XF 2.3 Featuring content

While the first few 'Have you seen...?' posts for XenForo 2.3 have focused on mostly aesthetic or performance changes, today we are taking the opportunity to talk about one of the first new major pieces of functionality we've been working on. Every release cycle we like to focus on at least one significant feature related to content discovery and 2.3 is no different with the introduction of what we are calling Featured content.

"But wait, don't we already have featured resources?"

Indeed we do but the ability to feature resources is now joined by threads, media items, and practically any content type you fine developers out there add support for or, naturally, content types we may add ourselves in the future.

Let's take a look at the process of featuring a thread!

The first question I expect some of you will have is "am I able to automatically feature threads?". And the answer is, yes! When editing any forum, under the "Advanced options" for each forum, there is now a new checkbox that enables you to do just that:

If you have a forum that acts somewhat as a latest news/article style forum, having the ability to automatically feature all threads created in that forum will enable you to more easily showcase important threads to your members.

Similar settings can be found in resource categories and media categories:

You can, of course, be much more selective about which content you would like to feature. But, first, let's look at the permissions surrounding that.

As you might expect, these permissions can be granted on a per-node/category basis as well, allowing you to delegate the featuring permissions to any moderator in control of any forum.

When a moderator is granted permission to feature content, they will find the link to do that typically in the "More options..." menu along with other moderation related options:

You will then be presented with a confirmation overlay. At this point, featuring the content really is as simple as clicking "Feature":

But, before it is featured, you might want to make a few changes. Clicking "Customize" will expand the overlay to reveal a few more options:

While these options are automatically inferred from the content when featuring by default, you can, if you wish, choose a different title, a custom snippet and even upload a custom cover image for the featured item.

If you need to make changes to any of these settings at any time, you can do so by following the same process as when you added the featured content, this time by clicking the "Manage feature" option in the "More options..." menu.

From here you can modify the title, snippet or feature image at any time. You can, of course, also unfeature the content too.

Content is ordered by the date each item was featured. In order to fine tune the ordering, you can simply modify the featured date.

In terms of displaying featured content, there is a number of options available. The most prevalent and default view of featured content is via a new tab on the "What's new" pages.

This is formatted very similarly to the "preview" style of the article forums, displaying a prominent title and image.

The list can also be filtered by specific content types:

The other methods of displaying featured content is, of course, done via widgets. So let's take a look at the new "Featured content" widget:

When adding a widget in the usual way, these are the options you are presented with. Pictured above are the typical settings for displaying featured resources in a carousel as we do in XFRM 2.2 on the resource overview page.

The options surrounding "context" here mean that widgets can use page context that is available in some widget positions in order to filter the results. For example, if you add the widget to a forum or thread related widget position, with the context options enabled in the widget you will only see featured threads in that specific forum.

The display styles should be very familiar at this point as they mirror similar settings for other widgets. But here's a visual overview:

Simple​

Perfect for smaller spaces, such as sidebars:

Standard​

Best suited for wider spaces, and would be perfect for use on a page node or similar to make your own portal style page:

Carousel​

This is display which is best used to showcase a number of items of content in a relatively small space, it automatically cycles through the content making it a little more visually striking:

That's all for this week! Please tell us below how you'll be using Featured content when you upgrade to XenForo 2.3 in the near future.

Unfortunately, there's no tl;dr video this week due to a little bit of an incident at @Kier HQ.

Stay tuned for next week where we'll be showcasing even more new functionality coming soon in XenForo 2.3.

 

[beerForo]

I’m guessing there will be a HYS showcasing these smaller changes together?

And Media Gallery and Resource Manager.

 

[btmgreg]

Automatic unfeature / scheduled unfeature? Hopefully that's on the cards.

 

[KensonPlays]

Forever unless you unfeature.


I tend to agree, though there's certainly some uses where automatic featuring is fine, such as if it's a forum that only certain authors post in anyway.

For now, featuring in other scenarios, the criteria would have to be judged manually and featured manually if moderator/staff saw fit. These are interesting suggestions though which I expect will make their way to the suggestions forum at some point

I'd LOVE to see a way to use criteria to feature and unfeature. Maybe, for example, site staff announcements where it features it for a week then unfeatures it, or something, automatically.

Does this support automating the featured list?
Similar to how user group promotion works.

Like, automatically feature the thread, resource, or media if it has:

• At least 20 replies
• At least 20 reactions
• At least 100 page views
• An image attached to first post (thread and resource)
• The thread, resource, or media is 1 month old or below

YES. Having custom criteria for featuring and unfeaturing, including automatic unfeaturing, would be so nice.

This would make an amazing addition. Good add on potential there too if not official.

Please. Having it native instead of an add-on to an official feature would certainly be nice.

Automatic unfeature / scheduled unfeature? Hopefully that's on the cards.

That would be super nice for like, community announcements. Feature latest announcement for X time (whether its a few days, a week, or longer), then unfeature automatically.

Edit: Made this, to hopefully show how many people want advanced criteria for featuring:

Automatic Content Featuring With Criteria

This is related to the latest HYS, I looked through the thread and it seems multiple people want this. If this is planned, feel free to comment, or close this thread. https://xenforo.com/community/threads/featuring-content.216883 It would certainly be very nice to be able to define criteria...

xenforo.com

 

[Matthew S]

Featured content.

 

[Alpha1]

I'd LOVE to see a way to use criteria to feature and unfeature. Maybe, for example, site staff announcements where it features it for a week then unfeatures it, or something, automatically.


YES. Having custom criteria for featuring and unfeaturing, including automatic unfeaturing, would be so nice.


Please. Having it native instead of an add-on to an official feature would certainly be nice.


That would be super nice for like, community announcements. Feature latest announcement for X time (whether its a few days, a week, or longer), then unfeature automatically.

Edit: Made this, to hopefully show how many people want advanced criteria for featuring:

Automatic Content Featuring With Criteria

This is related to the latest HYS, I looked through the thread and it seems multiple people want this. If this is planned, feel free to comment, or close this thread. https://xenforo.com/community/threads/featuring-content.216883 It would certainly be very nice to be able to define criteria...

xenforo.com

Thanks for posting the suggestion:

Automatic Content Featuring With Criteria

This is related to the latest HYS, I looked through the thread and it seems multiple people want this. If this is planned, feel free to comment, or close this thread. https://xenforo.com/community/threads/featuring-content.216883 It would certainly be very nice to be able to define criteria...

xenforo.com

I'm sure that it will get significant traction.

 

[KensonPlays]

Thanks for posting the suggestion:

Automatic Content Featuring With Criteria

This is related to the latest HYS, I looked through the thread and it seems multiple people want this. If this is planned, feel free to comment, or close this thread. https://xenforo.com/community/threads/featuring-content.216883 It would certainly be very nice to be able to define criteria...

xenforo.com

I'm sure that it will get significant traction.

To be honest, I'm hoping that they are already planning this but just haven't shared it yet. But if they aren't planning it, we do want it. Custom automation will reduce the workload of mods and admins significantly once set up!

 

[Alpha1]

I've

Awesome, and can threads be set (by the creator) to be featured and unfeatured automatically on specific date times?
[Edit: cross posted with @Alpha1]

I added a suggestion for this here:

Automatic unfeaturing of content

XF2.3 will bring automatic featuring of content. Once it is featured it will be forever unless you manually unfeature it. I would like to suggest a few useful things to avoid a situation where you end up with a mass of featured content forever and that will give members more control over their...

xenforo.com

 

[Brent W]

So less features than the add-on that came out years ago had that sold extremely well is appearing near the end of 2023.

 

[Suzanne O]

So less features than the add-on that came out years ago had that sold extremely well is appearing near the end of 2023.

Would you rather have an add on that is packed with stuff or things that are built into the software?

I know what i'd rather and it's not the add on that might be expensive as well.

 

[Stuart Wright]

So less features than the add-on that came out years ago had that sold extremely well is appearing near the end of 2023.

I use the Themehouse one which is free.

Would you rather have an add on that is packed with stuff or things that are built into the software?

I know what i'd rather and it's not the add on that might be expensive as well.

I want as few addons as possible and choose ones which add significantly useful functionality. I have over 90 on AVForums.
When designing addons (as I have), you have to anticipate the functionality needed and then use judgement to select the specific features to add and omit. Over time people might suggest something useful to add and you make a decision whether or not to add it. You don’t want bloated addons, but you definitely do want the functionality that significantly expands the usefulness.
If this new Featured Content doesn’t automatically expire, I will either have to continue using this free addon from Themehouse or commission a new one to extend the core functionality. Either way, I’m using an extra addon.

If I were the XF team and I was looking at what features to add to the core, I’d start with the most popular addons and investigate whether it’s practical and feasible to add each one. When I’ve identified one to add, I’d look at the features and then cherry pick.
I might also do some research and ask users which features they do and don’t use.
And I might announce the new features in a have you seen article and then consider the feedback.
I don’t think its features are set in stone, yet.

 

[Suzanne O]

I use the Themehouse one which is free.

When designing addons (as I have), you have to anticipate the functionality needed and then use judgement to select the specific features to add and omit. Over time people might suggest something useful to add and you make a decision whether or not to add it. You don’t want bloated addons, but you definitely do want the functionality that significantly expands the usefulness.
If this new Featured Content doesn’t automatically expire, I will either have to continue using this free addon from Themehouse or commission a new one to extend the core functionality. Either way, I’m using an extra addon.

If I were the XF team and I was looking at what features to add to the core, I’d start with the most popular addons and investigate whether it’s practical and feasible to add each one. When I’ve identified one to add, I’d look at the features and then cherry pick.
I might also do some research and ask users which features they do and don’t use.
And I might announce the new features in a have you seen article and then consider the feedback.
I don’t think it’s features are set in stone, yet.

True. Would honestly love them to add more stuff to the widget section so we can have more free features.

 

[Forsaken]

I use the Themehouse one which is free.

I want as few addons as possible and choose ones which add significantly useful functionality. I have over 90 on AVForums.
When designing addons (as I have), you have to anticipate the functionality needed and then use judgement to select the specific features to add and omit. Over time people might suggest something useful to add and you make a decision whether or not to add it. You don’t want bloated addons, but you definitely do want the functionality that significantly expands the usefulness.
If this new Featured Content doesn’t automatically expire, I will either have to continue using this free addon from Themehouse or commission a new one to extend the core functionality. Either way, I’m using an extra addon.

If I were the XF team and I was looking at what features to add to the core, I’d start with the most popular addons and investigate whether it’s practical and feasible to add each one. When I’ve identified one to add, I’d look at the features and then cherry pick.
I might also do some research and ask users which features they do and don’t use.
And I might announce the new features in a have you seen article and then consider the feedback.
I don’t think its features are set in stone, yet.

The issue with what I'm bolded is it does create a situation that happened with ThemeHouse, where they feel that work that they have done has been copied for core functionality.

It's a hard balancing act to bring in much wanted functionality, and also not hurting or screwing over add-on developers who make a living from your platform.

 

[Stuart Wright]

The issue with what I'm bolded is it does create a situation that happened with ThemeHouse, where they feel that work that they have done has been copied for core functionality.

It's a hard balancing act to bring in much wanted functionality, and also not hurting or screwing over add-on developers who make a living from your platform.

Personally, I'm happy when functionality that I want is included in the core, even if I've paid for the functionality and am making money from the functionality provided it does everything I need. Because it means one less addon.
For example, I spent time and paid our coder to create a dark style and an automatic switcher. I'm delighted that this is being produced in 2.3.

 

[Kirby]

The issue with what I'm bolded is it does create a situation that happened with ThemeHouse, where they feel that work that they have done has been copied for core functionality.

That can and will always happen.

Developers who fear "loosing customers" because XenForo does add functionality that they previously sold as a (somewhat) similar Add-on probably should not develop Add-ons for XenForo (or any other extensible platform).

XenForo 1.2 included functionality to create template modifications, XenForo 2.3 will include functionality to subset Font Awesome.
Does that mean they "copied" my Add-ons Template Modification System (the "original" for vBulletin) or Font Awesome Manager?

Obviously not - they created their own, vastly improved implementations from scratch.

Am I "angry" about this? Not at all! I am very happy that these (crucial) features are (or soon will be) part of XenForo core so I don't have to maintain this any longer

Just my 0,02 €

 

[BassMan]

That's it, @Kirby!

 

[cwe]

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What is this 5 star rating I see by the threads? Can we feature threads that achieve a thread rating >4 stars for example? Can give thread rating permissions to user groups and/or nodes? I have more questions about this, but will hold off pending some exposition...

 

[James]

Can we feature threads that achieve a thread rating >4 stars for example?

No. Featuring threads criteria is a manual process (except for featured nodes) though I'm sure an addon will come along fairly quickly afterwards.

 

[Alpha1]

What is this 5 star rating I see by the threads?

Unfortunately, only resources and media can be reviewed. Threads and Article Threads cannot be reviewed. It would be very useful if it would be possible.

 

[Paul B]

The issue with what I'm bolded is it does create a situation that happened with ThemeHouse, where they feel that work that they have done has been copied for core functionality.

I was the original author of the Featured Threads add-on and have no issue with it being added to core.

I assumed it would be at some point.
I was hoping it would happen with the first release of XF 2.

While I agree that some of the features mine had would be useful in the core, I did go a bit overboard on functionality and features.

 

[Suzanne O]

Love how customers addons are being added to the core