Directories

Admin Staff - Seth Hansen

Directories are organized, searchable groups of business listings that display on the site and apps.  They are used to create pages like “Best Doctors,” local real estate listings, and annual “Best Of” lists.

Directories are highly configurable, but each directory shares some basic attributes.

Directory Components: Which component controls which function of the directory

Create/Edit A Listing: How to add or edit listings in existing directories

Directory Fields: Working with the Advanced Custom Fields in your directory

Frequently Asked Questions: Answers about listing order, missing field choices and other frequent questions.

Directory Components

Several components come together to make a directory work. This section outlines which component controls which functions of a directory.

There are four parts to directories:

  • Directory Category: Creating a new directory category creates a new directory. All listings for the directory live within the directory category.
  • Directory Fields: Controls the fields available to fill in for each listing.
    • Edit the Directory Fields to:
      • Change available fields
      • Add or edit choices for Checkbox and Select (dropdown) fields
      • Add fields that can be used as filters
      • Control which fields show on the Directory Landing Page

Learn more about Directory Landing Pages >

  • Directory Landing Page: The main directory page. This page shows a list of all listings. It frequently features a map and directory filters to help people find listings.
    • Edit the Directory Landing Page to:
      • Change the layout of the Directory Landing Page
      • Change the filters being used on the Directory Landing Page
      • Add or change the size of the map on the Directory Landing Page
      • Change the number of listings displayed per page on the Directory Landing Page

Learn more about Directory Landing Pages >

  • Directory Listing Template: The page builder template that controls which data is displayed when a visitor clicks on a listing. Edit the template to control the listing layout and which fields display.
    • Edit the Directory Listing Template to:
      • Change the layout for individual Directory Listings
      • Add a map to individual Directory Listings
      • Control the fields that display on individual Directory Listings

Learn more about Directory Listing Templates >

Create/Edit A Listing

  1. Hover over Directories in the main WP navigation menu to view your directories.  Click on a directory category name to view the listings.
  2. Click on the name of an existing listing to edit. Or, click the Add New Listing button at the top of the page.
  3. Fill out the fields on the page.
  4. Publish the Listing. The listing will automatically display on the Directory’s main index page.

 

Directory Fields

Directory fields are set up using the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin. Each directory has a set of default fields. You can also add custom fields as needed.

  • Field Types: The most common types of fields and their uses
  • Add/Edit a field: Basic instructions for adding a field

Add A Directory Field

  • In the left hand navigation menu, click on Custom Fields
  • Find your directory field group in the list and hover over its title
  • Click Edit
  • Click the green Add Field button
  • Fill out the field properties. The only field properties that need to be filled out for all fields are:
    • Field Label – This is the name which will appear on the EDIT page
    • Field Name – Single word, no spaces. Underscores and dashes allowed. 
      • You may leave this blank and it will be automatically generated based on the Field Label when the fields are saved.
    • Field Type – In the pulldown menu, choose the type of field to create. See the Field Type Explanations to determine which type is right for your field. Certain field types require more configuration
  • PUBLISH or UPDATE the directory fields

Edit A Directory Field

  1. In the left hand navigation menu, click on Custom Fields
  2. Find your directory field group in the list and hover over its title
  3. Click Edit to edit the directory field
  4. UPDATE the directory fields

Field Types

ACF has many field types available. The most common in directories are:

Text: A short field of text. Common for things like addresses, titles and short, succinct phrases

Text Area: A WYSIWYG field, like you see when editing articles. Common for descriptions.

Select: A dropdown menu of predefined choices. By default, you can select one choice per listing. *This is one of the two field types that can be used filters

Checkbox: A list of choices that can be checked off. By default, you can select multiple choices per listing. *This is one of the two field types that can be used filters

URL: Used for URLs. Automatically creates a link on listings. Must include https:// in listings.

Email: Used for emails. 

Oembed: Used to embed videos from places like YouTube and Vimeo. Place only the video URL in the listing, no full embed code needed

Image: Add a single image. Note: See information below on when to add this field type versus when to use the default image repeater. The vast majority of directories can simply use the default image repeater.

Select, Checkbox Fields

Select and Checkbox Fields are the only two field types that can be used to create directory filters. They also require more setup than other field types: You must define Choices for these fields to work properly.

Add a Select or Checkbox field

  1. Follow Add A Directory Field steps 1-5 to create a Select or Checkbox Field.
  2. After selecting Select or Checkbox, you’ll see Choices appear on the field.
    1. Enter each choice that should be available for the field on a separate line. These need to be in a value : Label format (Example: orthopedic-surgery : Orthopedic Surgery). The value is all lower case with no spaces or punctuation, where as the label is the text as it will appear on the site.
    2. Enter each choice on a separate line as you would like it to appear on the front end of the site.
  3. Update the field group

When you update the field group, if you go back to the Select or Checkbox field, you will see the choices have saved in a value : Label format. Do not edit the value. Editing the value will erase that field’s data on existing listings with that choice selected. You may edit the label to change what it says on the front end. 

Edit A Select or Checkbox field’s choices

  1. To to Custom Fields > Field Groups > the directory’s field group
  2. Hover over the field that needs choices added. Click “Edit.”
  3. Add the additional choices needed. Add each on a separate line. Format the choice in the way you would like it to appear on the front end of the site.
  4. Once all choices have been added, hit “Update” in the upper right

To add a new choice to the list: Add the choice on a new line, entered as you would like it to appear on the front end.

  1. If you would like the new choice to appear between two existing choices, press Enter to add a new line between the existing choices

To edit an existing choice: Change the label (the text after the colon in the value : Label ) only. IMPORTANT: Do not edit the value. Editing the value will erase that field’s data on existing listings with that choice selected.

To change the order in which choices appear: Copy the value : Label pair you want to move. Put the cursor before the choice where you would like it to appear in the list. Press enter to create a new line. Paste the value : Label pair. 

Advanced Options for Select, Checkbox fields

Allow more than one Select option to be selected: Check off …

Define a default selection: Enter the value or value : Label pair for option you want selected by default in the xxx box

 

Default Image Repeater vs. Custom Image Field

By default, directory field groups include a Repeater field with an Image field inside. This setup allows you to add as many images as you’d like to the listing by going to the listing and clicking the Add Row button. Images will display in the order they’re added, grouped together in a collage on the listing.

Use the default field if:

  • You want one or more images/logos to appear in a single spot on the listing, laid out as a collage. The first image you upload will appear as the featured image. Add Rows in the listing to add images to a particular listing.

Add a custom Image field if:

  • You want to display a logo or a primary image in a spot separate from the other images in the listing. To do this:
    • Follow Add A Directory Field steps 1-5. Create an Image Field.
    • Drag and drop the new Image field so it’s above the default Repeater Image field.
    • Update the Directory Fields.

Now, the first image will act as a featured image and can be displayed on the directory listing in a separate place from other images. Other images can be uploaded to the default Repeater Image field to create a collage of additional images.

Control Which Fields Display on Directory Landing Pages

  1. In the left hand navigation menu, click on Custom Fields
  2. Find your directory field group in the list and hover over its title
  3. Click Edit to edit the directory field you want to display on the Directory Landing Page
  4. Find the Show results on search page? setting. Choose Yes to display, No to hide.
  5. UPDATE the directory fields

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn’t my listing showing up?

Make sure your listing is published. Listings in draft status will not display.

What order do listings display on the Directory Landing Page?

The listing order is controlled by the Type field on each listing. By default, listings display in the following order:

  • Gold listings display first, with a gold background. They display in a random order.
  • Silver listings display after gold listings. Silver listings display in a random order.
  • Bronze listings display after gold and silver listings. They display in alphabetical order. This is typically the default listing type.

You can manually override the order within the listing type by changing the Sort Order on the listing. Lower numbers will display before higher numbers. Listings with the same Sort Order will display according to the default order for the listing type.

The city I need to select for a listing is missing. How do I add the city?

Most city fields are Select Fields, which must have new choices manually added in the directory’s ACF fields. See instructions on how to add or edit choices in Select Fields here.

I need to add/edit a choice in a field with checkboxes or a dropdown. How do I do that?

These fields are Checkbox and Select fields. See instructions for how to add or edit choices in Checkbox Fields and Select Fields here.

I want to use an existing field as a filter, but it’s not available. Why?

Only Checkbox and Select field types can be used as directory filters. If you want to use an existing Text or different type of field as a filter, you will need to create a new Checkbox or Select field and enter the information into the new field on each listing.

I have a business with multiple locations, but only one city can be selected. What can I do?

You can:

  • Add multiple listings, one for each business location
  • Edit the City field to add a choice that says Multiple Locations.
  • Edit the City field to allow multiple cities to be selected. Follow the instructions in the Advanced Options for Select, Checkbox fields area. (Note: Even if you have multiple cities selected in the city field, only one location is supported for the map.)

I’m trying to add images to a Directory Listing’s Description field, but I can’t.

By default, adding media to a Directory Listing’s Description field is disabled. The Image Repeater field is designed to accept multiple images and display those images as a gallery on the listing.

However, the ability to add images to a listing’s Description field can be enabled on a directory-by-directory basis. To do this:

  1. In the left hand navigation menu, go to Field Groups. Click the name of your directory’s fields
  2. Click the Description field in order to expand the field’s options
  3. Set Show Media Upload Buttons to Yes
  4. Press Update on the field group