Changing Community CSS and Image Files

[Dale John M.]

To modify your community styles (or the files needed for the branding of your site), please use the following steps:

1. Request a username/password for http://files.golightly.com/ by emailing support@golightly.com. Note that GoLightly does not support direct ftp access, so all changes need to be made through the http://files.golightly.com/ interface.
2. Sign in using your username/password once you receive it. You will see some files that were added during your deployment, including the following:
   • /css/client.css (some clients may find this file here: "/templates/go/css/client.css") NOTE: if you do not find a "client.css" file here, a) navigate to this URL "", b) save this default version to your desktop, c) upload this default version into that folder within http://files.golightly.com
   • /images/lang_english/logo.gif (some clients may find this file here: "/templates/go/images/lang_english/logo.gif") NOTE: if you do not find a logo.gif file here, simply upload a properly sized version of your logo, in gif format, with the name "logo.gif"
   • Other images needed for the branding can be placed in /images (some clients may find this folder here: "/templates/go/images")
   • To change the favicon, email the file to support@golightly.com
3. We suggest using a Firefox extension call "Firebug" to look at the styles used throughout your community, and to help you identify what style you want to modify. See http://getfirebug.com/
4. Once you have modified the "/css/client.css" style sheet, visit the "Admin Tools" page in your community and click the "Update test site" link. This will take about 60 seconds to run, but once done it will have moved your changed files over to a "test" folder where you can see your changes. For example, if you want to see your changes on the following page "http://www.golightly.com/welcome.htm" then add "/test" after your community url: http://www.golightly.com/test/welcome.htm
5. After making your changes and iterating to make sure they look the way you want them to under the "/test/" folder, you can click "Update Live Site", which will push your changes to your live community website. If you haven't made changes to your site in some time, please email support@golightly.com letting us know you have updated your live site so we can run some internal tests to verify there won't be any problems.

See also:

Community Branding Decisions (Header & Footer)

• What GoLightly Needs to Start Website Development
• OPTIONAL: Creating Visual Design
• ADVANCED: Modifying Footer HTML

Editing your Welcome Page

• Community Branding: Example Welcome Pages
• How to add/change text on a site page
• Edit Site Content: What variables can I use when I edit language?
• OPTIONAL: Using welcome_highlights_template
• OPTIONAL: Custom Welcome Page Templates

Editing your CSS or Community Logo

• ADVANCED: Changing Community Logo

[Donna M.]

Is it possible to have access to templates, php and html files in order to introduce more dynamic changes?

Fo example, I want to add an interactive banner to our 'welcome' page. However, I want this banner to be in a location that my 'Edit links' tool can't access. The banner should be underneath the top navigation menu (only on the welcome page) and above the 'page body (main content)'. The problem is, I want the 'promo' boxes on either side to be moved down and remain aligned with the body content.

Please see attached image.

I appreciate any help that can be advised!

Dan Ellis
dellis@acb-online.org
443.857.5006
(I'm currently logged in as the previous network admin)

[Dale John M.]

Hello Dan, and welcome to GoLightly.com. I think the Learning Center entry you are looking for is "Changing the layout of content pages (changing template)"

I would also suggest that you attend one of our upcoming Admin Refresher courses which are listed under the Calendar tab in the top navigation. These monthly trainings are a great opportunity to dive more deeply into questions like this.