissions in Site Manager Set permissions in Site Manager, but they must at least be site members

Please, do not forget:

  • the limitations your site will get ,
  • the permissions You have to look again ( for forum too!) ,
  • the navigation pages ( nav:top, nav:side) available for the unauthorized visitors (or not)
  • the new landing page ( "unauthorized:welcome") you will need,
  • the "Joining" page you have to consider (apply allowed , password allowed - or not),
  • check the little box with the label "Make this Site private:".

"Open" or "Closed"

Handbook-Access-policy-01.jpg

Handbook-Access-policy-02.jpg

"Private"

Site-manager-acces-policy-private.jpg


Tags: permissions private public settings site


Restore A Wiki
[[include include:languages pagename=restore-a-wiki]]

This works only with sites (=wikis) You have deleted as their "founder".

1. In my_account menu :

You ( as the owner/founder of the deleted site) have to go into your personal my_account menu(right top at your wikidot screen).

This opens the "welcome" frame of Your account summary.

Next click on the left menu:

2. Site_& Memberships:

This opens the sub menu. Click on:

3. Deleted sites.

There are two possibilities:

3.a) You have no deleted sites:

You will get such an answer:

You have no deleted sites. To delete any site of yours you could go to the Site Manager of a given site and look under Extreme Actions menu.

3.b) You have a deleted site:

You will get a list with your deleted sites - and at the right site an option: restore

3.b.1) You clicked on restore:

You will get this frame:

restore-site.jpg

Restore site : this is the title of Your site - not the Url!
The (old) Url you find as the embedded (old) Site name in the input field..

NOW: at this moment there is a bug - YOU CAN ONLY KEY IN DIGITS !

==> Step 1. put in any digits ( a number between 101 - 9999999) in the Url adress-name.

( if the new name already exists there will be a message…)

3.b.2.) You restored the site under a different name:

==> Step2. on the restored site go to Site manager - extreme action and RENAME the "numbered" URL to our old Site URL.

This is a workaround until the bug is fixed and You can put in any letters ( a-z,-) and digits…
Tags: extreme restore site


Site Creation For Beginners
[[include include:languages pagename=Site creation for beginners]]

This is the entry page to the section about the first creation of your own site.

Site creation for beginners
Start A Wiki
First Steps On A New Wiki
Site Manager (Menu)
Public Or Private
Naming (Url)
Title (not the URL !)
Permissions for visitors
Forum step by step
Forum emergency
Menu structure (nav:)
Inviting Members, Email

Backlinks:

Tags: beginner private public site


Site Structure comparisons
[[include include:languages pagename=site-structure-comparison]]

This page is used to compare site maps for each of the language categories.
Use to check that pages are in the right category.
If you need to, you can reduce the font size buy pressing ctrl -
To increase press ctrl+


Site Map Comparisons

English

French

German

Italian

Category Page listing

English

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

French

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

German

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

Spanish

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

Site Map»Pages

English

English Site map

English Pages

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

French

French Site map

French Pages

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

German

German Site Map

German Pages

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

Spanish

Spanish Pages

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

Italian

Italian Site Map

Italian Pages

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

Polish

Polish Site Map

Polish Pages

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

Finnish

Finnish Pages

The ListPages module does not work recursively.

Tags: comparison language map site structure

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