[Resolved] I'm a pure novice, don't understand forum discussions re: my questions

[Jennifer]

Hello, it seems there is no phone or chat support and I am too much of a novice to even determine if my Qs are answered in the forum! And I cannot understand the “code” and “jargon” answers to discussions with same keywords. The first issue: my drop-down menu works in the WordPress dashboard; it does NOT work on the live website. It drops down, the sub-items do NOT highlight, and the drop-down menu will NOT retract. I don’t even know how to ask that in the forum.

The second problem, I want to change the SIZE of the footer, the background, and the spacing between the text sections. Think those are called widgets. The large, all black footer dominates the pages. Oh, and we’d like the menu items to display vertically instead of in list form. How? Is there any way someone could walk through these corrections so I can learn, even if I have to pay for the time? If not, maybe a web developer friend will understand your answers.

The third problem, we can’t seem to edit column width. We click on Column settings and while “height” displays under the advanced tab, there is no option to change the width. Sorry to be so long, just a little frustrated and ready to resolve these pending issues so we can launch. Appreciate whoever read all this!

[Tom]

Hi there,

1. The sub-menus seem to be opening and closing normally for me: https://www.screencast.com/t/1f8297Qrf

Are you seeing something different?

2. The sub-menus aren’t highlighting because they’re the current menu item (they link to the homepage). You’ll see they highlight when you’re on a page other than the home page. You can force them to highlight on the home page like this:

.main-navigation .main-nav ul ul li[class*="current-menu-"]:hover > a {
    background: #c4e3d6;
}

That’s CSS, which can be added using one of these methods: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/adding-css/

Simply copy and paste and you’ll be good to go.

3. The height of the footer is determined by the content inside of it. You can decrease the spacing on top/bottom by adjusting the padding in Customize > Layout > Footer.

The colors of the footer widget area can be adjusted in Customize > Colors > Footer.

I’m not sure how the menu items would look horizontal in your footer widgets, but what if you added it to the “Footer Bar” widget area instead?

4. Which column settings are you editing? In a Page Builder maybe?

Hope this helps get you started 🙂

[Jennifer]

Thanks for the lightening-speed response and patience. I couldn’t see the screencast shot of the “About” page drop-down menu working; I don’t have Adobe flash on my Mac. I understand your explanation about being on the home page vs a different page, thanks. Still wondering why it won’t RETRACT automatically when I’m on HOME page and click WHAT, WHO, or WHY. I have a screenshot, don’t know how to show you. I don’t have a URL for the screenshot.

I think I did the CSS correctly, we’ll see. Thanks.

I only want ONE widget in the footer, but I want it center-justified. How do I reposition widgets in the footer, please? It seems Widget 1 defaults to left margin, Widget 2 defaults to center, Widget 3 defaults to right margin, etc. I also want to a ‘compose email’ window to pop-up when people click on my email address, can’t figure that one out. (I could add three widgets to footer for balance, but I still want to be able to position them for visual impact.

An excellent suggestion to place the navigation menu in footer bar, it’s horizontal and looks much better. It’s tiny, I’ll enlarge if possible but this is MUCH better. Thank you, thank you!

[Tom]

Aha, it won’t retract because the menu item is still in focus when you click it and it goes to an anchor point on the page. Can you try turning on our smooth scroll option and adding the smooth-scroll class to those links?: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/smooth-scroll/

It seems the site you imported has a bunch of footer widget related CSS.

Go to Customize > Additional CSS and find this line:

/* GENERATEPRESS FOOTER WIDGET AREA */

Delete this CSS below it:

@media (min-width:1025px) {
  .footer-widgets .footer-widget-1 {
    text-align: left;
    width: 25%;
  }
  .footer-widgets .footer-widget-2 {
    text-align: left;
    width: 40%;
  }
  .footer-widgets .footer-widget-3 {
    text-align: right;
    width: 35%;
  }
}
@media (min-width:768px) AND (max-width:1024px) {
  .footer-widgets .footer-widget-1,
  .footer-widgets .footer-widget-2,
  .footer-widgets .footer-widget-3 {
    clear: none !important;
    float: left;
    width: 33.3333%;
  }
}
@media (max-width:768px) {
  .footer-widgets .widget {
    float: none;
    margin: 0 auto;
    max-width: 400px;
    padding: 60px 20px 0 20px;
    text-align: center;
  }
}

Then you can add your own CSS in its place:

.footer-widgets {
    text-align: center;
}

In order to have your email open an email client, you need to make it a link. The link would look like this: mailto:me@me.com

Let me know if you need more info 🙂

[Jennifer]

Thanks, Tom.

You wrote, “It seems the site you imported has a bunch of footer widget related CSS.” I didn’t import a site, I created a brand new site, with a first-time domain, using GP’s Branded template. I may not know what “imported a site” means in IT-speak but I def purchased GP’s Branded template and built the current writeforyourbrand.com from GP Branded template. This is my first website, didn’t have anything to import, lol.

I appreciate all the code you offered, I’ll have to find a web developer to take it from here. You’re directions SOUND simple, but I don’t understand the big picture so I’m afraid I’ll do something wrong, delete or paste incorrectly, and/or undo the weeks I’ve already invested, lol. I can’t do this next round.

The Forum is very helpful, as are your prompt responses. I’ll return if I’m still stuck! Many thanks. 🙂
Jennifer

[Tom]

Hey Jennifer,

Sorry about that! Branded is a site in our site library, so I assumed it was imported.

It can be tricky to find/replace CSS. Feel free to shoot us an email with temporary admin login details and we’ll be happy to make the small edit for you: https://generatepress.com/contact

Thanks!

[Jennifer]

Ah yes, the site was imported from your library, absolutely. I misunderstood, I thought you were suggesting I imported an existing website I’d already created. See, I told you I’m a novice and don’t know the language. 🙂

Thanks for the CSS help offer, VERY generous! I have one resource and if we can’t figure it out, I’ll absolutely come back. Hoping to learn how by watching someone else do it.
Jn

[Tom]

Sounds good! We’ll be here 🙂

[Jennifer]

Hi Tom,

We’re really working through final details but keep finding little glitches. Hope it is OK to put all in one email instead of multiple posts. I appreciate this resource bc I want to learn what I’m doing, how to resolve issue going forward.

1. The “about” menu still won’t retract. I did this: “Aha, it won’t retract because the menu item is still in focus when you click it and it goes to an anchor point on the page. Can you try turning on our smooth scroll option and adding the smooth-scroll class to those links?: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/smooth-scroll/”. I’m signed out of WordPress, one the published website via Chrome, click “About” and the menu remains exposed until the new page loads.

2. I click on “Portfolio” nothing happens. It should jump to Portfolio section at bottom of home page.

3. Trying to add the company name to the RIGHT of the circle logo in the header. The font is so tiny, it’s almost invisible. Can we adjust the font size without making the header wider? The current header width is 70px, moving it to 90 enlarged the header and the logo circle, not the font. Is there a way to add a text box/widget to the header so we can add company name in a custom font size. Or at least make it match the font size in the navigation menu?

4. How do we reorder the images and corresponding text on the gallery/portfolio page? This is the lovely template page that came with branded. Love the layout and simple organization. Just want to alpha-order my headlines without starting.

5. Can I have unique explanatory text on the gallery/portfolio page compared to the “post” page? For example, the copy under the headline “Biographies” says “A men’s stylist, an optometrist, and a recruiter.” Then when you click the biographies image, you get the exact same text again. I want different text on each page. Or, can I delete the text on the gallery page and still have it on the “post” page?

Hope this is all clear and PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME RESPONDING. I am working with a web developer, he couldn’t figure these things out either.

Thanks you!

[Tom]

1. Let’s try this:

– Create a new Hook Element:
– Set the hook to wp_footer
– Add this as your hook content:

<script>
    jQuery( document ).ready( function( $ ) {
        $( '.main-navigation a' ).on( 'click', function() {
            var item = $( this ).closest( 'li' );

            if ( item.hasClass( 'sfHover' ) ) {
                item.removeClass( 'sfHover' );
            }
        } );
    } );
</script>

Then set the Display Rules to your entire site.

2. I’m not seeing an ID added to that section as you’ve added to the other sections.

3. Have you tried turning on the site title and then doing this?: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/putting-site-title-next-logo/

4. It looks like it’s using WP Show Posts, so you should be able to re-order the posts with a plugin like this: https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-types-order/

5. In your WP Show Posts list settings, you can go into the “Content” tab and tell it not to display content.

Hope this helps!

[Jennifer]

OK, will tackle this and ask if necessary. It seems possible, especially with my “helper.” Thanks as always.

(Yes, I add “portfolio” to the ID for the portfolio section, seems to be working!)

[Tom]

No problem – let me know if you have any questions 🙂

[Jennifer]

Hi Tom!

A few new glitches and sitll having trouble implementing your directions.

FIRST: I can’t find the steps you sent to stop the content on the “Portfolio” page fromn automatically populating on each individually linked page. You said to, “In your WP Show Posts list settings, you can go into the “Content” tab and tell it not to display content.” I cannot find the “content” tab or the settings:

1. I’m in the WP dashboard
2. I click “WP show posts”
3. the submenu offers “all lists” “add new” “reorder”; I do not see “settings” or a “content” tab
4. I tried “settings” further down the WP dashboard, still cannot find it.

What am I doing wrong?

I want the copy on https://writeforyourbrand.com/#portfolio to be different from the copy on each of the linked pages for each category (https://writeforyourbrand.com/2019/05/07/academic-technical-writing/).

I also need the images on each of the linked pages (ex: https://writeforyourbrand.com/2019/05/07/academic-technical-writing/ to a much smaller, standardized size. They overpower the page and obscure the text. IF they go to thumbnail size, how do I move images to the upper left corner and bring the text up to the reader’s eye level? I don’t’ want them to have to search for information.

How do I enlarge the font in the footer bar?

How do I change the style of the headlines on the “Pages” (example the word “Payment” at https://writeforyourbrand.com/payment/)
1. I’m on WP dashboard
2. I click “pages”
3. I check the Payment page box, click edit, and land here, https://writeforyourbrand.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=941&action=edit. I want to change the style of the word “Payment”.
4. I launch Beaver Builder, no way to select the headline word “Payment”

GLITCH?
The headline word “Contact” does not show up on the Contact page (https://writeforyourbrand.com/contact/) BUT it is listed in the headline field at
https://writeforyourbrand.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=802&action=edit and on the Quick edit page at https://writeforyourbrand.com/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=page

After resolving these few glitches, and the BIG issue of creating unique content on “Portoflio” and each linked “post” page, I’m launching!!

And then building a second site for a children’s book called I Love You All The Time. My partner is supposed to be shopping for a GP template, now. 🙂

THANK YOU!

[Tom]

Hi there,

1. The content option are inside the actual list. If you go to “WP Show Posts” and click the actual list you’ve created, you’ll see all of the options for that list.

2. Not too sure what you mean? I’m not seeing the same copy on those pages?

3. You can adjust the size/position of your single post featured images in the Customizer: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/adjusting-the-featured-images/

4. The font size in the footer bar can be adjusted in Customize > Typography > Footer.

5. Your content titles are <h1> elements (Heading 1). They can be adjusted in Customize > Typography > Headings.

6. Is the “Content Title” disabled?: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/disable-elements-overview/

Hope this helps 🙂

[Jennifer]

Thank you for the fast reply. Unfortunately, my knowledge is so basic, I need step-by-step directions. The HELP articles assume I know step 1 and maybe even step 2 or 3; I don’t, lol. I’m still lost on five of the six items. I asked the developer working with me and he directed me to GP tech support. Do you have a “handholding tech support option where I could buy an hour of shared screen time with someone and learn how to implement your directions?

1. “The content options are inside the actual list. If you go to “WP Show Posts” and click the actual list you’ve created, you’ll see all of the options for that list.”
OK, the details are helpful, I found the content tab. I see a pull-down list with “excerpt” “full” and “none”. Is “none” the same as telling it “not to display content”? Does this turn the content off on the PORTFOLIO page or on the individual Post pages?

2. “You can adjust the size/position of your single post featured images in the Customizer: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/adjusting-the-featured-images/”
I read the article, still don’t know how to find the toggle button or how to access “the featured images layout options”, assuming that’s where I change featured image size? And if I understand correctly, it will ONLY change the image size on the actual blog post page; the images on my Portfolio page (https://writeforyourbrand.com/#portfolio) will stay the same size?

3. “The font size in the footer bar can be adjusted in Customize > Typography > Footer.”
Well… I’m still missing something because I do not see “Footer” in Typography. I did this:
1. WP Dashboard
2. Clicked Appearance
3. Clicked Customize
4. Expanded Typography to reveal:
a. Body
b. Heading 1 (H1)
c. Heading 2 (H2)
d. Heading 3 (H3)

I do not see an option for “Footer”. Is there a different starting point?

4. “Your content titles are <h1> elements (Heading 1). They can be adjusted in Customize > Typography > Headings.”
So, this means every H1 has to be the same style and color across the whole site? No page-specific options to change H1 style? I see font family, Variants, Font weight, text transform, font size, and line height. I don’t see an option to set the H1 color, globally or locally by page.

5. “Is the “Content Title” disabled?: https://docs.generatepress.com/article/disable-elements-overview/&#8221;
The “Content Title” was disabled so now I have the title on the Contact page BUT, it’s high and tight in the left corner, unlike all the title words on “Payment”, “About”, “Writing Tips” and “Portfolio” pages. How do I change the placement for “Contact” so it matches other pages? And for some reason, I was able to select a color for “Portfolio” but no other page titles.

Please tell me when I’ve worn out my welcome. I am very excited about what I’ve learned so far with your terrific product and support; I’m still quite incapable of reasoning my way through this new maze.

[Author]

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