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Integrations

Analytics

Analytics helps you track how your website is being used. For example: how many visitors have opened your site and which pages they've viewed.

While all Analytics tools are designed to track usage of your site, they are not all created equal. There is a basic Analytics tool called Webalizer that is already attached to your website. Webalizer gives you a ballpark type view of activity on your site, but it is a free attachment that doesn't require a login and the results tend to be inflated by bots scanning your site.

Google Analytics not only provides more accurate information, it provides more kinds of information. Google Analytics is free. You will need a gmail.com email address to sign up for it.

• Create a Gmail Account or you may use an existing gmail.com account (more info)
• Create a Google Analytics v4 Account (more info)

Google instructions will provide you some HTML code for your website. All you need to do is enter your Tracking ID in the field provided. By activating the service, we will place the code on each page for you automagically.

Using another analytics provider is also possible.

Add Analytics to your website

• From the black Admin bar to the left of your site, click the Settings icon to bring up the settings menu.
• Click Integrations
• In the Analytics section, Type field, click on the word 'None' and choose either Google Analytics v4
• For Google Analytics v4, add your Measurement ID in the field provided. You can signup for GA at https://analytics.google.com .
• From the GA home page, go to Admin (side bar at the bottom). Then select the account or create an account. Next in the second column select or create the property. Next in the same column click "Data Streams". Next select or create a web data stream. Then copy the Measurement ID, this will start with a "G-".

Here is a video of the steps to get your Measurement ID:

• For Custom Analytics, add your Tracking HTML Code
• Click Save

Remember that the collection of Statistics only starts after you've setup the connection. It will not show any information prior to the setup in Integrations.

View Analytics

• From the black Admin bar to the left of your site, click the Dashboard icon
• at the bottom of the right side of the bar graph is a text link 'More Analytics'. If you have not setup an Analytics option, clicking this link will open Webalizer for your website. If you have setup an Analytics option, clicking this link will take you to your Analytics option.

Chatroll

Chatroll is an online chat tool that you can integrate into your site. You have to signup with a chat account, and then link that account to your website. Then in the theme you can include the chat interface code so that people can see the chat window and chat with each other.

Get started with Chatroll by signing up.

Disqus

It is possible to allow website visitors to comment on your blog. Comments are optional, but if you opt to use comments, you will need Disqus. Disqus is third party plugin that helps you manage comments posted to your Blog.

You can sign up for Disqus and integrate your Disqus account with your website

• Setup a Disqus account
• Enter your Short Name in the settings > integrations > disqus field provided
• Save (you might have to scroll down to see the blue [Save] button

Signup Notes

There are two types of Disqus accounts.

1. One allows you to make comments on other sites using Disqus
2. The other allows your site to allow comments to be made

You'll want the one that allows comments to be made on your site.

You will be asked to start a trial based on a payment plan.

reCAPTCHA v3

Creating forms on your website allows visitors to your website to send you a message. Forms added to your website can be accessed by humans and non-human "bots". The non-human programs that automatically fill out forms and submit them to create spam messages. You can eliminate most of the spam by adding “reCAPTCHA” to your website. reCAPTCHA will verify the submission process is done by a human and not an automated process. reCAPTCHA does a great job of eliminating most of these unwanted submissions.

You can choose to integrate reCAPTCHA on your forms to help prevent spam submissions. It is easy to sign up for a free account, and the steps are simple to complete. When you have completed the integration with ReCaptcha, all of your public forms will contain the spam prevention check at the end of the form.

Note: reCAPTCHA is optional - BUT there are significant advantages to setting it up. . . 

If you choose to integrate reCAPTCHA on your website, you will get email containing the message from the form. You can then reply to the email.

If you opt NOT to integrate reCAPTCHA, you will receive an emailed notice that a form submission has been made. You will then need to go to forms and view the messages online. If you wish to respond, you will need to copy and paste the email address into your email processor as the Forms responses list is only a list. You cannot respond directly from the list.

reCAPTCHA v3 Setup Instructions:

From the black admin bar on the left, click Settings > Integrations you can scroll down and see the reCAPTCHA area. Here you will see the fields that will hold your reCAPTCHA keys.

You can learn more here: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/

You can apply for a code: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/admin/create

Note: You will need a google email account so if you don't already have one, pause and go create one at:

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256?hl=en

1. On the reCAPTCHA site, click the "Admin Console" link at the top right of the screen.

2. Give your account a label. The name of your website works well. Note: because it is possible - though not probable - to set up multiple websites on the same account it is important to distinguish them from each other. 

3. Select the option: reCAPTCHA v3.

4. Domains: you will want to add all the domain names that are associated with your website. If you are not sure what domain names are associated with your website, you can go to your website, Settings, Domains and Email - there is a list of all associated domain names there.

Note: a domain name does not use http or www 

• example correct domain name: simpleupdates.com
• incorrect example domain name: www.simpleupdates.com
• incorrect example domain name: https://simpleupdates.com
• Note, be sure to use YOUR PRIMARY domain name when you set up your reCAPTCHA codes.

5. Optional: If you'd like to add owners to this Label, add their email addresses.

6. Accept the reCAPTCHA Terms of service

7. Indicate whether or not you (and any other owners you've added) would like to get alerts.

8. Submit the form.

On screen you will see two alphanumeric keys - a Site Key and a Secret Key.

9. Copy and Paste these keys into the fields also named 'Site Key' and 'Secret Key' on the integrations page of your website.

10. Save the integrations page. (you may have to scroll down to see the save button on the bottom left.

When you have added these keys and saved the page all the forms your website has now and will create in the future, will be automatically protected with reCAPTCHA.

reCAPTCHA will stop the automated (non-human) filling out of your forms which is the most common reason for receiving email with content not relating to your website. If a spam message does make it through, perhaps their message did not look to reCAPTCHA to be spam, or perhaps was filled out by a person paid to send spam as advertising messages. Spam blockers do not stop real people submitting your form.

Stripe Payment Processing

The SimpleUpdates CMS platform supports Stripe as our supported payment processor. We have selected Stripe because of its industry leadership, low fees, and ease of use. Creating a Stripe account is free and easy. There are no recurring monthly fees. You are only billed around 3% of sales as a transaction processing fee. You can setup your free account here: https://dashboard.stripe.com/register

The steps you will perform:

1. Create your stripe account
2. Verify your email address by clicking the link in an email that Stripe will send you
3. Fill out the Business Settings page. This will be how Stripe moves funds into your bank account.
4. Confirm your Business Settings.
5. Go to your website Integrations page, and in the Payment Processor section, click "Connect with Stripe" and follow the simple steps.
6. All set!

Zoom

The SimpleUpdates CMS platform supports integrating with Zoom to publish your Zoom meeting information directly on your website. For this integration to work, you will need a dedicated zoom host account. Once this is complete, you can integrate that account with your website.

This integration is a two-step process. First you will need to connect the SimpleUpdates App with your Zoom account. Once this integration step is complete, you will be able to add meeting information to the content of your website.

Connect Your Website with Your Zoom Account

1. On the black Admin bar to the left of your website, click the Settings link
2. Click the Integrations icon
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the blue [Connect to Zoom] button
4. This will take you to Zoom's authentication site where Zoom will ask you to login to your account
5. Zoom and SimpleUpdates will "talk" to each other and when they've reached an understanding you'll be sent back to the Integration page
6. All that's left for you to do is click the [Save] button at the bottom of the page.

Note: once this Integration is complete you will be able to add meeting information to content on your website. See Adding a Zoom Block for instructions

Uninstallation

To disable Zoom, log into your Zoom account, access the Marketplace, and uninstall the 'SimpleUpdates' app. Public view of any meeting connections you've added to your website content will be disabled.