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Publications Admin Guide

Purpose

Publish downloadable PDFs or external publication links (meeting minutes, magazines, Issuu links, etc.) inside admin-managed collections. Collections control whether visitors can see/open a group of publications.

Access

1. Sign in to /admin.
2. Open Publications › Publication collections (/admin/publications/publicationcollection/) for the normal workflow. A collection page contains both the collection access settings and its publication rows.
3. Use All PDF publications from the collection list when you need global search, date filters, or to find publications across many collections.

Create a Collection

1. Open Publication collections and click Add publication collection.
2. Complete the form:
   • Title – shown at /publications/ and at the top of the collection page.
   • Slug – leave blank to auto-generate. This becomes the collection URL, for example /publications/ao/.
   • Description – optional intro text shown on the collection page.
   • Cover image – optional image shown for the collection on /publications/.
   • Ordering – lower numbers appear first on the collection index.
   • Active – uncheck to remove the collection from public access.
   • Visibility – controls who can see/open the collection:
     • Public – visible and open to everyone.
     • Logged-in members – visible/open only after login.
     • Selected membership types – visible/open only to logged-in users whose membership type is selected.
     • Password protected – visible on the index but requires the collection password before publications open.
     • Hidden – not listed and direct links return not found.
   • Allowed membership types – used only for selected-membership visibility.
   • Password / Clear password – set, replace, or remove the password. The plaintext password is not shown again.
3. Use the publications table at the bottom of the same page to add or edit publications in that collection. Click the inline change link when you need the full publication form.
4. Save.

Add a New PDF

1. Open the collection that should contain the publication. Use the inline publications table there for the quickest path, or click Add pdf file from the global PDF list if you need the full form first.
2. Complete the form:
   • Collection – choose the group where the publication should appear.
   • Title – shown on listings and in the viewer.
   • Slug – leave blank to auto-generate from the title. Together with the collection slug, this becomes the URL (/publications/<collection>/<slug>/).
   • Publication Date – used for sorting and filtering.
   • Description – short summary shown on the publication card.
   • File – upload the PDF (stored under media/pdfs/<slug>/) when the publication should use the internal reader.
   • Redirect URL – optional external reader link, such as an Issuu URL. When set, visitors are sent there instead of the internal reader. Use this instead of File for external-only publications.
   • Cover image – optional thumbnail shown in the publication list, useful for external-only publications.
   • Selected collection access – shows the currently selected collection’s access rule and links to the collection edit page. It updates when you choose a different collection.
   • Public Access – keep checked unless this individual publication should be hidden inside its collection.
   • Requires Login – forces a member login for this individual publication, in addition to the collection access rule.
3. Save. Upload time stamps are recorded automatically.

Edit or Replace a PDF

• Editing shows read-only upload timestamps. To swap the actual file, create a new entry (or delete and re-create) so the file field becomes editable again.
• Updating metadata (title, description, access flags) is safe and immediate.

Review Access Settings

• Review collection visibility first; this is the main access rule.
• The collection list shows an Access summary and links directly to each collection’s publication list.
• The PDF list shows the parent collection and collection access setting so you can jump back to the right access controls.
• List filters let you quickly find hidden PDFs (Public Access = No), PDF-level login requirements, or publications in a specific collection.
• Use the search bar to locate files by title or slug.

Visitor Experience

• /publications/ lists non-empty collections visible to the current visitor.
• /publications/<collection>/ lists the publications in that collection with pagination.
• Clicking a PDF-backed item opens the internal viewer. Clicking an item with Redirect URL first opens the internal checked URL and then redirects to the external site after access is confirmed.
• Visitors without collection permission cannot access direct collection or publication links. Login-only collections redirect anonymous visitors to login, password collections show a password form, and hidden or wrong-membership links return not found.

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