Aim: By the end of this guide, you'll be able to confidently update and manage your website Homepage.
Understanding How the Homepage Works
The Homepage is Different from Regular Pages. Here's what makes the Homepage unique:
It's not a Page in the Stories Module
- The Homepage is a template built with flexible parts and parameters
- You don't create it like a normal page - you configure it
Content comes from other modules
- Productions & Events
- Banners
- Stories
- Content Library
Updates are (mostly) instant
- Most Homepage changes appear immediately when you refresh your browser
- No waiting for caching to clear
Think of it this way: The Homepage is a display window, and you're arranging what goes in it using content from elsewhere.
Before You Start
Make sure you're familiar with these features first:
- Banners - for promotional imagery and messaging
- Content Library - for reusable content blocks
- Peppered Parameters - for customizing how parts display (we list out the most used and useful parameters later in this guide)
If you haven't worked with these yet, read up on them before diving into Homepage edits!
Where to Find Homepage Settings
Navigate to: System > Routes & Parts > Homepage (website_home_index)
This is your control center for all Homepage management.
Step 1: Changing the Order of Parts
Want to move sections around? It's easy with drag and drop.
How to Reorder
- Look for the drag and drop buttons at the end of each part
- Click and hold the button
- Drag the part to your desired position
- Release to drop it in place
Step 2: Updating Existing Content
What you update depends on what type of content you're changing.
Quick Tip: Use the Special Access Menu!
Not sure which part you need to update? The Special Access menu shows you exactly what you're looking at and where to edit it.
Changing or updating a Banner
All Banners are created in Website > Banners Module.
There are several Banner options available on the Homepage, depending on how your homepage is configured.
Showcase Banners
This the Showcase at the top of the Homepage, it can display banners with video and when adding multiple banners, can be converted in a slider
- Create or find the banner you want to add
- In Used in select Showcase
- Save
Featured
Displayed among other banners and productions in a mixed collection
- Create or find the banner you want to add
- In Used in select featured on home
- Save
Banners
Displayed in a dedicated banner grid or slideshow (other spot on the Homepage)
- Create or find the banner you want to add
- In Used in select banners on home
- Save
Assigned Banner
The ‘Manual assignment’ type for banners is very versatile and can be used in many different ways.
- Create or find the banner you want to update
- In the Assign to Parts section you can see a list of all places on your website where you can add an assigned banner. If there are no options, you need to add the Assigned banner part first (see step 3) :
- To add: Check the relevant website_home_index option
- To remove: Uncheck the website_home_index option
- Save your changes
Changing a Content Library Part
- Go to Content Library module in Stories
- Create your Content Library Part (or find the existing one)
- Make a note of the ID (it's shown at the top of the page)
- Navigate to Routes & Parts > Homepage
- Find the parameter library_content_id
- Update it with the ID from step 3
- Save
Step 3: Adding a New Part to the Homepage
Want to add a completely new section? Here's how to create space for it.
How to Add a Part
- Click Add at the top right of the page
- Set the Route to website_home_index
- In the Part Dropdown, select the part you want to add
- Add any additional Parameters for layout options (see Available Parts below)
- Save and go Back to overview
- Important: New parts always save to the top of the list
- Use drag and drop to move the part where you want it
Available Parts and Parameters
Here are some example Parameters you can use on your Homepage and how to customize them. An full list can be found in the Overview of Parameters article.
Universal Parameter
variant - Controls the layout (available on most parts)
Part Types and most common Parameters
- Mostly set in Banners module
collection_type- To show the Collection
collection_id- Only show Collection with this ID
Coming Soon Lists upcoming events in chronological order
max- Set the maximum number of events listed
list- List today + tomorrow + day after tomorrow, or all in one list
alwaysShowDay- Show the date of the Event
library_content_id- The ID of the Content Library part you want to appear
Events List, Event Slides Showcase particular Productions or Events
genres- Only show Productions with a specific genre or tag
themes- Only show Productions in a specific theme
Featured featured banners, news and events, and will automatically fill the configured grid with upcoming events
template- Set featured events to be in a slider or flexgrid
signupLink- If not using the Peppered newsletter subscription
Stories Highlight news and stories
filter- Display the filter bar if there is one or more story type
content_type- Only show Stories with a specific Story type
Welcome For integrated sites only - says hello when the user is logged in
- No additional parameters needed
Important: Parameters are Case Sensitive!
Critical: Parameters and values must be copied exactly as shown above.
✅ Correct: alwaysShowDay
❌ Incorrect: AlwaysShowDay
If the capitalization isn't exact, the parameter won't work. Copy and paste when possible!
Quick Reference Checklist
Before making Homepage changes, confirm:
Need Help? Take a look at our Community page for inspiration and contact the CultureSuite support team if you encounter any issues not covered in this guide.
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