Your Govstack Questions Answered

Thanks for joining our recent webinar on Govstack! This FAQ page addresses the most common questions raised during the session. Explore the page to learn more about Govstack's features and how it can benefit you.

In Webinar Question

Answer

Is the calendar module improved at all? What enhancements are there with the Govstack Calendar? I have the same questions for the Facilities Manager.

 

  • Everyone now receives SSO login for all their Govstack products.

  • Depending on your calendar and design configuration, pull styling into the calendar to match your site’s branding automatically without coding.

  • General responsiveness improvements for mobile devices.

  • Use the CMS Calendar Feed component anywhere on your site to showcase upcoming events from your calendar.  A variety of configuration options are provided to control what information you want to display.

  • Some Card View screenshots examples:

Event view example featuring a fair

cardview example image including events

  • The i:Create Facilities module has been revitalized as the Parks and Facilities application for Govstack – a purpose-built feature for showcasing public recreation locations and activities.

  • We simplified how Parks & Facilities is configured and have streamlined the process of submitting a listing, making it simpler to use and easier to administer.  

    • System defaults have been added to help with categorization filters. System defaults have been included, simplifying the need to create your own, yet that option does remain, for administrators.

    • New default types, amenities, and activities provide you with a starting point when setting up your facilities. Use these common defaults to help ensure your facilities are quickly found by members of your community.

    • Display your community’s recreation by facility types, location types, and amenities.

 

  • With Govstack Premium, you can create a distinct look for your parks and facilities, separate from your core website.

 

Regarding the facilities module, is it possible to adopt the new Govstack implementation without needing to migrate the entire site from i:Create? This approach would allow us to enter a transitional state and start benefiting from some of the new Govstack tools.
  • Having the Govstack CMS is required to enable Parks and Facilities. 
  • The Govstack CMS supports multiple sites simultaneously.
  • You can start with a microsite and then migrate to your other sites over time.

What features are still not available from i:Create?

 
  • Govstack approaches websites and CMS features in a different way than i:Create does, which makes a true apple to apples comparison challenging. Several i:Create functions have been moved or work differently.
  • For example, both tools support embedding third party tools, but Govstack makes it easier to do so without the need for costly development services.
  • Some notable i:Create features that are currently not available in Govstack include:
    • Content auditing and reporting features like an accessibility checker, broken links checker, and stale content reports.
    • Advanced modules for managing bylaws and documents are undergoing development.

How has the search functionality improved? Is Cludo somehow optimized for GovStack or ?
  • See live previews of how your pages will display in internet searches and get in-CMS guidance for your meta title and description lengths.
  • Increase the priority of individual pages in your XML sitemap and identify how often a page is updated. Or you can hide pages from your sitemap entirely - the choice is yours.
  • Enter canonical URLs to help optimize repetitive pages that appear on the site.
  • Set up Google Programmable Search or Cludo engines directly in the CMS, no coding needed.
  • Use a search engine in combination with subsites to create filtered searches with their own look and feel.
  • If you are interested in learning more how SEO works in Govstack, our Learning Centre is the place to start. 

Does the search function work with the business directory content now?

 

Currently, Govstack Business Directory searches within the Business Directory only. Website search does not include Business Directory entries

Will it still provide reports for news and calendar subscribers?

 
  • Yes, you can view reports on your news subscribers with the Subscription Management application.
  • Yes, you can continue to view your calendar subscribers within Govstack Events.

Is the reusable component tool different than shared content in i:Create?

 

Govstack’s Global Content or Reusable Content tool addresses the same need that i:Create’s Shared Content tool does – allowing you to display content in multiple places across the site while managing it in one place. Global Content is ideal for sitewide call to actions like news subscription prompts or contact information. Reusable Content can be used to create whole pages of content or specific components. Reusable components can also be used to create modal windows and complex tabbed layouts.

We have a microsite on i:Create for our Butter Tart Festival. Social media in the footer goes to the Town's social media - can Govstack link to sub-brand socials on microsites, e.g. tourism, fire services, etc.?
  • Social media links can be configured to use any social media service, or any other link.
  • Microsites in Govstack allow for choosing separate social media links from the footer of the microsite templates.

Can you expand on the built in accessibility?  What exactly does that mean? 
  • Govstack is a SaaS product, and unlike i:Create the Govstack themes are part of the product. GHD invests time in ongoing testing and fixing of accessibility issues and these updates are automatically rolled out to all of our customers. Whereas, in i:Create, each website was its own separate design, and customers would be required to pay for design changes after GoLive, including accessibility updates.
  • In addition, design configuration gives you a live preview of all colour and font choices, allowing you to see the outcome of your site’s branding without needing to check all your content.

Will Govstack include more accessibility tools that do not require an overlay/third party tool? I.e. font adjuster, language translator.

 

Govstack is designed to work with current web browsers that mitigates the need for adding third party tools like font resizing and automated language translations. Third party tools can continue to be added to the website, and much more easily than in i:Create – GHD assistance no longer required!

It would be ideal to incorporate advanced file control features, such as a workflow for decentralized sites. This would help ensure that files are not added to the site without a higher-level review. Additionally, implementing an accessibility check on PDFs would greatly enhance our operations. It would also be beneficial to include version control with enhanced reporting capabilities, similar to those in i:Create webpages, to track who has added files.

 
  • Govstack CMS allows for configuring user permissions that can prevent access to file management in the Media section or restrict users to specified folders.
  • Combining use with current workflows, content pages can be checked for changes to prevent file changes from being exposed to the public.
  • Our Partners, Deque and GrackleDocs both offer services focused on PDF accessibility.  Your Account Manager can assist you.
  • Currently the Govstack CMS does show a history of people who have made changes to a file. 

Can you talk about file/image management? Is it quite different in GovStack than in i:Create

 

Govstack CMS addresses a number of the limitations commonly identified in i:Create:

  • A dedicated recycle bin provides a safety net against accidental deletions, and you can restore files at any time - no more support requests to us for help.
  • Move, reorganize, and rename files without worrying about creating broken links.
  • Upload files at the same time as writing your content without needing to go between the page and file manager.
  • Bulk upload any number of files at once.
  • Quickly find and select the file you are looking for while building your content without having to copy URLs manually.
  • You can not only crop images through the CMS to help ensure every image looks right on your website, but you can also set where the focus of your image is: centre, left, right, top, middle, bottom). This gives you more control on how the image is cropped.
  • Add alt text to images directly with the file and never worry about missing it on every page.
  • With user groups, decide if some people on your team will have access to file management, or restrict them to particular folders.

Will it still do friendly URLs?

 

Friendly URLs can be created in Govstack.

Is it a separate cost to have the microsite? Or can we just choose a different template?

 
  • Microsites are one of those things that mean something different to everyone, so we wanted to start with clarifying what those mean to us.
  • In Govstack, a microsite is more than just a different template or page layout. A microsite has its own header and footer, unique from the main site, including its own menu items and drop-down. Likely has its own colour scheme, and look and feel, separate from the main site. May also have its own domain, separate from the main site. A microsite in Govstack is a paid AddOn, just like it was in i:Create.
  • Govstack has powerful template and page layout design capabilities that will allow you to create templates and layouts for landing pages or specialized interior pages. With Govstack Premium, additional design access will allow you to create separate colour schemes and branding to apply to different sections of your site. 

Does Govstack have APIs developed for other popular municipal third party applications. Such as calendar with escribe?

 

We continue to support eScribe with Calendar (now Govstack Events) as before and are building out our API library to support other 3rd party products in future.

Will we have access to add our own CSS or Javascript code on either a site wide or page by page basis?

 
  • Yes, you can add scripts across the site in the head or body or add scripts on a page-by-page basis.
  • With Govstack Premium, additional design access will allow you to include CSS that can be applied across the site or add custom HTML classes to individual pages and components to target your styling.

 

We often add some html code for interactive google maps - will we still be able to use google maps?

Govstack supports creating content with HTML directly or embedding third party content, including Google Maps.