What is the Homepage Banner?
The homepage banner is an optional notification strip that appears at the very top of the client portal homepage, above the main navigation or hero section. It is separate from the announcements section and is designed for single, high-visibility messages.
Common uses:
- Unplanned maintenance in progress: "We are currently investigating an issue affecting shared hosting. Updates at /status."
- Limited-time promotions: "25% off all plans this week — use code SPRING25 at checkout."
- Critical policy notices: "Our Terms of Service have been updated. Please review them before your next renewal."
Configuring the Banner
- Go to Admin → Settings → Client Portal → Homepage Banner (or the Portal Builder, depending on your version).
- Toggle Enable Banner to on.
- Fill in the fields:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Text | The message displayed in the banner strip |
| Link URL | Optional; wraps the text in an anchor tag |
| Link Text | Label for the link if a URL is set |
| Colour | Background colour of the strip (hex or theme colour key) |
- Click Save. The banner appears on the portal homepage immediately.
[!TIP] Keep banner text under 120 characters. Longer text wraps awkwardly on mobile screens and may obscure the dismiss button. If more detail is needed, link to an announcement or status page.
Enabling and Disabling Without Deleting
The Enable Banner toggle lets you switch the banner on and off without losing your configured text and colour. This is useful for recurring notices — configure the banner once and toggle it when needed.
Do not clear the text fields just to hide the banner; use the toggle instead.
How Clients Dismiss the Banner
The banner includes a close (×) button on the right side. When a client clicks it, the dismissal is stored in localStorage under a key tied to the banner's content hash. This means:
- The banner stays hidden for that client on that browser until the banner content changes.
- If you update the banner text or link, all clients see the new banner again (the localStorage key changes).
- Clearing browser storage restores the banner for that client.
[!IMPORTANT] The localStorage dismissal is per-browser, not per-account. A client who dismisses the banner on their desktop will still see it on their phone or a different browser.
Use Cases by Colour
Different banner colours help clients interpret urgency at a glance:
| Colour | Suggested Use |
|---|---|
| Red / danger | Active outage or critical incident |
| Yellow / warning | Degraded performance or upcoming maintenance |
| Blue / info | Feature announcement or general notice |
| Green / success | Resolved incident confirmation |
Banner vs Announcements Section
| Feature | Banner | Announcements Section |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Top of homepage | Mid-page section |
| Content | One message at a time | Up to 3 recent posts |
| Dismissable by client | Yes | No |
| Links to detail page | Optional | Always (Read more) |
| Best for | Urgent, real-time notices | Ongoing communication |