An event can have one or more websites. Most events have a publicly accessible website for information and marketing purposes. Many events also have a password-protected website for attendees or invited participants only.
When editing an existing event website, or after you have saved a new one, the Left Navigation Panel includes links to the pages on which you configure each webpage included in the site.
> Note: By default, all Certain forms and websites are "private" (invisible to search engines). For information about changing this for all or some events, see the pdf guide, Web Crawlability in Certain Events.
> Security Note: If the event has an Access Token (generated on Event Details), then anyone going to any websites (forms or) in the event would have to enter the token before proceeding. For websites, that access is for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, attendees would have to re-enter the Access Code.
Video: Creating a Website (3 min.)
Website Setup
- Name — (Required) The descriptive name of the web site, for internal use.
- Settings: Login required? — Select this check box if viewers must log in to view the website. Usually this means entering their username and password (from the Contact Information on their Profile record). You configure page details on Web Page 1.
> Note: If this is selected you can enable a Profile whose record includes an External Profile ID (e.g., abcd6688) to log in to the website automatically. Give them a personalized link like this one:
- Website url:
- https://events.example.com/profile/web/12345&pro_external_frm_key=abcd6688
- See the Auto-Login PDF for a detailed explanation of that personalized link.
- Url — The internet address of this website. It is generated automatically when the site is created.
- Example: https://events.example.com/profile/web/12345
- Google Analytics Tracking ID — By default, an event website inherits the ID that was entered at the event level ( Event > Plan > Configure > Options ), if any. You can optionally override that event-level ID by entering one here that is specific to the website.
- A Google Analytics Tracking ID should look something like this: UA-12345678-1.
- For more information about obtaining a Google Analytics Tracking ID, click here.
- For full details of setting up Google Analytics in Certain, see this PDF guide.
- For details of the cookies generated by a Certain website, including for Google Analytics, see the Certain Cookies PDF guide.
- User Notes — Any general information intended for planners only.
Display Settings
For each page that you want to include on the website, edit the following fields.
- Display — If selected, the page is displayed. Select No for pages to be excluded.
- Link Text — The label to appear on the menu bar for the page. Example: "Home".
- Page Title — should be unique if entered.
- This will be available as a Dynamic Data Field (DDF) in the Advanced Display and can be included in your display shell.
- Registrants see it as the name in their browser tab.
- Web analytics programs can pick it up for reporting.
- You see it in the Left Navigation Panel while configuring the website.
- If left blank, you see "Web1", "Web2", etc., instead.
- External URL — For most pages, this should usually be left blank. Enter a URL in either of the following cases.
1. For the page, it is essential. Enter the URL of the online registration form for this event. This can be found under Plan >Form > Setup > URL. 2. For any other page, only enter a URL if the navigation link for that page should take the attendee to a page other than one of the standard 13 Certain event webpages. Example: a page on your own website. Enter the link to that page here.
- Open New Browser Window — Open the page in a new browser window when the link is clicked.
Pages Web 2 through Web 13 can be used for any purpose.
These are the default page names and proposed uses:
- Home (Web 2) — The default page for site visitors. If advanced display settings are used, this page has a different image compared to all other pages.
- Location (Web 3) — Information about the event's location, including images and links to the venue's website.
- Event Information (Web 4) — Information about and links to the registration assistance contact, who is assigned on Plan > Event Setup > Detail.
- Agenda (Web 5) — Display the agenda for breakout sessions or seminars at an event. Best practice is to create these sessions in Manage > Speaker and Session Management > Sessions.
- Activities (Web 6) — Describe special activities (dinners, tours, etc.) at an event. Activities and Agenda can be used interchangeably. Agenda can be used for the "business" part of an event and activities for the "recreational" part. Create activities in Plan > Event Setup > Agenda.
- Hotels (Web 7) — Display hotel information.
- Forms List (Web 8) — Display a list of (and links to) the event's registration forms. Create forms in Plan > Forms.
- Speakers (Web 9) — Display details of event speakers.
- Sponsors (Web 10) — Display a list of event sponsors.
- Attendee (Web 11) —
- Files (Web 12)
- Video (Web 13)
The following page has one specific purpose, and cannot be used to display content:
- Logout — Link to log out from the website. Used only when Login Required? is selected in Website Setup, above.
Previewing a Website
Click the Preview button at the bottom of the page to preview the event website in a new browser window.
Note that this button does not appear until you have created the website (by clicking Save).