WordPress Questions and Answers (CMA) + Idea Stimulator (CMAPET) - Use Case - Letting Users Suggest, Improve and Approve Ideas

Use Case - Letting Users Suggest, Improve and Vote on Ideas 

Back to User Guides

Introduction

The Idea Stimulator add-on gives the ability to suggest ideas, which can be improved and approved by other users.

Example

How It Works

The Idea Stimulator add-on allows users to create ideas and choose how many approvals they need. Other forum users can then engage on and approve that idea.

Use Case Assumptions

In this example use case guide, we'll cover how to propose a trip to London idea on a tourism forum. Learn how to create the tourism forum with WordPress Questions and Answers.

You can apply the same process for any idea or topic.

We consider that you have already bought the add-on, but not installed it.

It follows:

• Installing the add-on
• Posting and idea
• Choosing forum categories with ideas and improving the visual
• Translating the forum interface

Installing the Add-on

The process is the same for all CM plugins and add-ons.

• Download the add-on from your customer dashboard.
• Log in to WordPress and navigate to the WordPress Admin  → Plugins settings.
• Click on Add New.
• Activate it and add the license.

Learn more: Getting Started - Installation And First Steps

Reminder: Adding Forum to Site

When the WordPress Questions and Answers is activated, it automatically creates a page at your.domain/answers/.

TIP: Shortcut

You can find a shortcut to the page in the upper part of the Settings screen.

Posting and Idea

When the Idea Stimulator add-on is activated, questions will become ideas if they have a set category.

Use Case: Suggesting Idea "Trip to London"

Let's suggest a trip and ask 10 people to approve it! Users can still answer and vote, but will also see the approve option.

When adding a question, we must set a category (1), choose how many approvals the idea needs (2) and set or not a featured image or video (3).

Learn more: Idea Stimulator (CMAPET) - Attaching an Image or Video to Ideas

How It Looks in the Front-End

Users see the question/idea with the featured image (1), number of approvals (2), and approval goal percentage (3). They can also approve the idea (4).

Choosing Forum Categories With Ideas and Improving The Visual

Now that we know how the add-on works, let's fine tune it.

First, you can mark only specific categories to be ideas. This is useful for a general forum with specific engaging ideas.

Head to Admin Dashboard → CM Answers Pro → Settings → Idea Stimulator Addon.

Enable approving ideas by users

If enabled, the approvals input field will be added to the question form, the approve button and the approvals counter will be shown on the single question page.

Note on "Only in specific categories": If this option is selected, you will be able to change the setting by editing each category. Read the specific guide about categories.

Default featured image URL 

Leave empty to show up the image provided by the plugin.

Show snippet on the idea page 

If enabled, the idea snippet will be displayed on the idea page.

Learn more: Idea Stimulator (CMAPET) - Settings

Translating Interface

The Idea Stimulator add-on includes some specific labels. This way, you can adapt all messages related to idea management.

Head to Settings → Labels and edit all relevant text. 

Example

Learn more: Settings - Labels

TIP: Translating Form Placeholders Is Useful

The Question Form uses the placeholder "question" by default in some fields. Placeholders are the helper texts shown before a user starts typing on that field.

In an idea stimulator environment, perhaps the word "idea" will be more relevant.

You can change this placeholder from the labels settings. Look for "placeholder" to find these labels.

Here are some:

Learn more: WordPress Questions and Answers (CMA) - Settings - Labels

Result

Below we show a forum with two ideas.

	More information about the WordPress Questions and Answers plugin Other WordPress products can be found at CreativeMinds WordPress Store
	Let us know how we can Improve this Product Documentation Page To open a Support Ticket visit our support center