Fields to Use

The Fields to Use page allows you to control the various fields that will be displayed to users while they are placing listings, browsing, and performing searches. Each section within this page highlights the individual settings. In most cases your choice will be a simple “yes” or “no” concerning whether or not that particular field will be displayed. The settings on this page are applied across all categories of the site.

NOTE: You have the ability to further customize your site, by editing these same settings on a category by category basis through the Category Specific Fields section of the Categories Menu.

This section allows you to specify certain attributes to the most commonly used fields on your site. These fields help the seller provide clear and concise information of their listings, as well as, provide the site visitor fields to search by on the Search Page. The various columns are explained below:

Check this box if you want to use this field on your site. Some 'fields' are required for you to use. Therefore, there is no box to check.

You can make this a required field for the seller to fill out. If they attempt to skip this field during the Listing Process an error message will display informing them that they need to complete this field.

Check this box if you would like to display this field to your visitors as a column while they are browsing your site's categories. In most cases, this will automatically become a "sortable" column for your customers to sort the listings they are viewing by clicking on the column header for this field.

Check this box if you want to allow your sellers to be able to edit this field within their "active listings".

Specify the maximum number of characters a seller can enter into the box during the Listing Process.

This section allows you to further specify various attributes across all categories of the site. These settings are explained below:

Choosing "yes" will set the wrap attribute for any text area field for the Listing process. For example, if a user clicks the return/enter key on their keyboard while typing their description the carriage return will be stored in the database and shown in the display. This will help if you want your users to be able to create lists in their description or any other field that is set as a text area.

NOTE: Do not use this feature if you are also using the Rich Text Editor specified on the LISTING SETUP > GENERAL SETTINGS page.

Checking "yes" will remove the "description" column from category browsing tables while visitors are browsing your site and display the description within the title column, just below the title.

You can specify the maximum number of characters that will be displayed within the category browsing tables. The full description will be displayed on the individual Listing Display Page.

Checking "yes" will allow the seller to edit the "category specific fields" of their active listings.

Select the appropriate date format that you want to display within the listings of your site.

Select the appropriate date format that you want to display for the "member since" field within the listings of your site.

Optional Site Wide Fields are similar to "category questions" in that they can be displayed as additional fields during the Listing Process to help sellers better explain their listing. If you decide to "use" one of these fields, it will automatically be displayed during the listing process of every category. That is, unless you turn off it's display on an individual category by category basis as explained in the Category Specific Fields section of this User Manual. When used, Optional Site Wide Fields become searchable criteria on the Search Page. The advantage to using Optional Site Wide Fields as opposed to Category Questions is that these fields can be set as "sortable" columns while visitors are browsing your site. The disadvantage is that you only have 20 of them, whereas Category Questions are unlimited.

Although the use of these fields is entirely optional, they can provide you with the ability to gather more information from your sellers and/or make it easier for them to place their listings. You will notice that each “optional field” has its own individual column settings and properties. These columns are explained below:

This field is essentially "for your eyes only". To help you organize each optional field we have given you a text field for you to label what you are using the field for. This is a very helpful tool, as later you will discover that for each optional field that you decide to "use", you will also have to edit that field's text on every single page that displays that field. The text you enter here will only be visible in the admin, not by any of your site visitors.

When deciding to use each of these optional fields, you will need to specify "how" you are going to use the field. You have a several different options for this field:

Select the "use" field from the dropdown if you want to implement this field on your site and use it as a text or number field. You will notice that until you select "use" from the dropdown, all other column fields in the table for that question are grayed out. After you have made your selection, only the fields pertaining to your selection will become available.

Select the "use as cost" field from the dropdown if you want to implement this field on your site and use it as a "cost" field for your sellers to tack on additional costs with their listings, such as "shipping cost". You will notice that until you select "use as cost" from the dropdown, all other column fields in the table for that question are grayed out. After you have made your selection, only the fields pertaining to your selection will become available.

Check this field if you want to limit your sellers to entering only numbers within this field. Implementing this setting will automatically display a "high" and "low" box on the Search Page for this field.

Check this box if you want to allow your sellers to be able to edit this field within their "active listings".

Specify the maximum number of characters a seller can enter into the box during the Listing Process.

Specify the type of field that the seller may use to enter their answer. You can choose the typical "blank text box" or if you have any existing Pre-Valued Dropdowns in the system, they will automatically appear as an option as well.

If you choose a Pre-Valued Dropdown in the previous setting, the "other box" field will be available. If using the "other box", during the Listing Process the seller will see your Pre-Valued Dropdown and also have a text box to enter their information into if the dropdown values do not apply.

This setting allows you to have the software dynamically generate the Listing Titles for all listings on the site using the Optional Site Wide Fields that you specify for this field. If enabled, users will not be able to add their own custom titles to their listings.

You are not quite finished yet. As mentioned earlier, any Optional Site Wide Fields you decide to "use" from this page will automatically be displayed on the Search, Browse and Listing Details Pages. Therefore, you must access those “pages” in this Software’s Admin and adjust the label (name) that will be shown on the page for your each field.

Access each of the pages below and click the [edit text] button. Scroll down the page until you find the Optional Field text that you need to edit. Note that the "field admin name" that you entered for each field on the Fields to Use page will also be displayed as a reference. Also, if you chose "display" for any of your fields, you will need to edit the text for the "column header" that represents that field as well. Furthermore, you may noticed that each field contains its own “error” message as well. This message will only display if you selected to make this particular field a “required” entry on the Fields to Use page. If applicable, edit the desired error message. In most cases the default "error" message will state "required field", but you can change this if you like.

We would recommend setting up all of your Optional Site Wide Fields first and then access the following pages to make your text changes all at once: