How to Directions

How to log in

1. Enter your username and password you created on the left-hand side of the screen

2. Once logged in, you will see your Username as a title on the lower left-hand side of the screen (your username replaces the ‘Navigation’) title

3. Because GVT uses a cache system for faster screen delivery, if you did not log out of GVT the last time, your browser cache may keep you logged in.

How to create journal (blog) entry

Blogging is simple. Once your account is activated to Blogging status, all you will need to begin blogging is your Username and Password. Then follow these simple steps:

1. Log in

2. Scroll down the page to the lower left-hand side under “your username”

3. Click on “Create Content”

4. Select “Personal Blog Entry”

5. Then complete the form as directed including

- “Title” – this should be short and creative to capture the readers attention

- “Categories” – there are online directions to prompt your selection, but the categories allow for simpler search and retrieval of your entries. It is important to at least select one topic from one of the lists, not necessarily one topic from each list (unless relevant). Examples could be the State (i.e. Texas) or the relevant topic (i.e. Merlot or Wine Tasting)

- Once you have selected your category then complete the section for “Body”. If you are more advanced in HTML, GrapeVineTrail entries will support simple HTML formatting. You can click on the ‘more information’ button for more details.

6. Once you have completed your document, its best to preview it.

7. If you are happy with your entry, click “Submit”

- Once submitted, it will automatically be posted to the front page of GrapeVineTrail. It will also be updated on your GVT home page blog as well as your winery home page (if you are syndicating it) as the server updates it. This usually happens at most 1 hour from time of entry. The GVT syndication engine is updated every hour of every day.

- Editing: Once you submit it, it will be posted, but you can always edit it later by selecting the “edit” tab of the entry. However, once your entry is syndicated to the servers and distribution channel, it may store a ‘cache’ copy of it. So it is important to create accurate entries at the initial time of submission.

How to add a photo into your journal (blog)

Think of the picture gallery as a holding file or container that stores your photos by category. Your journal/blog will actually be pulling the pictures from the holding file (or pointing to them in Internet terms) and presenting them into each journal entry. The benefit to this is that you have a container/folder that will be available for your photos any time you want them, so you can reuse photos multiple times without always uploading the same picture.

* (Uploading photos is a premium business service, contact us to subscribe)

1. Follow steps for creating journal or blog entry

2. Place your cursor on the line where you want your image to be placed

3. When you want to add your image to the entry, click on the icon below the ‘Body’ box

4. Another window will pop-up. Follow the directions prompted by either choosing ‘add image’ in which case you will browse your computer to upload a picture or ‘my images’

- Add a short title

- Select the appropriate 'Picture Gallery' and relevant category

- At a brief description

5. Add or modify text accordingly

6. Then click on ‘insert image’ and the program will place a small snippet of html code into your journal entry.