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How Display Calendar Widgets Work

A display calendar widget is an administrative tool that allows you to embed your content on third party websites using iFrame embed code.

 

CONTENT SELECTION OPTIONS

There are FOUR OPTIONS for adding and managing content on a display calendar widget:
(widget mode + content population method)

HOME PAGE + INDIVIDUAL SELECTION

• “Home Page” widget control means that content selections are limited to just the widget’s home page.
• Events, venues/attractions and groups/themes are individually selected from a comprehensive list via an administrative control panel.
• Category pages and searches display a list of ALL PFG.com events for that category or search criteria – not just those individually selected.
• Home page Spotlight and Featured events can be selected from a list of all events that are individually selected.

 

HOME PAGE + SELECTION WITH FEED

• “Home Page” widget control means that content selections are limited to just the widget’s home page.
• Events appear on the calendar display widget home page by selecting from a list of various options from an administrative control panel. The selection options include:
  • Category type (theatre, music, dance, art)
  • Date range (next 7, 14, 30, 90 days or 6 months; the default is 90 days)
  • Organization or venue/attraction array
  • City or zip code array
• Using the “feed” population method inserts ONLY EVENTS into the calendar display widget. Venue/attraction and group/theme selections are NOT available in the “feed” mode.
• Category pages and searches display a list of ALL PFG.com events for that category or search criteria – not just those defined by the feed’s criteria.
• Home page Spotlight and Featured events can be selected from a list of all events that are included in the feed’s selection criteria.

 

COMPLETE WIDGET + INDIVIDUAL SELECTION

• “Complete” widget control means that ONLY selected events will appear on the widget’s home page, category pages AND search results.
• Events, venues/attractions and groups/themes are individually selected from a comprehensive list via an administrative control panel.
• Category pages and searches will display ONLY the list of the events that were individually selected. Example: the Music category page will only display Music events that were individually selected.
• Home page Spotlight and Featured events can be selected from a list of all events that are individually selected.

 

COMPLETE WIDGET + SELECTION WITH FEED

• “Complete” widget control means that ONLY selected events will appear on the widget’s home page, category pages AND search results.
• Events appear on the calendar display widget by selecting from a list of various options from an administrative control panel. The selection options include:
  • Category type (theatre, music, dance, art)
  • Date range (next 7, 14, 30, 90 days or 6 months; the default is 90 days)
  • Organization or venue/attraction array
  • City or zip code array
• Using the “feed” population method inserts ONLY EVENTS into the calendar display widget. Venue/attraction and group/theme selections are NOT available in the “feed” mode.
• The calendar widget home page, category pages AND searches ONLY display events that meet the feed’s selection criteria. Example: the Music category page will only display Music events that match the feed’s selection criteria.
• Home page Spotlight and Featured events can be selected from a list of all events that are included in the feed’s selection criteria.

All four widget types listed above offer an XML feed of that widget’s event listings.

 

SAMPLE iFrame CODE

The following is a sample of the iframe code that would is provided for adding a display calendar widget to your website:

As you can see, the width and height can be modified to allow the widget to fit comfortably within your site’s framework. For best design results we recommend the width stay within the range of 400 and 650 pixels wide.

 

Using XML Feeds

Your site has the ability to provide raw XML feeds. These raw XML feeds can either be produced based on a simple selection of ALL events in the database or custom criteria.

Raw XML feed URLs are produced dynamically from the creation and updating of a display calendar widget. As events are updated for the widget, the XML feed is dynamically updated, as well. Content partners can choose to either use the IFrame code or raw XML feed, or both.

• What XML feeds can be used in a widget? The content filtering options for an XML feed are:
  • Category type (i.e. theatre, music, dance, art)
  • Date range (next 7, 14, 30, 90 days or 6 months; the default is 90 days)
  • Organization or venue/attraction array
  • City or zip code array
  • Can we receive an XML feed for an individual organization?

Yes, we can provide an XML feed for an individual organization. This type of feed would include ALL events associated with that organization’s listing in our database. An organization must be registered in our organization directory in order for us to provide this type of feed. The following is an example of an individual organization XML feed:

http://www.phillyfunguide.com/feeds/event/xml/none/none/none/765/

The organization’s ID # is used to define the feed’s content parameters.

• Can “Groups” have an XML feed?

First, a “Group” is an aggregation of events, organizations and/or venues/attractions based on a specific theme, such as a holiday or specific location. Unfortunately, Group page content is not available as an XML feed at this time, though we are currently working on such a solution.

• Can Group or Venue/Attraction content be included in XML feeds?

Not at this time. Only event information is included in XML feeds.

 

CAUTIONARY NOTES ABOUT WIDGETS AND FEEDS

1) Event data appearing in both widgets and feeds is "cached" every 24 hours. This means that if you add new events, change your filtering parameters, or update your spotlight and/or featured events, these changes will not appear on the widget or in the feed until the next 24 hour cycle. Typically our cache is updated each morning around 2am Pacific time.

The reason for caching is that if widgets or feeds were to be accessed in "real time" too frequently it would result in a considerable reduction in server performance. Caching is designed to protect our primary calendaring websites - which do display data in real time - from loading too slowly due to excess traffic to widgets and feeds. Caching actually allows widgets and feeds to load more quickly, which is an overall benefit to your partners.

In general, widgets and feeds are provided as a value-added service to you and your partners - allowing for multiple ways to syndicate your content and perhaps provide you with an additional source of revenue from the licensing of your content to third parties. However, because we are commited to ensuring that our primary service, your calendaring website, loads as quickly as possible, it is necessary to enforce certain controls on what widgets and feeds can (and cannot) do in order to maintain the highest possible standard of performance.

2) Only events with REGISTERED venues will appear in feeds and widgets. Events using the "temp" venue fields are not eligible to be included in these tools.

3) On the feed population mode, if you want to filter by registered organizations or venues you should choose to filtery by one or the other, but NOT BOTH. By selecting both registered orgs AND venues the event filter narrows the list down to just events that are associated with both the org and the venue.

4) The default date range of a feed or widget is 90 days. You will want to select a specific range on the feed population tool if you'd like to change the range to 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, or 180 days. If an event is not displaying on your widget or feed you should check to make sure it's date(s) are within the range you have selected.

 

ACCESSING TRAFFIC MEASUREMENTS FOR WIDGETS

Each calendar display widget can be tracked using Google Analytics (GA) code. There is a field in the control panel for each widget that provides a field for you to paste in your GA tracking code. You will need to set up a Google Analytics account to add this code to the widget admin panel. Upon special request, you may also ask Artsopolis staff to set up and add this tracking code, though hourly rates apply. To request this service please contact: networksupport@artsopolis.com.

Raw RSS or XML feeds cannot be tracked.

Questions or suggestions? Contact: networksupport@artsopolis.com

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