Author:
Kristenson,
Joel
Last
Updated: 2016-08-23
Overview
This article will
walk you through a lengthy and in-depth outline of the website
configuration area in Trail Blazer. It’s broken into sections
on each of the different iFrames you can create with sub-categories
defining these options.
DISCLAIMER: The screen shots and content of this article are current as of
7/31/2013 – it’s important to note that
Trail Blazer is constantly evolving so screen shots may look slightly
different at the time you read this.
Outline
#1 Calendar Events
#2 Component (Political/PAC
Only)
#3 Donations
#4 Signup Email
#5 Signup Short
#6 Signup No Groups
#7 Signup Groups
#8 Signup Post
#9 iFrame Wizard
(Overview)
#10 Related Resources
HINT: Use the
Ctrl+F hot key to jump to different
sections of this article with keywords like #1, #2, and #10.
Use the Ctrl+P and
Ctrl+S hot keys to print and/or save this
article for future use.
IMPORTANT: For each of these
sections you will need security access to Website
Configuration and you will follow this path to access it:
Application Menu > System Manager >
Settings > Website
Configuration
If you need access to system manager contact your database
administrator. Click Hereto learn how
to set security levels, call Trail Blazer support (866 909-8700) if
there are any questions or concerns.
IMPORTANT: After you’re
satisfied with the changes you make to your custom iFrame forms make
sure to click [Save] and click the link to
refresh your web pages using the updated
specifications as the image below
displays.
#1 Calendar
Events
Page
Setup
Setting up an event is handled in a different location of the
program; follow Application Menu > Calendar/Tasks
> Events
Email
Response
Just like above for the page setup
of an event the email response is handled
in the events location of Trail Blazer. The first image below
displays the email response location in the
website configuration area and the
2nd image displays this location inside an
event record card where it’s actually
controlled.
Image 1 of 2 – Website
Configuration – Email Response
Image 2 of 2 – Event Record
Card – Email Response
Participant
Types
As of the date this article was written the Participant Types
location of website configuration is no longer in use, the image below
displays what it looks like (green columns in Trail Blazer mean you can
override the value and save) and it’s possible this will be
re-activated on a future date.
Live Preview
(EventDirectory.aspx)
The live preview location will display the “new” event
directory as it looks online it also displays the web address to where
it is hosted. You could just as well visit https://www.trailblz.info/YourDatabaseName/EventDirectory.aspx to view this page.
Live Preview
(Deprecated –
Events.aspx)
The live preview (Deprecated) shows a legacy events system that
we still support for some customers who haven’t migrated to the new
system yet. Just like the other live preview location it shows
how your events would look “live” online and the web address of your
events directory.
#2 Component
(Political/PAC
Only)
Lawn Sign
Component Options
The lawn sign component location is used in conjunction with
the Signup Groups form. You can rename the lawn components to
change the default label as well as add special instructions.
The images below display first the default components location and how
it looks on a Signup Groups live preview,
next it shows some sample modifications to the components, how to make
them display on signup groups and what the live preview looks like after
those changes are made.
Image of where to enable Lawn Sign
Component
Live preview of default lawn sign
component enabled on the Signup
Groups form
These images display some sample edits to the
Component and how those changes look on a
live preview of Signup
Groups.
#3
Donations
Page
Setup
Page setup is where you can toggle on and off many different
options for your online donation form as well as control other
configurations.
HINT: Thoroughly
test turning on and off different settings in a variety of ways and
refreshing your donation form before copying and pasting your iFrame
code into your website. Once the code is implanted on your site you can
still make changes in your database and when refreshing. Those
changes will take effect immediately.
Here’s a list of what you can currently customize in this
location with a brief description of each:
Is Federal Required
(Employer/Occupation): Display and require text fields for employer and occupation
(required for federal political
campaigns and some
states).
Is Email Address
Required: Toggle on and the
requirement that people must fill out their email
address.
Show Other
Amount: The other amount
displays a radio button and text box for a contributor to enter a
different donation amount that what you have set as
suggestions.
Show Donation Level
Description: Turn on and
off the donation descriptions you’ve created within the
Donation Amounts tab of the
Website Configuration (anything
in green allows you to
override the value in Trail Blazer).
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
Disable
Captcha: Turn the captcha
code off or on. Captcha are used to filter out spammers and
rogue computer programs Click
Here to learn
more.
Show
Comments: Allow or restrict
your contributors to add their own comments to be captured in a log note
of their record card as the contribution is collected into your
database.
Show Honor
of: Display the option
to make a contribution in honor or in memory of someone
else.
Show Middle
Name: Display the text
field for Middle name (not a required
field).
Show Nick
Name: Display the Nick
Name text field (not a required field – useful information to
capture for email and postal mail purposes – can be used as a merge
field with precedence over first name where
applicable).
Show Donation
Ticker: Activate your
donation ticker for your web services (https://www.trailblz.info/yourdatabasename/Ticker)
Ticker
Size: Adjust the size of
your money bomb ticker.
Ticker Start
Date: Adjust the start
date of the money bomb ticker.
Style: Toggle the
style of your donation form to Original or
Page Top. The difference is
original will keep the donation amount buttons within the middle of the
form the page top option will put the donation amounts at the very top
of the form.
Amount Box
Label: Change the default
amount box label with your own custom text. Two
images below display how the setup and live preview
look.
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of o2
Button
Label: Not sure if this
controls anything it may be legacy settings.
Show Attributes
Component: The attribute
component allows you toggle on and off attribute checkboxes that you
have previously set to view on the website. 3 images below
display this process.
Image 1 of 3
Image 2 of 3
Image 3 of 3
Show Lawn Sign
Component: Display a text
field for people to request lawn signs.
Show
Disclaimer: Display any
required disclaimers on your donation form.
Default
Disclaimer: Remove your
custom disclaimer text and click [Default
Disclaimer] to populate with Trail Blazer’s
default. 2 images below display this.
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
Insert Security
Text: Click this button
to insert some extra default security text into your
disclaimer. Save and refresh website settings to view the
changes.
Donation
Amounts
Donation Amounts is where you can customize different donation
amounts for your form as well as add descriptions and choose which
amounts are enabled.
HINT:
All of the green columns
in Trail Blazer allow you to override the value by clicking in the text
field and typing and saving and closing.
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
Email
Response
Click the drop-down and choose which one of your email
templates you want to use as an automated response to people filling out
your donation form.
Live Preview
(Donations.aspx)
After saving changes and clicking the link to refresh your
website settings you can view a live preview of your donation form in
this location. The system will display warnings for things
like you need a merchant gateway in place or you don’t have a redirect
URL in place among other things. It will also display the web
services location where your donation form is located on our secure
server. The images below display my completed donation form as
an example:
Image of 1 of 5
Image of 2 of 5
Image of 3 of
5
Image of 4 of
5
Image of 5 of
5
#4 Signup
Email
Signup Email is where you will configure your email signup
form.
HINT: If you
understand CSS and/or work with a skilled webmaster you can take the
HTML iFrame code that’s created and style it to resemble your
website.
Page
Setup
Here you have 3 options:
Disable
Captcha: Filter out
unwanted spammers and rogue computer programs by turning this function
on. What’s a
Captcha?
Show
Comment: Allow the people
signing up for your email communications to add
comments.
Show Zip
Code: Check this box to
add a zip code field to your email signup form.
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of
2
Email
Response
Insert one of your email templates to use as an auto responder
to be sent to those people signing up for your email
list.
Live Preview
(SignupEmail.aspx)
After making changes you can view a live preview of your email
signup form in this location. Alternately you can visit your
web services location https://www.trailblz.info/yourdatabasename/SignupEmail.aspx
#5 Signup
Short
NOTE: The term “Group” is now referred to as the term “Attribute”
some of the labels in this area of website configuration still display
legacy terminology.
Signup short is much like an email signup however the email
field is not required by default and it’s intended to ban an
un-intrusive way to collect first name, last name and optionally email
address.
Page
Setup
Toggle captcha code on and off.
Email
Response
*Optionally insert one of your email templates to be set as the
auto responder when people fill out your form, these templates can
include merge fields to make the email more
personalized.
Live Preview
(SignupGroups.aspx)
View a live preview of your Signup Short
form.
#6 Signup No
Groups
Signup No Groups is where you can configure a signup form that
collects more information that the Signup Short form but doesn’t display
attributes “Groups” like the more lengthy Signup Groups form.
This form allows for the collection of name, address and contact info
with many fields required by default.
Page
Setup
Disable
Captcha: Check this box to
remove the captcha code that helps weed out spammers and rogue computer
programs.
Show Lawn Sign
Component: Check this box to
display the lawn sign request component.
Disable Email Opt In
Default: Check this box
disable email opt in default.
Email
Response
Insert one of your templates to be used as an auto responder
for the Signup No Groups form.
Live Preview
(SignupGroups.aspx)
View a live preview of your Signup No Groups form.
You can also view it by visiting https://www.trailblz.info/YourDatabaseName/SignupNoGroups.aspx
#7 Signup
Groups
This is where you will configure the settings for your Signup
Groups form which is similar to the Signup No Groups except it has the
ability to display attribute check boxes that you’ve enabled for online
use.
NOTE: Refer to
section #3 to learn how to make your attribute items and folders display
online.
Page
Setup
Below are the options can adjust for configuring your Signup
Groups form with a brief description of each:
Disable
Captcha: Check this box if
you want to remove the captcha filter.
Show Lawn Sign
Component: Check this box to
display the lawn sign request comment box.
Show
Comments: Allow people
signing up to add their own comments.
Email is
Required: Check this to make
entering an email address a requirement.
Disable Email Opt In
default: Check this box to
disable the default opt in for people signing up.
Email
Response
Select one of your email templates to you as an auto responder
for people filling out the Signup Groups form.
Live Preview
(SignupGroups.aspx)
View a live preview of your Signup Groups form. You
can also view it by visiting your web services location
<< https://www.trailblz.info/YourDatabaseName/SignupGroups.aspx>>
The images below display my sample Signup Groups
form:
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
#8 Signup Post
(Legacy)
Signup Post is a legacy form that is no longer
supported. You can expect this part of website configuration
to be removed, replace or re-implemented sometime in the
future.
#9 iFrame Wizard
(Overview)
The iFrame Wizard is the tool
that’s used to generate the code for the different online forms i.e.
Volunteer Signup, Email Signup, Donation etc.
From the Website Configuration
location click the [iFrame] button near the
top of the screen.
Select the type of frame from the drop-down. The
options include:
Donations
| Events |
Signup Email |
Signup Short |
Signup No Groups |
Signup Groups
Select if you want to allow scrolling and enter width and
height for the form otherwise leave the default
values.
Select a Redirect Type here are the
options:
No custom Thank You Page, use
Trail Blazer’s default (this is very basic and thus not
recommended)
Redirect Thank You Page
“within’ the iframe. Type, RD=
Redirect Thank You Page
‘outside’ of iframe. Type, RDIF=
(this is the most commonly used
option)
After selecting the type of redirect you can enter the web
address (URL) of where the Thank You Page is located. You can
click [Verify Redirect] to confirm the page
is entered and working properly.
When generating a donation iFrame
you can link them to an event you’ve created. This can be
useful to track those contributions against the specific form they
originated from.
After generating the iFrame you can click [Copy
HTML] and take the code and implant it into your websites
code. The iFrame Wizard will
display the code, a preview of the form and a preview of your redirect
page if applicable.
HINT: iFrames web forms are an extremely useful feature in Trail
Blazer but can be a little confusing to generate if you’ve never done it
before. Please refer to the references below and don’t
hesitate to call/email tech support to have a technician assist you with
generating and implanting these forms to your website.
Working with a skilled webmaster can also greatly improve the
effectiveness of this process.
#10 Related
Resources
Article: Linking your Website to your Database with Custom Online
Forms
Video: iFrame
Video: Attributes – Add To Donation
Page
Article
(3rd Party Source – W3
Schools): iFrames
Article
(3rd Party Source – W3
Schools): CSS
Article
(3rd Party Source – W3
Schools): HTML
Call
Support: (866)
909-8700
Email
Support: support@trailblz.com
