SmartWebs HOA: Configure Community Website Pages and Navigation

Set up your SmartWebs community website by creating the pages you need, putting them in the right order in the navigation menu, setting who can see each page (public vs residents-only), then testing on desktop and mobile before publishing.

 

Before starting (even if everything is already set up)

 

• Confirm access: log in with an admin role that can edit the website (not just post announcements).
• Know the terms: Pages are the actual content screens. Navigation/Menu is the clickable list (top bar or side menu). Visibility/Permissions controls who can view a page.
• Have a simple site map: Home, About, Documents, Payments, Requests, Violations/Compliance (if used), Contact.

 

Find the website editor and page list

 

• From the admin dashboard, open the area labeled Website, Community Website, or Site Manager.
• Look for Pages (page list) and Navigation/Menu (menu builder). If there is a Theme/Design section, leave it for later.

 

Create or edit pages (content first)

 

• Select Add Page (or edit an existing page).
• Set Page Title (what residents see in the menu) and URL/Slug (the web address ending). Keep slugs short (example: /documents).
• Choose a Page Type if offered (example: content page, document library, form, calendar). Use the built-in type when available to avoid broken embeds.
• Set Visibility: Public for general info, Residents-only for documents, account info, directories, and anything with personal data.
• Click Save after each change. If there is Draft vs Published, keep drafts until the menu is correct.

 

Build the navigation menu (what people click)

 

• Open Navigation/Menu.
• Add menu items by selecting existing Pages. Avoid creating “custom links” unless necessary.
• Drag and drop to reorder. Put the most-used items first: Home, Payments, Requests, Documents, Contact.
• Create dropdowns (sub-menus) for clutter control: example Resources → Rules, Forms, FAQs.
• Remove duplicates and anything labeled Sample or Test.

 

Avoid common setup mistakes

 

• Public documents by accident: double-check visibility on every page that contains files or resident info.
• Menu item points to the wrong page: confirm each menu item is linked to the correct page ID, not an old draft.
• Broken resident experience: if a page requires login, add a short note on the public side like “Login required.”
• Too many top-level items: keep the main menu short; use dropdowns.

 

Test and validate (do this every time)

 

• Use Preview if available.
• Test in a private/incognito browser window to see what the public sees.
• Test as a resident user (or “view as”) to confirm restricted pages open after login.
• Click every menu item on mobile to ensure dropdowns work and titles are not cut off.

 

Troubleshooting

 

• Page not showing in menu: confirm it is Published and added to Navigation (saving a page does not always add it to the menu).
• Access denied for residents: check page permissions and confirm the test account is assigned to the correct community/role.
• Changes not appearing: clear browser cache, try incognito, and look for a Publish button separate from Save.

 

When to contact SmartWebs support

 

• Menu edits save but never publish, pages revert, or permissions behave inconsistently.
• Single sign-on, payment links, or portal modules fail to load (often a module/license or integration setting).
• Need a safe way to create a staging copy for testing without affecting residents.