Design Alert

On this page, select a page wrapper to apply to all pages of your alert. Choose whether to enable advanced Layouts and Themes, which provides flexible customization and preset display options. If you do not enable Layouts and Themes, your alert uses the standard non-editable layout.

If you enable Layouts and Themes, you can:

  • Select one of a variety of unique Themes, or styles, to control color and font across all pages of the alert and ensure a consistent look and feel. You can also select the Default Theme for the site.

  • Select from multiple Layouts when you edit the Take Action page of your alert. The layouts control the position of critical elements such as Contact information fields and the main Message body content. You can select a layout that is consistent with the rest of your organization's site, or a layout with a unique look and feel.

  • Customize other elements of the Take Action page such as section headings and the Send or Next buttons.

Note: If your organization worked with Blackbaud to use a custom version of the standard (pre-5.3.70) alert, and you want to continue using that version, do not enable Layouts and Themes. You can still create alerts that match others on your site, as you did previously. Otherwise, select the Yes checkbox and edit your new alert to get as close as possible to your previous custom version.

Example 1: Kristen, a campaign coordinator, wants to improve the appearance of the public-facing pages of their alerts. She creates a new action alert and enables Layouts and Themes. She selects the Theme Winter to apply to all alert pages. For the Take Action page, she selects a layout with the Message on the left and the Contact fields on the right. With a few simple steps, Kristen now has an updated action alert. Kristen edits all previously-launched action alerts for her organization so that they can also use Layouts and Themes, copying over any custom content as needed.

Example 2: Cory works for an organization focused on environmental issues. They have a group of campaigns to save the polar bear from extinction. All pages and content associated with the campaign have a specific look and feel, aided by the styles defined in the organization's own style sheets. Cory works with Blackbaud Customer Support to upload a style sheet he has created, making it available for selection as a Theme. When he creates an action alert and enables Layouts and Themes, he selects the uploaded CSS as a Theme. The Theme is applied to all pages of the action alert so that they match the look and feel of the rest of the polar bear campaign pages.

Example 3: Matilda would like to use an action alert as a Petition (rather than using a Survey as a Petition workaround). She creates an alert with a custom Target recipient. In the next Configure Pages step, she configures the Take Action page not to display the list of Recipients, and edits the language that appears above the Message to read, "Show Your Support by Signing!" A letter is still sent, but by using an alert instead of a Survey, Matilda controls the constituent-facing page. The data is captured within Action Alert reports and the alert response is tracked as an interaction in the constituent profile.

Customize your alert design

  1. Select a Page Wrapper option to apply to all pages of the alert:

    • Use the default Page Wrapper - Uses the default page wrapper for the Security Category assigned to this alert. If there is none, the default page wrapper for the General Security Category is used; and if there is none for General, the site default wrapper is used.

    • Override the default Page Wrapper - Uses a non-default page wrapper to override the default. The drop-down menu includes any active page wrapper(s) in the same Security Category as your alert or in the General Security Category. If the wrapper you select is later unpublished for any reason, the alert pages uses a default wrapper following the same rules as above.

      • Remember that all of your alert pages reflect any change made to the wrapper in use.

  1. In Layout Options, if you select Yes, Enable Layouts and Themes:

    • Layouts are available when you edit the Take Action page in the Configure Pages step. The first layout is automatically selected by default until you select another.

    • Themes are available in the next step on this page.

  1. (If Layouts and Themes are enabled) Select one of the Themes to apply to all pages of the alert, or use the Default Theme for your site. This menu may also include custom stylesheets specific to your organization.

  2. (Optional) Select a Thumbnail image to associate with the alert. The thumbnail is automatically identified as the default image for use in social sharing on Facebook and other social networks. Note that for social sharing the image will be resized to 64 x 64 pixels.

  3. Click Next to save and go to the next process page: Configure Pages.