Site home FAQ: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:34, 29 August 2023

What do we mean by the 'site home' of Moodle?

The site home is the front page. The front page link in the navigation block and navigation bar is called 'Home'.

When logged in, a user's customised home page is called the 'Dashboard'.

How can I change the look of the site home?

There are various ways of enhancing your site home without needing access to theme files on the server. First, see the section on tips and tricks in Front page settings.
If you are using Classic, Boost or other bootstrap-based themes you can then do some cool things with Bootstrap layout elements, as described in the thread LOOK & LEARN: How to add marketing spots as a front page topic.
See also the simple customisation of the School demo front page in Standard themes.
You can set a different front page for guests and logged in users with Conditional activities as described in the thread Show a different page to guests and logged in users.
You may consider installing a custom theme from the Moodle plugins directory.

How can I add text and a picture to the centre column?

In Administration > Front page settings > Edit settings make sure that 'Include a topic section' is ticked
In Administration > Front page settings click 'Turn editing on'
Return to the front page and click the edit icon at the top of the centre column
Add text and a picture
Click the 'Save changes' button

How can I change the logo to the site home?

In Administration > Site administration > Appearance > Themes click the name of the theme you are using (If you're not sure which theme you are using, you can find out in Administration > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector)
Enter the URL for your logo. (Note - you must previously have uploaded your logo somewhere online)
Click the 'Save changes' button

Note: This setting is only available for certain themes.

How do I get rid of a resource/activity that's appeared in "Site Pages"?

When a resource or activity (like a page, file or forum) is added to the Main menu block on the front page, it will appear in the Site Pages of the Navigation block. To remove this link, turn on the editing on the front page, go to or add the Main menu block and click to delete the item.

How can I prevent activities I made on the front page being seen in the navigation block?

Uncheck the box "Show front page activities in the navigation" in Administration > Site administration > Appearance > Navigation.

How can I hide front page blocks from guests but show to logged in users?

See Blocks FAQ

How can I show front page blocks to guests but hide from logged in users?

See Blocks FAQ

I want to limit the number of courses that appear on the Front Page

At this time, there is no easy way to do this, as such. In Administration>Site administration>Appearance>Courses, you can change the number of courses to be displayed on one page to a different number. Currently, the default is 20, but you can make it whatever you want. It is still messy, though. You can also, from Administration>Site administration>Front page>Front page settings, change what is displayed after login to show only categories.

One way of resolving this issue is to replace the course and Category list on the Front Page with a HTML block that links off to the various category pages. This keeps your courses off the front page altogether.

There are a couple of ways to do this, you can have a list of Categories, in a table, or you can use a table full of icons, much the same as Moodle's front page. Depending on your number of Categories, say 11 different subject areas and one Administration area creates a table either four columns or four rows. For most people, the orderly nature of a balanced table implies an orderly site that is really welcome, particularly if the images linking to a Category are clear and the alt tag text says what it is linking to.

How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?

Either:

Go to Administration > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles and edit the 'Authenticated user on frontpage' role
Allow capabilities for the front page activities
Click the 'Save changes' button

Or:

Go to Administration > Site administration > Front Page > Front Page settings
Set the default front page role to student
Click the 'Save changes' button

How can I add a page to the front page?

With the editing turned on, add the Main menu block if it isn't already present.
Click Add and activity or resource and add a Page.

If you wish the page to be hidden but accessible from the top dropdown menu, then:

Copy the page's URL.
Hide the block.
Go to Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings and add your page URL to the custom menu items box according to the instructions.

Note that if it is possible to install plugins on your Moodle site then you can also use the Static pages plugin.

How can I get rid of the site short name in the navigation bar?

Sometimes if the short and full names of your site are similar, you might wish to hide the short name. If you are using the Clean or More theme, you can do this by adding lines to the custom CSS box in the appropriate theme settings page.

To hide the short name but keep the space where it used to be, add:

a.brand {visibility:hidden}

To hide the short name and also remove the space where it used to be, add:

.navbar .brand {display: none;}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Front page}}The [[Site home]] is similar to a course page. The front page settings can be found in 'Site home settings' in the Site administration.
+{{Front page}}
+==What do we mean by the 'site home' of Moodle?==
-===Full site name===
+The site home is the front page. The front page link in the navigation block and navigation bar is called 'Home'.
-This name appears at the top of every page above the navigation bar.
-[[Image:demositefrontpage01.png|frame|center|Front page full site name]]
-===Short name for site===
+When logged in, a user's customised home page is called the 'Dashboard'.
-The short name appears at the beginning of the navigation bar as a link back to your site front page.
-===Site home summary===
+==How can I change the look of the site home?==
-This summary can be displayed on the left or right of the front page using the course/site summary block.
-The summary is also used as the HTML metadata description in some themes, for the front page of the site.  This is not generally seen by users, but can be useful for search engines that index the page.
+*There are various ways of enhancing your site home without needing access to theme files on the server. First, see the section on tips and tricks in [[Front page settings]].
+*If you are using Classic, Boost or other bootstrap-based themes  you can then do some cool things with Bootstrap layout elements, as described in the thread [https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=267662 LOOK & LEARN: How to add marketing spots as a front page topic].
+*See also the simple customisation of the School demo front page in [[Standard themes]].
+*You can set  a different front page for guests and logged in users with [[Conditional activities]] as described in the thread [https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=268238 Show a different page to guests and logged in users].
+*You may consider installing a custom theme from the [https://moodle.org/plugins/browse.php?list=category&id=3 Moodle plugins directory].
-===Site home and Site home items when logged in===
+==How can I add text and a picture to the centre column?==
-The centre of the front page can display any combination of the following: news items, a list of courses, a list of enrolled courses, a list of course categories, a list of categories and courses, a course search box or none.  The order is determined by a combination box.
-It is possible to create one setting for anyone who gets to the front page without logging in to the Moodle site, and another look for only those who have logged into the Moodle site.  There are two combination boxes.
+# In ''Administration > Front page settings > Edit settings'' make sure that 'Include a topic section' is ticked
+# In ''Administration > Front page settings'' click 'Turn editing on'
+# Return to the front page and click the edit icon at the top of the centre column
+# Add text and a picture
+# Click the 'Save changes' button
-An alternative option for logged-in users is their [[Dashboard|dashboard]] (can be set in Site administration > Appearance > Navigation)
+==How can I change the logo to the site home?==
-===Maximum category depth===
+# In ''Administration > Site administration > Appearance > Themes'' click the name of the theme you are using (If you're not sure which theme you are using, you can find out in ''Administration > Site administration > Appearance > Themes > Theme selector'')
-This specifies the maximum depth of child categories expanded when displaying categories or combo list. Deeper level categories will appear as links and user can expand them with AJAX request.
+# Enter the URL for your logo. (Note - you must previously have uploaded your logo somewhere online)
+# Click the 'Save changes' button
-===Maximum number of courses===
+Note: This setting is only available for certain themes.
-Maximum number of courses to be displayed on the site's front page in course listings.
-===Include a topic section===
+==How do I get rid of a resource/activity that's appeared in "Site Pages"?==
-This adds a topic section to the centre-top of the front page. When editing is turned on, resources and/or activities can be added to the topic section using the dropdown menus, in the same way as on a course page.
+When a resource or activity (like a page, file or forum) is added to the [[Main menu block]]  on the front page, it will appear in the Site Pages of the Navigation block. To remove this link, turn on the editing on the front page, go to or add the [[Main menu block]] and click to delete the item.
-:Note: The label resource can be used to add text and/or an image to the centre-top of the front page.
+[[File:mainmenu.png]]
-===News items to show===
+==How can I prevent activities I made on the front page being seen in the navigation block?==
-This setting only applies if the front page is set to display news items or if you are using the [[Latest announcements block]].
-===Comments per page===
+Uncheck the box "Show front page activities in the navigation"  in ''Administration > Site administration > Appearance > Navigation''.
-Each course may include a [[Comments block]] which allows the display of user comments. The number of comments displayed at any time is set here.
+==How can I hide front page blocks from guests but show to logged in users?==
+See [[Blocks FAQ]]
+==How can I show front page blocks to guests but hide from logged in users?==
+See [[Blocks FAQ]]
+==I want to limit the number of courses that appear on the Front Page==
-===Default front page role===
+At this time, there is no easy way to do this, as such. In  '' Administration>Site administration>Appearance>Courses'', you can change the number of courses to be displayed on one page to a different number. Currently, the default is 20, but you can make it whatever you want. It is still messy, though. You can also, from ''Administration>Site administration>Front page>Front page settings'', change what is displayed after login to show only categories.
-The default front page role enables logged-in users to participate in front page activities. See 'How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?' in [[Front page FAQ]] for more details. It is recommended that it is set to 'Authenticated user on frontpage'. It can also be set to Student. It should not be set to Guest.
+One way of resolving this issue is to replace the course and Category list on the Front Page with a HTML block that links off to the various category pages. This keeps your courses off the front page altogether.
-==Front Page roles==
+There are a couple of ways to do this, you can have a list of Categories, in a table, or you can use a table full of icons, much the same as Moodle's front page. Depending on your number of Categories, say 11 different subject areas and one Administration area creates a table either four columns or four rows. For most people, the orderly nature of a balanced table implies an orderly site that is really welcome, particularly if the images linking to a Category are clear and the alt tag text says what it is linking to.
-As in a course, you can assign users [[Roles|roles]] just in the [[Context|context]] of this page.  Note this is different from the default Authenticated User on Front Page role found in front page settings. As a security issue, usually only admins can modify the front page, other users do not.
+==How do I enable logged-in users to participate in front page activities?==
-It is possible to upload users as students in the front page with a csv file using the site short name as 'course1' field, student in 'role1' field (and, if needed, chosen group name in 'group1' field.)
+Either:
-==Front Page backup==
+# Go to ''Administration > Site administration > Users > Permissions > Define roles'' and edit the 'Authenticated user on frontpage' role
-You can backup the front page, similar to a [[Course backup]].
+# Allow capabilities for the front page activities
+# Click the 'Save changes' button
-==Front Page restore==
+Or:
-As in a course, you can [[Restore]] a backed up version of the front page.
-==Front Page questions==
+# Go to ''Administration > Site administration > Front Page > Front Page settings''
-The [[Question bank]] is accessible from the Front Page. For example, if "topic" is checked in the front page settings, you can add a [[Quiz module]] activity.
+# Set the default front page role to student
+# Click the 'Save changes' button
-==Tips and Tricks==
+==How can I add a page to the front page?==
+#With the editing turned on, add the [[Main menu block]] if it isn't already present.
+#Click ''Add and activity or resource'' and add a [[Page]].
+If you wish the page to be hidden but accessible from the top dropdown menu, then:
+#Copy the page's URL.
+#Hide the block.
+#Go to ''Site administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme settings'' and add your page URL to the custom menu items box according to the instructions.
-A Moodle site's front page can be reconfigured from the default standard to give it a different look and or change how it functions.  Depending upon the changes, this can be a simple or a more complex process. See [[Front page FAQ]] for some ideas on customising your front page.
+Note that if it is possible to install plugins on your Moodle site then you can also use the [https://moodle.org/plugins/view/local_staticpage Static pages plugin].
-====Central area, Courses or Categories?====
-This is a major decision, what is it you want in the centre of your front page? You can have a list of categories, a list of categories and courses, or neither, a label with a table full of images works just as well. The issue is always the same, actually, what looks good.
-====Clean look, topic checked, no blocks====
+==How can I get rid of the site short name in the navigation bar?==
-The standard Moodle page format of [[Block]]s on the left and blocks on the right is not always appropriate or considered pretty. The [[Administrator|site administrator]] can change this basic format by simply deleting or hiding blocks that can be seen by users. Navigation can be placed on the dock.
+Sometimes if the short and full names of your site are similar, you might wish to hide the short name. If you are using the Clean or More theme, you can do this by adding lines to the custom CSS box in the appropriate theme settings page.
-====The two column format====
+To hide the short name but keep the space where it used to be, add:
-The Administrator decides which blocks should appear on the front page and moves all of them to the left or right side. This format allows you to decide what you want in the centre, and where you want the blocks, left or right.
-:Tip: It is possible to force a block column to assume a specific width.  For example, placing an image of 400 px in a block will force that column to 400 px.
-====The clean look example====
+ a.brand {visibility:hidden}
-Some sites want an uncluttered look. A site administrator or designer wants to start with the most basic look and then add features.
-# The site administrator will turn on editing and hide or delete all blocks that can be see by teachers or students on the front page.
+To hide the short name and also remove the space where it used to be, add:
-# Then go to the Front Page settings and:
+ .navbar .brand {display: none;}
-## Set the "Front page" list to None, None, None, None
-## Set "Front page items when logged in" list to the same
-## Check the box for "Include Topic section"
-## Save
-All the above was done with 1 theme, and a simple front page.
+[[Category:FAQ]]
-If you're using a theme such as Clean or More you can then do some cool things with Bootstrap layout elements, as described in the thread [https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=267662 LOOK & LEARN: How to add marketing spots as a front page topic].
+[[fr:FAQ Page d'accueil]]
+[[de:Startseite FAQ]]
-==Block settings==
+[[es:Portada FAQ]]
-Each block has a number of configuration settings that you can change. See [[Managing blocks]] for more details.
-==Other settings that change the look of the Main Page==
-Some components of the Main Page, such as the logo, heading and Navigation bar may be changed by an administrator in Themes in the Site administration and clicking on the theme name. Different themes may have fewer or more options to set. There are some other settings available in  'Theme settings'.
-==See also==
-*[[Front Page FAQ]]
-[[Category:Site administration]]
-[[de:Einstellungen_f%C3%BCr_die_Startseite]]
-[[es:Configuraciones de la portada]]
-[[eu:Hasiera-orriaren_ezarpenak]]
-[[fr:Réglages page d'accueil]]
-[[pl:Ustawienia strony głównej]]

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