General
Home Page
To get started with Connections, you only need to apply a few settings. One of these settings is creating a “Public” WordPress Page and setting it as the directory home page. Once you’ve added this new page, simply insert the Connections shortcode. For more details, refer to Step 4 in the installation instructions.
Note
The internal links created by Connections are based on the selected home page. Therefore, this setting is crucial.
Require Login
To make your directory private and visible only to logged-in WordPress users, enable the “Require registered users to login before showing the directory” option. When this option is enabled, only registered WordPress users can view the directory. Visitors to your site will see the message “Please login to view the directory.” You can customize this message using the rich text editor.
Tip
If you want to include a login form for users to log in directly on the page, you can use the Login extension, which is available for free.
Default Category
If no categories are selected when adding an entry, this category will be automatically assigned. When installing Connections, a default category named “Uncategorized” is automatically added. You can change the default category to any category of your choice using this option.
Base Country and Region
Currently, these options are not used in Connections, but they were added for future use. It is recommended that you select your default country and state/province.
Shortcode Visibility Overrides
Before discussing the shortcode override options, let’s first review the entry visibility status options, their meanings, and the visibility status assigned to entries and who can see them.
When adding an entry to Connections, you can choose its visibility, similar to publishing a WordPress Page or Post. The options are Public, Private, and Unlisted, with Public being the default. The visibility status determines who can view an entry. Here are the basic rules:
- If an entry is marked as “Public,” all site visitors can view it, regardless of whether they are logged in.
- If you enable the “Require Login” option, users must log in to view the directory. By default, “Public” entries are only visible to the WordPress user roles Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber.
- If an entry is marked as “Private,” it is only visible to the WordPress user roles Administrator, Editor, and Author. This applies regardless of the “Require Login” option.
These two options enable the use of the public_override and private_override shortcode options.
Tip
If you enable the “Require Login” option and either of these options, your site visitors will not see the login required message.
Important
Although these options are available, it is strongly advised to keep them disabled.
Display
General
Date Format
The entry will display dates like anniversaries and birthdays in this format. You can use any valid date format from the WordPress Date and Time Formatting Codex.
The default format is: F jS, Y
Results List
The directory’s default view is the results list or card view. The appearance of this view depends on the template you are using. In general, it displays all the entries you have entered in Connections.
Clear Search Message
All premium templates sold on this site support keyword search and category filtering. When users search, a message box will display the keywords and categories they are searching for, and the results will reflect their search criteria.
The search message box includes a Clear Search button (or link, depending on the theme’s styling). This allows users to easily and quickly clear their search criteria and start over.
This option is enabled by default. Disabling it will hide the search message box and clear search button.
Category Description
When you add a category to Connections, you have the option to include a description. This description will appear above the clear search results message on templates that allow filtering by category. By default, the description will be displayed. If you disable this option, the description will not be shown.
Character Index
The A-Z links appear at the top of the results list. This index allows site visitors to filter the result list by clicking on a character. By default, this option is enabled.
The character index is not a static A–Z list that shows all characters, regardless of whether there are entries for each character. Instead, it is a smart index that dynamically generates and displays only the characters for entries that exist in directory. The displayed characters include the first character of the last name for Individual entry type, and the first character of the Organization and Family entry types, sorted alphabetically.
You can choose to repeat the character index at the beginning of each character section, such as “A”, “B”, “C”, and so on. Additionally, you can display the current character section header before the start of each section. For instance, if enabled, the entries in the “A” character section will have an “A” header.
Important
Not all templates support the display of the character index, so it will not be displayed, regardless of whether the setting is enabled.
Important
If you use the order_by shortcode option for a custom sort, please disable character index options. They are only compatible with the default alphabetical sort.
Actions
These are the registered actions that are available. By default, the core Connections plugin includes a single list action called “View All” permalink. This action redirects you to an internal Connections page that displays all the entries you have made in Connections, sorted alphabetically by name. This view does not provide any additional details about the entries.
Content Blocks
Content Blocks are the front-end output of custom fields for add-ons that enable them, such as the Business Hours, Education Level, and Income Level. You can choose which ones to display and arrange their order using drag and drop.
Tip
Both the Result List View and the Single Entry View support the display of Content Blocks and are configured separately. This allows you to choose which Content Block to display in each view.
Important
Some templates do not support the display of Content Boxes in the Result List View.
Single Entry
The Single Entry view, also known as the detail view or profile view, refers to the same thing: viewing the details of a single entry. These terms are often used interchangeably. To navigate to this page, you can click the entry’s name on the site’s front end when viewing the Result List. Alternatively, you can click the View action link under the entry name on the Connections : Manage admin page.
Important
Some templates, such as Slim Plus, do not support Single Entry view.
Important
The Directory Home Page must be set for the View action link on the Connections : Manage admin page to function. Without it set, you will likely receive a 404 not found error message.
Actions
The Entry Actions are similar to the Result List Actions, but they are specifically for viewing a single entry. In the core Connections plugin, there are currently two Entry Actions available: “Back to Directory” and “Add to Address Book” links.
Like the Result List Actions, these actions can be enabled, disabled, and reordered using drag and drop.
Content Blocks
Content Blocks are the front end output of custom fields for extensions that enable them, such as the Business Hours, Education Level, and Income Level extensions. Here, you can enable which ones should be displayed and in what order using drag and drop in the Single Entry View.
Tip
Both the Result List View and the Single Entry View support the display of Content Blocks but are configured separately. This allows you to decide which Content Block to display in which view.
Field Configuration
The settings in this section allow you to configure the form field sets when adding/editing a directory entry on the Connections : Add Entry admin page. These settings will also affect the form fields for the Form and Link extensions.
Publish Field Set
Entry Type Options
Here, you can choose which of the supported entry types is displayed to the user when adding their entry. By default, all three types are displayed. You can learn more about the entry types here.
To disable the display of an entry type, uncheck it and then save the change.
The display order can also be changed by dragging and dropping the types in the desired order and then saving the changes.
If you choose not to display any entry type options, it will set the type as the Default Entry Type when an entry is added.
Important
Disabling an entry type will not affect previously added entries. They will retain the type with which they were saved. When editing an entry of a type that has been disabled, it will default to the selected Default Entry Type.
Default Entry Type
When adding a new entry, you can choose which entry type should be the default selected type. If all Entry Type Options have been disabled, the chosen type will be the type that the entry is saved as.
Default Publish Visibility
The default publish status is “Public” when adding new entries. This option lets you choose which publish status should be the default option. You can learn more about the publish visibility status options here.
Address Field Set
Repeatable
By default, the Address metabox is repeatable, meaning you can add as many addresses as you need to a single entry. To disable this feature, uncheck this option. If you opt not to use a repeatable field, you must set the minimum number of address field sets to at least 1.
Whether or not you choose to have the address set as a repeatable field, you can set the minimum number of field sets to display. For example, if you set the minimum number to 1, one set of address fields will be displayed, and if the field is set to repeatable, you can enter additional addresses as needed. However, if the repeatable option is disabled, you can only enter a single address.
Changing the minimum will not affect previously saved addresses. If an entry has four addresses and you change the minimum number to 2, all four addresses will still be displayed and can still be edited.
Address Type Options
You can choose which address types to display and in what order when adding addresses to an entry. The topmost active address type will be the default type. At least one address type must be active. If only a single address type is active, the option to choose the type when adding an address to an entry will not be displayed.
Add a check next to the address type name to choose which address types are active.
To change the address type order, drag and drop them in the desired order.
You also can add custom address types such as “Receiving” and “Warehouse”. This can be done by clicking the “Add” button, giving the new type a new and then activating it for use. You can remove any custom address types you may have added by clicking the “Remove” button, but only if no addresses are saved with that type. The “core” address types of “Home, School, Work, and Other” can not be removed. A “Remove” button will display for address types that can be safely removed.
Preferred Address
Enable this option to set a preferred address when adding addresses to an entry. When this option is disabled, it will not be displayed when adding an address to an entry.
A preferred address is used in many scenarios, such as…
- When exporting the entry as a vCard.
- Displaying the entry location on a map.
- Displaying the local time of an entry.
Disabling this option will not affect existing addresses set as preferred. When editing an entry with a preferred address with this option disabled, the preferred setting of the address will be removed.
Per Address Visibility
Enable this option to set per address visibility. When disabled, it will not be displayed when adding addresses to an entry, and all addresses will default to public.
Disabling this option will not affect the visibility status of previously saved addresses.
Autofill Region
When this option is enabled, the default region (state) will populate the State address field when adding a new address to an entry. It is useful to enable this option if you expect most of your entries to be with the default region.
Autofill Country
When this option is enabled, the default country will populate the Country address field when adding a new address to an entry. It is useful to enable this option if you expect most of your entries to be with the default country.
Autocomplete Country
When this option is enabled, it will turn the text input Country field into an autocomplete dropdown field.
Phone Fieldset
Repeatable
By default, the Phone Numbers metabox is repeatable, meaning you can add as many phone numbers as you need to a single entry. To disable this feature, uncheck this option. If you opt not to use a repeatable field, you must set the minimum number of phone fieldsets to at least 1.
Whether or not you choose to have the phone fieldset as a repeatable field, you can set the minimum number of fieldsets to display. For example, if you set the minimum number to 1, one set of phone number fields will be displayed, and if the field is set to repeatable, you can enter additional phone numbers as needed. However, if the repeatable option is disabled, you can only enter a single phone number.
Changing the minimum will not affect previously saved phone numbers. If an entry has 4 phone numbers and you change the minimum number to 2, all four phone numbers will still be displayed and can still be edited.
Phone Type Options
You can choose which phone number types to display and in what order when adding phone numbers to an entry. The topmost active phone number type will be the default type. At least one phone type must be active. If only a single phone number type is active, the option to choose the type when adding a phone number to the entry will not be displayed.
To choose which phone number types are active, add a check next to the phone number type name.
To change the phone number type order, drag and drop them in the desired order.
Custom phone number types such as “Receiving” and “Warehouse” can be added. This can be done by clicking the “Add” button, giving the new type a new and then activating it for use. You can remove any custom phone number types you may have added by clicking the “Remove” button, but only if no phone numbers are saved with that type. The “core” phone number types of “Home Phone, Home Fax, Work Phone, Work Fax, and Cell Phone” cannot be removed. A “Remove” button will display for phone number types that can be safely removed.
Preferred Phone Numbers
Enable this option to set a preferred phone number when adding a phone number to an entry. When this option is disabled, it will not be displayed when adding a phone number to an entry.
A preferred phone number is used in many scenarios, such as…
- When exporting the entry as a vCard.
Disabling this option will not affect existing phone numbers set as preferred. When editing an entry with a preferred phone number with this option disabled, the preferred setting of the phone number will be removed.
Per Phone Number Visibility
Enable this option to set per phone number visibility. When disabled, it will not be displayed when adding a phone number to an entry, and all phone numbers will default to public.
Disabling this option will not affect the visibility status of previously saved phone numbers.
Email Fieldset
Repeatable
By default, the Email Address metabox is repeatable, meaning you can add as many email addresses as you need to a single entry. To disable this feature, uncheck this option. If you opt not to use a repeatable field, you must set the minimum number of email fieldsets to at least 1.
Whether or not you choose to have the email fieldset as a repeatable field, you can set the minimum number of fieldsets to display. For example, if you set the minimum number to 1, one set of email address fields will be displayed. If the field is set to be repeatable, you can enter additional email addresses as needed. However, if the repeatable option is disabled, you can only enter a single email address.
Changing the minimum will not affect previously saved email addresses. If an entry has 4 email addresses and you change the minimum number to 2, all four email addresses will still be displayed and can still be edited.
Email Type Options
You can choose which email address types to display and in what order when adding email addresses to an entry. The topmost active email address type will be the default type. At least one email type must be active. If only a single email address type is active, the option to choose the type when adding an email address to the entry will not be displayed.
To choose which email address types are active, add a check next to the email address type name.
To change the email address type order, drag and drop them in the desired order.
You also can add custom email address types such as “Receiving” and “Warehouse”. This can be done by clicking the “Add” button, giving the new type a name, and activating it for use. You can remove any custom email address types you may have added by clicking the “Remove” button, but only if no email addresses are saved with that type. The “core” email address types of “Personal Email and Work Email” cannot be removed. A “Remove” button will display for email address types that can be safely removed.
Preferred Email Address
Enable this option to set a preferred email address when adding an email address to an entry. When this option is disabled, it will not be displayed when adding an email address to an entry.
A preferred email address is used in many scenarios, such as…
- When exporting the entry as a vCard.
Disabling this option will not affect existing email addresses, which have been set as preferred. When editing an entry with a preferred email address with this option disabled, the preferred setting will be removed.
Per Email Address Visibility
Enable this option to set per email address visibility. When disabled, it will not be displayed when adding an email address to an entry, and all email addresses will default to public.
Disabling this option will not affect the visibility status of previously saved email addresses.
Images
Various sizes are created and cached when an image or logo is uploaded to an entry. This helps to reduce server load during the rendering of the directory.
Here, you can control the default image sizes and crop modes that the various templates use.
Important
The active template will determine which image(s) is used or may dynamically create a custom image size.
Search
Search on the website’s front end is enabled in select premium templates only and does not integrate with the core WordPress search. None of the supplied templates include the search feature. These settings will affect the search results on both the Connections : Manage admin page and the website’s front end.
Fields
When performing a search on either the Connections : Manage admin page or the site’s front end for templates that support search, these are the fields that are searched. By default, most fields are search-enabled. You can improve search results and speed by limiting the fields to be searched.
FULLTEXT
This option is enabled by default. However, it will only have an effect if your web host runs a current version of MySQL and is correctly configured to support FULLTEXT search queries.
Tip
When migrating a site from either a staging site or to a new web host, you should disable this setting.
Keyword Search
This option is enabled by default; however, if your web host is running current versions of MySQL and is correctly configured, disabling this option can significantly improve the relevance of the search results. If you disable this option and searches do not yield results, this indicates that the server does not support FULLTEXT queries. If this is the case, re-enable this option and disable the FULLTEXT option.
Important
If the FULLTEXT option is disabled, this option must be enabled. Additionally, search terms with three characters or less will be ignored. This cannot be changed as this is a database limitation.
SEO
The output of Connections for entries is search engine optimized (SEO) following the hCard microdata specification, which all the major search engine providers support. A future update to Connections will change this to support the newer scheme.org structured data formats for individuals and organizations. In addition to this, Connections also adds additional page meta information to enhance the SEO of your directory further. These are enabled by default, and it is strongly recommended that these are left enabled.
Page Meta
Title
Connections will automatically change the page title in the browser window/tab to reflect the current location in the directory being viewed. For example, the current category name or the current entry name being viewed.
Description
Connections will also automatically add a page description created as an excerpt from the current category description or the current entry biographical info field. Search engines may choose to use this page description when displayed in the search results.
Page Display
Title
The page title will be dynamically changed to display the entry name or category name before the page title is separated by “»”. Of the options available on this page, this one is likely to be safe to disable without negatively affecting the SEO of the directory.
Licenses
The Licenses tab will only be displayed if you have installed and activated at least one add-on for Connections, such as extensions and templates that require an active support license key to receive in-admin updates.
Here, you can activate/deactivate your support license key, check to see if you are receiving updates, and when the license expires. If the license has expired, a link will be displayed, which can be used to renew the license easily and automatically receive your renewal discount.
Advanced
Permalink
Configure permalink support. Avoid using permalink structure names that conflict with WordPress, such as category and tag. Avoid using permalink structure names that conflict with custom post type slugs and taxonomy slugs. It is highly recommended that you leave these set to their default values. Only change these if you fully understand how changing them will affect your site.
Links
Name – Enabling this option will turn the name of every entry into a link. Clicking the link will take you to the single entry view. This option is enabled by default.
Telephone Number – Enabling this option will turn every telephone number into a link that, when clicked by the user on a mobile phone or computer with a telephone application installed, will dial the number. This option is disabled by default.
Organization – Enabling this option will turn the name of each organization into a link. Clicking the link will filter the results list view by that organization. This option is disabled by default.
Department – Enabling this option will turn the name of every department into a link. Clicking the link will filter the results list view by that department. This option is disabled by default.
Locality – Enabling this option will turn the name of each locality (city) into a link. Clicking the link will filter the results list view by that locality. This option is disabled by default.
Region – Enabling this option will turn the name of every region (state/province) into a link. Clicking the link will filter the results list view by that region. This option is disabled by default.
Postal Code – Enabling this option will turn each postal code into a link. Clicking the link will filter the results list view by that postal code. This option is disabled by default.
Country – Enabling this option will turn the name of every country into a link. Clicking the link will filter the results list view by that country. This option is disabled by default.
Custom Post Type Support
By default, Connections supports only the Pages post type. When Custom Post Type support is enabled, you should select at least one post type for which you wish to enable the support. This will ensure that the necessary permalink rewrite rules are added. Additionally, you can select a Custom Post Type page as the Directory Home Page.
Enable? — To enable support for custom post types, enable this option.
Enable Support for? — Select the custom post types for which you wish to enable support.
Google Maps Geocoding API
Addresses are automatically geocoded when adding an entry using the Google Maps Geocoding API, which is free but is limited to 2,500 queries per day at a rate of 10 queries per second. Under normal usage, this is more than enough, but if you are bulk importing using the CSV Import extension, you can easily exceed this limit.
When using the CSV Import extension for bulk import, it is recommended to set up a Google Maps Geocoding API Server Key, which has increased limits of 100,000 queries at a rate of 50 queries per second.
Please be aware that fees are associated with using the Google Map Geocoding API at these increased limits. View the Pricing and Plans. The fees will be assessed and charged by Google and not by Connections.
Please read this tutorial to learn how to get these Google Maps API Keys.
Compatibility
jQuery – Themes and plugins sometimes load a version of jQuery that is not bundled with WordPress. This is generally considered bad practice, which can result in breaking plugins. Enabling this option will attempt to fix this issue. You should only enable this option at the direction of support.
Templates – Themes can break plugin shortcodes that output content on the page, causing the content not to render correctly. If the templates do not display as expected, try enabling this option.
Uninstall
Remove Data on Uninstall – By selecting the box, all directory data, settings, and tables will be permanently erased upon deleting the plugin.
Important
This action is irreversible. As such, creating a site backup before proceeding is highly recommended.