Setting Up Subsites

About Subsites

A subsite is a section (folder) of a website that functions like a standalone site, complete with its own site title and navigation. This guide walks you through the steps to configure a subsite in Crimson.

Getting Started with Subsites

Step 1: Set Up a Custom Menu for the Subsite

To give your subsite its own main menu (the red button), point it to a custom header file using a directory variable.

  1. In the CMS, go to Content > Pages.
  2. Navigate to the subsite's root folder.
  3. Click Access Settings (key icon).
  4. Scroll to the Directory Variables section.
  5. Click + Add.
  6. In the Create New Variable field, type header-include-path and press Enter.
  7. In the Value field, type the root-relative path to the subsite’s header file. For example:
    /subsite/_resources/includes/crimson/header.inc
    Note: This path is root-relative to the main site, not the subsite folder.
  8. Click Save.

Important: After updating the header-include-path variable, republish all pages within the subsite.

Step 2: Configure Navigation to Start at the Subsite Root

By default, navigation starts at the main site's root. To change it to the subsite's folder:

  1. In the CMS, go to Content > Pages.
  2. Navigate to the subsite's root folder.
  3. Click Access Settings (key icon).
  4. Scroll to the Directory Variables section.
  5. Click + Add.
  6. In the Create New Variable field, type nav-start and press Enter.
  7. In the Value field, type the root-relative path to the subsite's folder. For example:
    /subsite
  8. Click Save.

Important: Republish the subsite's custom header.pcf file to apply the new navigation root.

Step 3: Customize the Subsite's Main Menu Button Label

The label on the red main menu button is the subsite's title. It helps users quickly identify which site they're viewing. To update it:

  1. In the CMS, go to Content > Pages.
  2. Navigate to the subsite's root folder.
  3. Open the _props.pcf file and check it out for editing (light bulb icon).
  4. Click the Properties tab.
  5. Change the value of the Section Title field.
  6. Click Save.

Important: Republish the custom header.pcf file to update the live site’s menu label.