Explore shows each site's information in four places: the list, the map pop-up, the profile header, and the profile tabs. You choose which fields from your data sheet appear in each place. This article helps you decide what goes where.
Start with what families need first
Before you assign fields, ask: what information do families need to see first, to decide whether to look closer? That information goes in the list highlights and the profile header. Everything else goes in tabs.
List highlights
Each site in the list shows its name plus one to four short fields.
- Choose fields families compare at a glance: type, grades or ages served, seats available.
- Keep each value short. Long text in the list gets hard to scan fast.
Example: Childcare | 0yr – 5yr | 5 spots available
Example screenshot:
Map pop-up
On a computer, hovering over a pin shows the site name. You can add a few more short fields, either the same as your list highlights or different ones. Keep them brief.
Profile header
The top of the profile stays visible no matter which tab a family opens.
- Name appears automatically in bold at the bottom of the photo.
- Bold highlights: One or two short facts shown in bold under the school name, like the address or grades served. You can show the same facts in the list and map pop-ups.
- Header fields: Labeled details below the bold highlights, each with a small icon. Typical header fields include location, contact information, school details, and important links.
In the example below, the address is a bold highlight, and the school type and grades served are header fields.
Profile tabs
Tabs group the rest of your details. The first tab is usually Overview.
- Use three to six tabs. More than that gets hard to navigate.
- Keep tab names short, like "Programs," "Before and After Care," or "Admissions."
- Put fields in order of importance within each tab.
- Add help text to any field that needs explaining, like what a rating means.
- Don't worry about empty tabs. A tab only appears on profiles that have data for its fields. A "Language Programs" tab shows up only for schools that offer them.
Examples from live sites:
- A district with childcare providers uses About and Before and After Programming.
- A local nonprofit organization uses Overview, How to Enroll, Programs, and Student Services.
- A national organization uses Overview, Finances, and Qualifications.
Fill out your profile setup sheets
Your Explore setup spreadsheet has one sheet per tab. For each field, enter:
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Field name | The label families see, like "Grades served" |
| Order | Where the field appears in the tab (1, 2, 3…) |
| Filter? | Whether this field is also a filter |
| URL? | Whether the value is a link |
| Help text | Optional explanation shown with the field |
| Data column | The data sheet column the field comes from |
Tips
- Don't repeat the same field in every spot. If grades are in the list highlights, they don't also need to be in the header.
- Links are clickable only when the cell contains the URL alone. See Preparing your Explore data file.
- Check your profiles on a phone. Most families browse on mobile.
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.