Content Editor Guide

Creating a New LCS Microsite

All examples use The Delaney at Georgetown Village (Georgetown, TX), the first real community microsite.

Recommended best practice: instead of building a site from scratch, duplicate an existing sample microsite. This copies over the complete structure of pages, navigation headers, footers, and form sections, so you only need to update the branding and content for the new community.

Steps

1. Duplicate the sample site
2. Base template
3. Reassign pages
4. Template widgets
5. Form pages
6. Content
7. Roles & permissions
8. Review
9. Go live
   

1 - Duplicate the Sample Site (In Process of Development)

1. In the top-left corner of the Sitefinity admin panel, click the current site name and select Manage Sites.
2. Click Create a site.
3. In the Site properties window, fill in:
   • Name - [Community name]
   • Protocol - https://
   • Domain - The full detail URL path of the community from the main site, e.g. www.lcsliving.com/location-finder/texas/georgetown/the-delaney-at-georgetown-village
   • ✅ This site is in process of development - This checkbox MUST be checked.
   • Testing domain - e.g. dev/the-delaney-at-georgetown-village. Use this address to view and review the site while it is being built.
   • Select Duplicate pages and settings from existing site... and choose The Delaney at Georgetown Village.
4. Click Continue.
5. On the Configure modules screen, enable these modules and set their sources (providers):
   • Libraries - Default Libraries and a new provider for this site ([Community name] Libraries)
   • Events - new provider for this site only ([Community name] Events)
   • Media Galleries - new provider for this site only ([Community name] Media Galleries)
   • Articles - new provider for this site only ([Community name] Articles)
   • Testimonials - new provider for this site only ([Community name] Testimonials)
   • Staff - new provider for this site only ([Community name] Staff)
   • Communities - ⚠️ Default only. Do not use a new provider.
   • Leave unchecked (not used): Blogs, Vendors, News, Lists, Schemas, GenericContent, Navigations
6. Click Save changes.

⚠️ Communities is shared with the main site. The microsite uses the Default Communities provider, so it works with the same Community items as the live main site. Any change you make to the Community item is published on the main site as well. Edit the Community item carefully, and only change what is correct for both sites.

⚠️ The site must stay "in process of development" until go-live. The real domain can be set from the start. It does nothing on its own while the Community's Has microsite checkbox is unchecked: the main site keeps serving the community's detail page. Do not check Has microsite at this stage.

2 - Create a Dedicated Base Template

1. Switch to your new site using the site selector in the top-left corner.
2. Go to Design → Page Templates.
3. Find the base template that was duplicated from the source site.
4. Click its actions menu and select Duplicate.
5. Give the new template a clear, distinct name: [Community name] Base Template.
6. Important: Open the settings of the original template and remove the new site from its site sharing so it cannot be accidentally applied here.

3 - Reassign Pages to the New Base Template

1. Go to Pages in the new site.
2. Select your pages (or open each page → go to Actions / Title & Properties).
3. Under the Template selector, choose [Community name] Base Template.
4. Click Save changes.

4 - Configure Widgets in the New Base Template

Go to Design → Page Templates and open [Community name] Base Template for editing.

Brand Colors (MicrositeTheme widget)

• Locate the Microsite Theme widget at the top and click Edit.
• Choose the colors for this community (Primary, Secondary, and Accent).
• Click Save.

General Community Scripts (MicrositeScripts widget)

• Find the Content list widget with the Details.Communities.MicrositeScripts view and click Edit.
• Under Which items to display, select Selected items and choose the new community.
• In Advanced settings, ensure the display mode is forced to Detail (ContentViewDisplayMode set to Detail), so Sitefinity directly renders the detail view instead of a list.
• Click Save.

Logo and Navigation

• Update the header logo image widget with the official logo of the new community.
• Click Publish on the template.

5 - Configure the Contact Us (or Any Other Form) Page

On any page containing a form (such as the Contact Us page):

1. Open the Contact Us page for editing.
2. Locate the Content list widget using the Details.Communities.MicrositeFormScripts template (placed next to the form).
3. Click Edit.
4. Under Which items to display, select Selected item and pick the new community.
5. In Advanced settings, ensure the display mode is forced to Detail (ContentViewDisplayMode set to Detail), so Sitefinity directly renders the detail view instead of a list.
6. Click Save and Publish the page.

6 - Update the Content

Go through every page of the new site and replace the sample content (texts, images, galleries, testimonials, floor plans, links) with content for the new community. Publish each page when done.

7 - Configure User Roles & Restrict Site Permissions

This can be done during development, so the community editor can help fill in the content. It ensures a community editor only has access to their specific microsite and cannot view or edit other sites in the project.

Create the Role & User

1. Go to Administration → Roles → click Create a role (e.g. [Community name] Editors).
2. In Administration → Users, assign the user to this role and ensure "This user can access site backend" is checked.

Grant Permissions for this Microsite

1. Go to Manage sites → click Actions on the new microsite → Set permissions.
2. Click Break inheritance.
3. Grant access to the [Community name] Editors role for Access the site and Configure this site modules.

Deny Access to Other Sites (Crucial)

1. In Manage sites, click Actions → Set permissions on the main site (and any sister sites).
2. Click Break inheritance (if not already broken).
3. Under Access the site, click Change → check "Explicitly deny this to selected roles and users" → select the [Community name] Editors role → Done.

Set Page Permissions

1. Switch to the microsite → go to Pages → click Permissions for all pages.
2. Click Break inheritance → grant the [Community name] Editors role permissions to View, Create, Modify, and Delete pages.

8 - Review Before Go-Live

Open the microsite on its testing domain and check:

• ☐ All pages are published and use [Community name] Base Template.
• ☐ Brand colors and logo are correct.
• ☐ No sample content is left (texts, images, phone numbers, addresses, links).
• ☐ Forms submit correctly and are linked to the new community.
• ☐ Footer license and community scripts show the new community's data.
• ☐ Header navigation and footer links work.

9 - Go Live (Last Step)

Take the Site Out of Development

1. Go to Manage Sites → open the settings of the new microsite.
2. Check that Domain is the full detail URL path of the community from the main site.
3. Uncheck This site is in process of development.
4. Click Save.

Enable "Has microsite" on the Community

1. Go to Content → Communities.
2. Find and open the community for editing.
3. Locate the Has microsite field (checkbox) and check Yes.
4. Click Publish.

Why this is the last step: once this checkbox is checked, the main site no longer resolves the community's default detail page, and all links across the main site and the Community Finder point visitors to the microsite. Checking it before the microsite is ready breaks the live community page.

Verify on the Live Site that the community's detail URL opens the microsite.

 

Rollback: if something is wrong after go-live, uncheck Has microsite on the Community and Publish, then check This site is in process of development on the microsite again. The main site's detail page will serve the community again.

 

 

Hero banners

 

 

Hero Image - H1

Add a Hero element from the Content section on the page and click Edit.
Choose Hero image ViewName.

Hero Image - H2

Add a Hero element from the Content section on the page and click Edit.
Choose Hero image ViewName.

 

 

Hero image left

1. Add Hero widget and select HeroImageLeft template.

2. Fill in Title Black, Title Size, Description, Image (Background Image)

 

 

 

Simple cards

 

Add a CustomSection element from the Layout section on the page and click Edit.
Choose Card link simple section ViewName.

Add a Card link simple element from the Content section in the Card link simple section, click Edit and populate the Button Link fields.

 

 

Section with contacts card

 

Add a CustomSection element from the Layout section on the page and click Edit.
Choose Grey Section ViewName.

Add a Card contacts element from the Content section in the Grey Section, click Edit and populate the Title Black, Description and Footnote fields.

 

 

Section wider with logo and description

 

Add a CustomSection element from the Layout section on the page and click Edit.
Choose Grey section wider ViewName.

Add a Card logo text element from the Content section in the Grey section wider, click Edit and populate the Image  and Description fields.

 

 

Cards image left/right

 

Add a Card image left/right element from the Content section , click Edit and populate the needed fields.

Select View Template: In widget properties under Template, choose either: CardImageRight – Image positioned on the right, content/text on the left. CardImageLeft – Image positioned on the left, content/text on the right.

Configure Content Properties:

Eyebrow: Subtitle text above the main headline .

Title Black: Primary headline text in dark font color

Title Size: Heading tag size (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5).

Description

Image

Button Link: Primary interactive bounce button (bounce-container / bounce-button-link with dynamic arrow icon).

Button Link Second: Secondary inline arrow link (inline-arrow).

Accordion Items: Optional collapsible accordion items

Embed String: Optional raw embed HTML/script field.

Layout Settings (Background & Text Alignment):

Background (Chip choice dropdown):

CommunityPrimaryColor (Microsite Only): Applies the community's primary brand background

CommunitySecondaryColor (Microsite Only): Applies the community's secondary brand background

Light: Clean, solid white background

Grey: Soft, neutral light-gray background

Overlay: Injects the responsive background vector overlay 

 

 

Card image footnote section

Add a CustomSection widget using the CardWhiteBackgroundSection template.

Add card widget and select CardImageFootnote template.

 

 

Cards white and card image footnote section

Add a CustomSection widget using the CardsIcoSmSection template, then place the following Card widgets inside:

CardTitleTextOnly in the top for the section title.

CardIcoSmWhite in the middle for the white cards.

CardImageFootnote in the bottom area .

 

 

Media Gallery Templates

Add a CustomSection widget using the CardsIcoSmSection template, then place the following Card widgets inside:

CardTitleTextOnly in the top for the section title.

CardIcoSmWhite in the middle for the white cards.

CardImageFootnote in the bottom area .

List.MediaGallery.Default - Full slider with built-in primary theme background (main microsite color),

List.MediaGallery.WhiteBackground - Full slider with built-in white background

List.MediaGallery.GreyBackground - Full slider with built-in light gray background

List.MediaGallery.Default.TitleSimple - Image-only slider with default primary theme background

List.MediaGallery.WhiteBackground.TitleSimple – Image-only slider with White background.

List.MediaGallery.GrayBackground.TitleSimple – Image-only slider with Light gray background.

List.MediaGallery.Default.TitleSimple

 

Assembly Instructions ( for TitleSimple templates )
Stack the Header Card and the matching TitleSimple  Gallery template:

Step 1: Add Header Card
Add a Card widget using template CardLargeDefault.
Fill in TitleBlack, Eyebrow, and Description.
Choose the Background option:
CommunityPrimaryColor (Main / Primary Theme)
Light (White)
Grey (Light Gray)

Step 2: Add Images Slider
Add a ContentList widget directly below the card and select the matching template:
For Main Theme - List.MediaGallery.Default.TitleSimple 
For White -  List.MediaGallery.WhiteBackground.TitleSimple 
For Light Gray - List.MediaGallery.GrayBackground.TitleSimple 

 

 

 

Articles

Add ContentList widget (configured for Articles) 
and select template List.Articles.

 

 

Articles Carousel

Add a CustomSection widget and select template Carousel section.
Add Card title button in the Carousel section.
Add Card title button in the Carousel section.

Configure properties:
Title Black: Primary title line.
Button Link - View All.

Add ContentList widget (configured for Articles) 
and select template List.Articles.Carousel.

 

 

Card main

 

 

Section with Outer Background Image

1. Add Card widget and select CardImageLeft template.

2. Fill in Title Black, Title Size, Description, Image, Image Outer, Button Link, Background

 

 

Section with card and form

1. Add Section Container:
    - Add CustomSection widget.
    - Select template: CardFormSection.

2. Configure Left Column (Content & Image):
   - In the left zone (Widgets section left), add a Card widget.
   - Select template: CardVerticalAligned.
   - In ContainerWhiteText add a Card widget with template CardTitleTextOnly.

    Fill in:
        Title Black
        Description
        Image

3. Configure Right Column (White Form Box):
   - In the right zone (Widgets section right), drag and drop a CustomSection widget.
   - Select template: ContainerWhiteSectionInner. 

Inside the ContainerWhiteSectionInner add the Form widget.

Select the desired form.

 

 

Section with form

1. Add Outer Section:
    - Add CustomSection widget.
    - Select template: SideBySideSection.

2. Add Heading:
   - Inside the SideBySideSection section, add CustomSection widget.
   - Select template: ContainerWhiteText.
   - In ContainerWhiteText add a Card widget with template CardTitleTextOnly.
    Fill in:
    Title Black: Contact Us
    Title Size: H2

3. Add Form Box:
   - Below the heading (inside the outer section), add CustomSection widget.
   - Select template: ContainerWhiteSection.

4. Add Form:
   - Inside the ContainerWhiteSection add the Form widget.
   - Select the desired form.

 

 

 

2D/3D cards

1. In the CMS, add the floor plans as content under the community: Content › Communities › create community floorplans
2. Add a Custom section with the view Section-fp.
3. In its Widgets placeholder, add a Card with the view CardHorizontal. Fill in TitleBlack (first line), TitleGradient (second line), Title Size H2, and Description (the intro text).
4. Under the Card, in the same placeholder, add a Content list. Set the type to Community FloorPlans, Filter by community - select current community, and use the view List.FloorPlans.Default.

  

 

 

Testimonials Templates

Add a Content list and select Testimonials content type. 

Templates:

List.Testimonials.Default -  (main microsite color)

List.Testimonials.GreyBackground 

List.Testimonials.LightBackground 

List.Testimonials.WhiteBackground