Apps › IP.Content

Build powerful webpages using community data

IP.Content is a content management application for the IPS Community Suite that enables you to build websites with ease that pull in all kinds of data, from your community and the wider web.

What does IP.Content do for me?

Your community is a goldmine of useful, interesting content, but getting at it to use it beyond your community walls can be tricky. IP.Content helps you by enabling you to build websites that easily pull in all of that data - and data from the wider web.

But it goes further than that. You can also build data-driven sites right in IP.Content itself, using the Databases feature. Databases have automatic access to the great functionality in the IPS Community Suite such as ratings, comments and reputation.

And all of this can be done with just some HTML knowledge.

IP.Content is a starting point, a set of integrated tools that allow you to explore your creativity in building community data-driven websites

The IP.Content Toolkit

Check out the tools IP.Content provides to help you build great websites

Menu manager included

New to IP.Content 2.3 is the Menu Manager, a tool that allows you to customize the global menu used throughout the IPS Community Suite. Using the new tool, you can add and move tabs from the menu - even those automatically included by your apps. You can even create drop-down menus that contain more links, in a simple point-and-click interface. Each tab has permission settings, allowing you to control which group sees which links.

Manage your website assets with ease

IP.Content includes a media manager, allowing you to upload assets you plan to use in your website, then easily use them in your pages. On editing pages, a sidebar shows each of the assets you've uploaded, and using them is as simple as clicking to insert them.

Restrict access with page permissions

Pages you create integrate with the existing permissions in the IPS Community Suite, enabling you to restrict access and ensure only those you grant access to can see the page. Build a subscribers-only area with exclusive content, or perhaps just require that users register and sign before being able to read your content.

Completely customizable URLs

Pages you create with IP.Content can have any URL structure you like - you aren't restricted to a certain format. Whether you want short and snappy URLs or be more descriptive for SEO purposes, the choice is yours.

Articles and databases support auto-generation of friendly URLs for categories and records, or you can choose your own instead.

Seamlessly integrate your community style

When creating IP.Content pages, you have the option to either create your website wrapper from scratch, or use the wrapper you're already using for the rest of your community. This means automatically adding your header, navigation, footer, even a sidebar, is all just one option toggle in the page settings.

Blocks are the link between data and your website

IP.Content has three types of blocks, each with specific uses

Step 1: Choose app

Step 2: Set filters

Step 3: Choose or create template

Blocks are reusable

Reuse blocks over and over, on the same or different pages
Blocks can be used anywhere

Blocks can be used anywhere in your community, not just on IP.Content pages. Try them in the IPS Community Suite templates, or in database templates!
Blocks are nestable

Blocks can be used in other blocks. Great for building a sidebar containing other blocks, which you can reuse on your pages.
Blocks are exportable

Export your blocks and share them with other people. You can even sell or share them on the IPS Marketplace.

Feed Blocks

Feed blocks pull all kinds of data into your website, including topics, member profiles & statistics, articles, blog entries, gallery images, RSS feeds and more, each with specalized filters that allow you to customize exactly what is included and displayed. Each can be customized with a template, too.

Plugin Blocks

Plugin blocks add ready-made sections of functionality to the page that go beyond simple feeds, like showing members who are active in the community right now, or an overview of the content that the user is following. Add new ones from the IPS Marketplace and you can even write your own.

Custom Blocks

Custom blocks are empty, reusable snippets for your own content. They're great for advertising banners, custom menus, sidebars you use on multiple pages and more. Custom blocks can be built using BBCode, HTML or full PHP, so their power scales with your development abilities.

External blocks take your data even further

Even if you have an investment in another CMS, IP.Content can still help you. Blocks can be used completely externally from your community and IPS software via a simple script tag, which you can insert into other CMS software, facebook apps and more. Your community data can now go further than ever.

Block Templates make it simple to style blocks

Blocks can be individually customized using HTML, or you can choose to import and use block templates. Block templates are a bundle of HTML, CSS and Javascript assets that you can download and use with compatible blocks - or download ready-made ones from the IPS Marketplace.

Example uses

Some ways our customers use Blocks to build websites

Image carousel

Show a carousel of recent gallery images, using the built-in carousel block template

Custom ad integration

Use custom blocks to create reusable ad areas that can be easily inserted into your pages

Latest store products

Highlight your latest products in IP.Nexus, with a block showing product listings

Top members

Highlight your top contributors by showing mini profiles in a homepage sidebar

Data-rich web applications aren't just for developers

IP.Content allows anyone to build data-driven websites without code

Manage databases and fields easily

Databases created in IP.Content can be managed entirely from within the IPS Community Suite AdminCP, including the database itself, categories, fields and records. Adding new fields to the database is as simple as entering some data into a form - a range of field types are supported, each with useful customization options.

Flexible templating lets you achieve almost anything

Each database you create has category, record listing and record view templates, which are edited right in the AdminCP of your community. The default templates display data in a traditional row-by-row format, but with HTML knowledge and creativity, templates can display your data in almost any way you can imagine. Database templates support the full range of IPS Community Suite template features, including HTML Logic tags, PHP and special template tags. Plus, IP.Content Blocks can be added to templates too.

Cross-post records to IP.Board automatically

You can optionally choose to have new records automatically cross-posted to an IP.Board forum, ready to accept discussions. Your record fields are automatically listed and formatted in the topic, too. And, you can even choose to have comments on the record be automatically added as replies to the topic.

Cross-database relationship fields

One of the included field types allows you to create a relationship with another IP.Content database, enabling sophisticated data applications to be created. For example, a site for a music group might have a database of tour dates, which can have a relationship with a database of music venues, enabling each to be presented and maintained individually, yet intrinsically linked.

Built-in version control

Records support a built-in version control, enabling you to view revisions made to the record and revert to an older version if an inappropriate change has occured.

Search databases as part of the community

Databases can be searched from the global search tool in the IPS Community Suite, just like all other content. Sorting options are automatically provided for the fields you create.

Integrates with your existing permissions

IP.Content databases come equipped with support for your existing community permissions, allowing you to specify exactly who can see the database, or optionally individual categories within the database.

Full moderation support

Just as with other content in the IPS Community Suite, new records submitted by users can optionally enter a moderation queue, to await approval by your staff before they're made public. Plus there's all the usual tools to manage records.

Accept public submissions - or not

Records can be added and managed from the front-end website, as well as in the AdminCP. This enables up the possibility of a user-curated database, where your users are the ones to help it grow. IP.Content even supports wiki-style editing, allowing any user to edit any record. Or, if you prefer to keep things in your control, you can disable user submissions altogether.

Easily build news-style community website pages

The Articles feature gives you tools to create news-style content within an IPS community

Promote IP.Board forum content

Bring quality content to the fore and increase visibility. Users with permission are able to automatically promote IP.Board forum posts to full IP.Content articles - either by copying the content, or by moving it. Promoted articles get all the great IP.Content functionality - commenting, templating, versioning and more.

Create specialized templates to display articles

Article templates give you incredible flexibility to display articles in any way you wish. Display the front page of your articles section in whichever format suits your site - use one of the three built-in Front Page templates, or create your own. Make each of your article categories unique by specifying a different Front Page template for each. And, of course, every article can have a different View template, enabling you to display each article in a format ideal to that particular content.

Display bespoke data or create custom settings with custom fields

As you'd expect, you can create a wide range of custom fields for your articles. Create data fields that gather additional content to display with articles, including textboxes, upload fields, date widgets or member lookup fields, complete with look-ahead functionality. Or use fields as option toggles, and check their value using template logic in order to achieve a particular goal. Custom fields let you set up IP.Content articles exactly as you need them.

Efficiently manage your articles

The Article Manager makes it easy to find existing articles to work with. Sort articles inline with ease, and search more efficiently using filter criteria based on comments, category, status and more. Toggle the published status of articles with a single click, without leaving the page. There's also the Front Page Manager, allowing you to quickly see which articles are presently displaying on the front page, and giving you the ability to remove them if necessary, or change the sort ordering of your articles section.