Featured Images
As of April 2017, all Conductor websites using the News or Events modules have the option to include a Featured Image within each news item or event
Featured Images enable:
- Consistent, visually engaging News and Events feeds
- True image sharing for imported News and Events
- Optimization of content for SEO
Specifications
Each website has Featured Image dimensions dictated by the design and layout of that particular website. A site may require Featured Image dimensions of 700px x 400px. Another site may require 800px x 600px. (The dimensions for a particular site are listed near Featured Image upload button.) We recommend the image be at least 1200px wide since it doubles as a social media image when shared (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
Importing
If a Feature Image is included in a news or event item, the image with transfer with the item when it is imported to another site.
The Featured Image itself is added to the Uploads section of the website executing the import.
Featured Images are automatically formatted to fit the dimensions for a site even if the Featured Image was imported from another site requiring different dimensions. Importing news items from a site with a different Featured Image should not create a problem.
Hiding in Content
By default, Featured Images are displayed in the content of the associated News or Events entry. If you do not want the image to appear in the content, check the "Hide in Content" checkbox. This may be important if you have a video embed as the first item of the content where an image may interfere with the placement of the video. By using "Hide in Content", the image will still display in listings, and will be used on social media, but will not interfere with specialized content in the article.
Always Use Featured Image
Administrators of every Conductor site using the News and Events modules are strongly encouraged to use Feature Image (even if Featured Images don't display on their current site).
By using Featured Image, site administrators are:
- Improving the presentation of their content
- Maximizing their potential by ensuring that their content is complete and ready for a future redesign that take full advantage of Featured Image
- Increasing the odds that a site will import their content (as many sites require a Featured Image for their news and event items).
Update a Site to Display Featured Images
Adjustments can be made to existing sites to accommodate Featured Images (potentially streamlining processes that require creating, uploading, or inserting images in a variety of sizes).