Public Resource Directory (version 2.0) Guided Search

Public Resource Directory (version 2.0) Guided Search

What is the Public Resource Directory (version 2.0)?

PRD 2.0 is still in development. If you have questions or feedback about the existing functionality of the feature, have a designated Support Contact submit a case with your questions or feedback. Subscribe to the iCarol blog and watch the iCarol dashboard for updates about continued development. 

Public Resource Directory 2.0 (PRD 2.0) is an upgrade from PRD 1.0. It is a modern, mobile responsive online resource directory that supports public users to find helpful services, including the following features: 
  1. Guided Search Manager that allows your Resource Specialists to bypass web developers and instead build a guided, graphical search right within the PRD
  2. Expanded customization around the look and feel of the PRD using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) that allow you to blend the search seamlessly into your website with highly granular control over things like font sizes types and colors, background color, logo integration, and more
  3. Mobile responsive functionality, delivering a mobile-friendly experience that rivals that of costlier mobile apps and accommodating the many individuals using their mobile phones or other handheld devices as their primary means of accessing the internet
  4. Intuitive geographic searching that is easy for your visitors to use. They can simply begin typing in their known geographic location, be it zip/postal code, city, county, or state/province, to produce results that are relevant to their location
  5. Meaningful search results that improve your clients’ outcomes over what they’d likely experience if they tried to search for helpful resources on their own via a regular internet search engine
Note
  1. this feature may have an additional cost associated with it. If your organization is interested in enabling this feature, then a designated Support Contact from your organization can go to 'Help' in the left side menu and submit a case to request more information.
  2. When you subscribe to PRD 2.0, a subscription to PRD 1.0 is also included, so you have access to both versions and can choose which one you wish to use.

How to configure Public Resource Directory (version 2.0) Settings 

There are several settings available for PRD 2.0 that allow you to control the look and feel of how it appears on your website. The following is an overview of all settings currently available in PRD 2.0:
  1. Link for embedding the PRD: add this link to your public website to link to your PRD
  2. CSS Editor: customizes the look, feel, and style of your PRD
  3. Guided Search Manager: use this tool to build a graphical search to guide the public towards helpful searches
  4. Field Visibility: controls standard and custom field visibility to public users; read this knowledge base to learn more about how to control these settings
  5. Keyword Search Settings: choose between ‘Find any of these words’ or ‘Find these exact words’ as the type of keyword search used by your help seekers; ‘Find these exact words’ is default as it works best
The following settings are shared between PRD 1.0 and PRD 2.0:
  1. Upload Logo: the image uploaded will appear on your PRD 
  2. Page Title/Welcome Message/Manage Titles of Special Areas: these settings control the text that appears on different areas of your PRD
  3. Suggested Searches: this setting appears on the PRD 2.0 settings page, but it's not supported in PRD 2.0; the built in Guided Search Manager should be used instead            
  4. Highlight Resources: this setting allows you to highlight specific resources to appear on your PRD landing page; the setting is not yet supported in PRD 2.0
  5. Record Type Search: this setting controls which record types appear in your search results, choosing between ‘Agencies’, ‘Programs’, ‘Sites’, ‘ProgramsAtSites’
  6. Specify default map center and zoom: this setting allows you to specify the default map center and zoom ratio when no resources are returned in your search results; note, if resources are returned in your search results this setting becomes void
Note:
  1. if you never used PRD 1.0, the shared settings can be treated the same as the settings that are unique to PRD 2.0. If you previously subscribed to PRD 1.0, and are upgrading to PRD 2.0, it’s important to understand the settings above are shared between PRD 1.0 and PRD 2.0, meaning the setting changes will apply to both versions.
  2. If you only see a setting on the PRD 1.0 Settings page, and it doesn't appear on the PRD 2.0 Settings page, that means the setting isn't currently supported for PRD 2.0. More settings will be added as development continues, so check back soon! 
To access PRD 2.0 settings, complete the following steps:
  1. Log into iCarol as a user who has permission to edit resources
  2. Click ‘Resources’ from the left side menu
  3. Click the ‘Manage Resources’ link to the right of the geographic filters
  4. Under the Upgrades section, click the ‘Public Resource Directory’ link
  5. Currently the default page is the PRD 1.0 settings
  6. To access PRD 2.0 settings, click the ‘Manage the PRD2 settings’ link at the top of the page

CSS Editor

With PRD 2.0 you can edit the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) used to control the look, style and feel of the PRD 2.0 webpages. Webpage elements such colors, fonts, and spacing can be edited and previewed directly from within the editor and then published to the active PRD 2.0 when ready.

The CSS Editor is intended for web developers comfortable and familiar with CSS, but there are many online resources available for those wishing to learn, such as https://www.w3schools.com/css/.
 
To access the PRD 2.0 CSS Editor, complete the following steps:
  1. Log into iCarol as a user who has permission to edit resources
  2. Click 'Resources' from the left side menu
  3. Click the 'Manage Resources' link to the right of the geographic filters
  4. Under the Upgrades section, click the 'Public Resource Directory' link
  5. Click the 'Manage the PRD2 settings' link at the top of the page
  6. Click the link that says 'Click here to edit the css for the Public Resource Directory v2.0', and your brought to the page where you can edit, preview, and publish the CSS for PRD 2.0
From the CSS editor that opens in a new window you edit, preview, and publish your CSS. This means you can test any changes to your CSS before making them go live on your PRD.

To edit, preview, and publish your CSS, complete the following steps:
  1. On the left side of the page is the editable text box where you enter the CSS you've created, per your organizations desired look, style, and feel.
    1. Note, you can have your web developer start by providing you with a CSS file used on other parts of your organization's website, and paste the details from that file into this text box
  2. Click the 'Preview changes above' button to preview your CSS changes in the mini-PRD 2.0 window
  3. Click the 'Preview changes in new window' button to preview your CSS changes on your PRD 2.0 in a new window; this is helpful if the changes you're making aren't apparent in the mini-PRD 2.0 window
  4. Click the 'Publish to PRD' button to publish your changes to your live PRD 2.0
  5. Click the 'Reset to last published' button to restore your last published CSS
  6. Click the 'Reset to iCarol default' button to start fresh from the iCarol default; note, you will lose all previously published changes
  7. Click the 'Format CSS' button to make the text in the CSS editor text box more readable
Note, any changes you make to the text in the CSS editor are automatically saved. In other words, if you're in the middle of making changes and you want to save them as a "draft" so you can edit them at a later time, your changes are automatically saved. So if you want to undo any of your changes, just click the Reset to last published button at any time. 

Guided Search

PRD 2.0 allows you to create, design, and manage a graphical Guided Search from directly within your iCarol system. The tool to create Guided Searches is included as a PRD 2.0 settings page, and allows you to make instant changes to your website so you can quickly respond to current events in your community. The following are some important notes about Guided Searches to consider before getting started:
  1. On screen instructions for using the Guided Search are available within the Guided Search Manager at the top of the page
  2. You can create as many, or as few Guided Searches as you wish
  3. Guided Search categories can open to one of the following types of searches:
    1. Taxonomy or Custom Resource Categories (Link Terms) search: available on any level of Guided Search categories; link any number of Taxonomy terms or Custom Resource Categories to a Guided Search. For example, you may wish to create a Guided Search button that displays on your PRD as 'Food', and when help seekers select that Guided Search you can redirect them to all resources categorized with the Taxonomy terms 'Food Pantries' or 'Soup Kitchens'
    2. Text search: only available on top-level Guided Search categories; link a specific search word or term to a Guided Search. This will send the help seeker to a search on your PRD, using the specified word or term. For example, you may wish to create a Guided Search button that displays on your PRD as 'Counseling', and when help seekers select that Guided Search you want a search to be completed for 'Low Cost Counseling'. Configuring a text search will likely provide more results than completing a Taxonomy or Custom Resource Categories Guided Search because text searches look in all text fields of resources, where 'Link Terms' Guided Searches just look to the categorization in resources
    3. Redirect to a URL: only available on top-level Guided Search categories; this will send the help seeker to a specific URL. For example, you can redirect help seekers to read your organizations 'Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria' if it exists somewhere on your website, or you can redirect them to your Live Chat service, or to fill out a 'New Agency Request' form, or to a specific resource record in your PRD, or any other URL.
  4. If you create 'Taxonomy or Custom Resource Categories' Guided Searches, you can have just a top-level category, or you can setup second and third level sub-categories
  5. Top level Guided Search categories can be assigned a graphic that will appear on the first page your help seekers see when they visit your PRD; you can choose from the iCarol graphics library, or upload your own
To access your Guided Searches, complete the following steps:
  1. From the Manage Resources page, click the 'Public Resource Directory' link and at the top of the page click the 'Manage the PRD2 Settings' link
  2. At the top of the PRD 2.0 setting page, under the area where you upload your logo, click the link that says ‘Click here to manage guided search for Public Resource Directory v2.0’
  3. The Guided Search Manager opens where you will see any Guided Search categories you’ve already created, and from here you can edit existing Guided Searches or create new ones

There are 3 types of Guided Searches available in PRD 2.0, which are as follows: Text search, Redirect to a URL, and Taxonomy or Custom Resource Categories (Link Terms). This help article will teach you how to create 'Link Terms' Guided Searches.

'Link Terms' Guided Searches are available on any level of Guided Search categories (i.e. top-level category, second level sub-category, or third level sub-category). This Guided Search type allows you to link any number of Taxonomy terms or Custom Resource Categories to a Guided Search. For example, you may wish to create a Guided Search button that displays on your PRD as 'Food', and when help seekers select that Guided Search you can redirect them to all resources categorized with the Taxonomy terms 'Food Pantries' or 'Soup Kitchens'.

To create a Guided Search using 'Link Terms', complete the following steps:
  1. From the Manage Resources page, click the 'Public Resource Directory' link and at the top of the page click the 'Manage the PRD2 Settings' link
  2. At the top of the PRD 2.0 setting page, under the area where you upload your logo, click the link that says ‘Click here to manage guided search for Public Resource Directory v2.0’
  3. The Guided Search Manager opens where you will see any Guided Search categories you’ve already created
  4. To add a top-level Guided Search, click the ‘Add Category’ button, and type the name of your category as you wish for it to appear on your PRD in the 'Guided Search Terms' textbox; your changes are automatically saved. The text you enter here will appear as a Guided Search button when help seekers first visit your PRD
  5. To upload an optional image to the Guided Search top-level category, click the ‘Image’ button. A new window opens were you can choose from our library, or upload your own image. Depending on the type of image you wish to use, complete the following steps:
    1. To choose from our library of images, select any of the images that appear and click the 'Save' button
    2. To upload your own image, click the button on the right side of the page to 'Upload my own image' and browse your computer for the correct file. After the file is selected, review the image in the 'Preview' box on the right side of the page, and click the 'Save button'
  6. You can create a 'Link Terms' Guided Search at any level, and the following is important to note when creating 'Link Terms' Guided Searches:
    1. After you setup a 'Link Terms' Guided Search, you can't add sub-categories under that specific Guided Search. For example, if you create a top-level Guided Search named 'Mental Health' and you add 'Link Terms' of 'Individual Counselling' and 'Family Counselling' that top-level Guided Search, then you can't add any sub-categories under 'Mental Health'. But you can create 'Mental Health' as the top-level category and don't add any 'Link Terms'. Then create 'Counseling' as a second level sub-category and add the 'Link Terms' to the second level. 
  7. If you wish to create a 'Link Terms' Guided Search at the top level, skip to step 10 now. Otherwise, if you wish to create a 'Link Terms Guided Search at the second or third level sub-category, continue to step 8.
  8. To create a second level sub-category, click the plus sign to the left of the top-level category name, then click the ‘Add Subcategory’ link that appears, and type the name of your sub-category in the 'Add Sub-Category' text box. If you wish to create a 'Link Terms' Guided Search at the second level sub-category, skip to step 10. Otherwise, if you wish to create a 'Link Terms' Guided Search at the third level sub-category, continue to step 9.
  9. To create a third level sub-category, click the plus sign to the left of the top-level category name, then click the plus sign to the left of the second-level sub-category name, finally click the ‘Add Subcategory’ link that appears, and type the name of your sub-category in the 'Add Sub-Category' text box, and continue to step 10.
  10. Complete the following steps to create a 'Link Terms' Guided Search at any level:
    1. For Taxonomy, select the checkboxes next to the filters for ‘Include Inactive’ and ‘Include unused’, as appropriate
    2. In the Search Taxonomies search box, start typing the name of the Taxonomy Term you wish to add, and select it from the auto-suggested drop-down list when it appears. Linking to Taxonomy terms higher in the taxonomy tree will include all resources indexed in a lower taxonomy term
    3. For Categories, in the Search Categories search box, start typing the name of the custom Resource Category you wish to add, and select it from the auto-suggested drop-down list when it appears.
      1. Note, the operation used when multiple categories or taxonomy terms are linked to a category is “OR”. For example, if  'Community Meals' and 'Homeless Meals' are linked, any resource indexed with 'Community Meals' OR 'Homeless Meals' will be returned in the search results.
  11. By default, new Guided Searches are created as 'Inactive'. To publish the Guided Search to your PRD, the switch button under ‘Active’ from ‘No’ to ‘Yes’
Important Notes
  1. Changes made to Guided Search categories will be available on Public Resource Directory within 60 seconds of being saved
  2. Guided Search Categories can be moved and reordered in the list by clicking and holding on the dots to the left of the category name, then dragging the category in the list
  3. Guided Search categories are ordered left to right when viewing them on your PRD 2.0 site. For example, your first Guided Search category appears as the first category in the left column of your PRD 2.0 Guided Search, your second Guided Search category appears as the first category in the right column of your PRD 2.0 Guided Search, your third Guided Search category appears as the second category in the left column of your PRD 2.0 Guided Search, and so on

How to create 'Text Search' and 'Redirect to a URL' Guided Searches

There are 3 types of Guided Searches available in PRD 2.0, which are as follows: Text search, Redirect to a URL, and Link Terms. This help article will teach you how to create 'Text search' and 'Redirect to a URL' Guided Searches. Only one type of search can be used per Guided Search (ex. you can't setup a Guided Search to use both 'Link Terms' and 'Text search' - you can only use one per search).

'Text search' can be configured as a top-level or sub category Guided Search. This Guided Search type links a specific search word or term to a Guided Search, and will send the help seeker to a search on your PRD using the specified word or term.
For example, you may wish to create a Guided Search button that displays on your PRD as 'Counseling', and when help seekers select that Guided Search you want a search to be completed for 'Low Cost Counseling'. Configuring a text search will likely provide more results than completing a Taxonomy or Custom Resource Categories Guided Search because text searches look in all text fields of resources, where 'Link Terms' Guided Searches just look to the categorization in resources.

'Redirect to a URL' can be configured as a top-level or sub category Guided Search. This Guided Search type sends the help seeker to a specific URL.
For example, you can redirect help seekers to read your organizations 'Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria' if it exists somewhere on your website, or you can redirect them to your Live Chat service, or to fill out a 'New Agency Request' form, or to a specific resource record in your PRD, or any other URL.

To create a 'Text Search' or 'Redirect to a URL' Guided Search, complete the following steps:
  1. From the Manage Resources page, click the 'Public Resource Directory' link and at the top of the page click the 'Manage the PRD2 Settings' link
  2. At the top of the PRD 2.0 setting page, under the area where you upload your logo, click the link that says ‘Click here to manage guided search for Public Resource Directory v2.0’
  3. The Guided Search Manager opens where you will see any Guided Search categories you’ve already created
  4. Click the ‘Add Category’ button to add a top-level Guided Search; you can stop here, or you can click the 'Add subcategory' link to create a lower level
  5. Type the name as you wish for it to appear on your PRD; your changes are automatically saved.
  6. Depending on the type of Guided Search you're creating, complete the following steps:
    1. To create a 'Text search', under the column 'Alternative Search Text/Redirect to URL' make sure the button is switched to 'TEXT' and enter the word or term you wish to redirect the help seeker to search for
    2. To create a 'Redirect to a URL', under the column 'Alternative Search Text/Redirect to URL' make sure the button is switched to 'URL' and enter the link you wish to redirect the help seeker to
  7. To upload an optional image to the Guided Search top-level category, click the ‘Image’ button. A new window opens were you can choose from our library, or upload your own image. Depending on the type of image you wish to use, complete the following steps:
    1. To choose from our library of images, select any of the images that appear and click the 'Save' button
    2. To upload your own image, click the button on the right side of the page to 'Upload my own image' and browse your computer for the correct file. After the file is selected, review the image in the 'Preview' box on the right side of the page, and click the 'Save button'
  8. By default, new Guided Searches are created as 'Inactive'. To publish the Guided Search to your PRD, the switch button under ‘Active’ from ‘No’ to ‘Yes’
Important Notes
  1. Changes made to Guided Search categories will be available on Public Resource Directory within 60 seconds of being saved
  2. Guided Search Categories can be moved and reordered in the list by clicking and holding on the dots to the left of the category name, then dragging the category in the list
  3. Guided Search categories are ordered left to right when viewing them on your PRD 2.0 site. For example, your first Guided Search category appears as the first category in the left column of your PRD 2.0 Guided Search, your second Guided Search category appears as the first category in the right column of your PRD 2.0 Guided Search, your third Guided Search category appears as the second category in the left column of your PRD 2.0 Guided Search, and so on

How to create reports for Public Resource Directory (version 2.0)

Subscribers of our Public Resource Directory 2.0 (PRD 2.0) can create reports using data provided through Google Analytics.

The first step to being able to access this data is to create a Google Analytics account for your organization, which can be done from their website: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/.

After you create a Google Analytics account for your organization, you will be able to add a "Default URL" within your Google Analytics settings, and then a "token" or "tracking ID" will be provided in Google Analytics. Follow the steps below to access your PRD 2.0 landing page URL, which is what will be used as the "Default URL" in your Google Analytics account.

Finally, you need to copy the "tracking ID" from Google Analytics and paste it into the "Google analytics token" field on the PRD 2.0 Settings page.

After you save these changes, usage statistics will automatically be sent to your organizations Google Analytics account for

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