CM Curated List Manager (CMCLM) - Use Case - How to Create a Curated List of Links on a Specific Topic

Use Case – How to create a curated list of links on a specific topic

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Introduction

CM Curated List Manager lets users organize links and aggregate content around categories, displaying them as a curated list.

CM Curated List Manager is a great tool for content marketing and for building a WordPress knowledge base and sharing it in an engaging way.

Use Case Assumptions

In this example we will consider how to create a curated list with links about SEO resources and articles on our site. You can apply the same idea to the topic of your site.

We consider that you have already bought the plugin, but not installed it. 

It follows:

• Installing the plugin
• How the plugin works
• Configuring the plugin
• Create a list
• Add categories to the list
• Adding links to categories
• Display list on a page or post
• Add tags and assign them to links (optionally)
• End Result

Installing The plugin

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

• Download the plugin 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 - Plugin Overview

How the Plugin Works

The way the plugin works is in the following:

1. Create a list (one or more).
2. Create categories and add them to needed lists.
3. Add links to categories.
4. Use a shortcode to display specific list or specific category on any page or post.
5. Optionally, add tags and assign them to links.

Configuring the Plugin

Before start, you can configure the plugin according to your needs - appearance of the curated list, what should be displayed, how filters should work and some more options. 

Learn more: CM Curated List Manager (CMCLM) - Options (General, Search Filter, Social, Appearance)

Create a List

The process of building a curated list starts by adding a new List. Navigate to Admin Dashboard → Curated List Manager Pro → Lists.

The process of creating a new List is really simple. On the left part of the screen you can see the form, where you need to write a Name and Description, and click Add New List button. You can also write a Slug, but it can be generated automatically from the Name.

On the right part of the screen you can see the list of created Lists, where you can edit or delete them.

Add Categories to the List

Next you need to add  Categories to the curated list. Navigate to Admin Dashboard → Curated List Manager Pro → Categories.

On the left part of the screen you can see the form where you need to fill the data. 

Adding a new category is almost the same easy as adding new List. You need to input: 

• Name - The Category name.

• Slug - You can write it or leave empty, as it can be generated automatically from the Name.

• Parent Category - Assign a parent term to create a hierarchy. 

• Description - Description of the Category.

• Category link - Clicking on the Category header will direct the user to this link.

• Lists - Select the List the Category belongs to. The Category can belong to many Lists. If there are no Lists, then you need to create them first. 

• Color - Change the Category background color. 

• Category view access - Choose which users can view the Category. Choose between:
  • All users
  • Logged-in users only
  • Registered users with selected roles
  • Personal (category author) access only
  • Default access (based on the plugin's settings)

Then, click Add New Category button. 

On the right part of the screen you can see the list of created Categories that you can edit or delete.

Adding Links to Categories

Now it's time to add Links to the Category. Navigate to Admin Dashboard → Curated List Manager Pro → Links.

Here again - on the left part of the screen you can see the form for filling the data about the Link.

So, you need to fill here the following fields:

• Name - The name is how it appears on your site.

• Subtitle - The subtitle is displayed under the name.

• Description - Not shown in many themes, but will show as a tooltip.

• URL - The destination URL.

• Attachments - You can add up to three additional links. You can change the link box colors from the plugin's settings. They will accompany an icon depending on the file extension. For each, you can choose:
  • URL of attachment 1 - Where this additional link will direct to
  • The name of link to attachment 1 - The title that will be displayed
  • Upload file - The URL to file to be uploaded from your Media Library
  • Add attachment - Adding two more additional links.

• Video URL - Add YouTube or Vimeo URL with each link. The video size is specified in the Plugin Appearance options.

• Image URL - Add an image URL with each link. The image size is specified in the Plugin Appearance options.

• Category - Select one or more categories for each link to organize them.

• Tags - Can be selected to organize further and provide more information about the link.

• Show checkbox - This option shows a checkbox next to the individual link that allows users to mark visited address.

• Date - Set the date that will be displayed under the link. Can be used for the links that are dedicated to some events, for example.

On the right part of the screen you can see the list of created Links that you can edit or delete.

The same way we can add some more links to the Category.

Display List on a Page or Post

When we created Lists, Categories and added Links, we need to display it all on the Front-end. For that we need to put a shortcode [cm_list_manager] on the page or post. This shortcode will display all lists and categories that we've created.

• list - slug or series of list slugs.
• category - slug or series of category slugs.
• tag - slug or series of tag slugs.

Note that, in every case, the slug is used, and not the name of the list, category or tag.

You can use many parameters at the same time, as they work like filters. 

You can learn more about it: CM Curated List Manager (CMCLM) - Set Up - Adding List to Website (With Shortcode)

Add Tags and Assign Them to Links (Optionally)

Along with categories and sub-categories, Tags are another way to organize Links and add important information. Readers are able to search for specific Tags in the curated list to easily find what interests them. 

To create and manage Tags, navigate to Admin Dashboard → Curated List Manager Pro → Tags. 

As usual - on the left part of the screen you can see the form for adding the data. You need just give a Name for the Tag and choose the color. Slug can be generated automatically from the Name. Then click the Add New Tag button.

And on the right part of the screen you can see the list of created Tags that you can edit or delete.

Learn more: CM Curated List Manager (CMCLM) - Organization - Using Tags

End Result

Following instructions found in the plugin and guides, you should be able to create a curated list with links on your site.

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