Below you can find the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about ShulCloud Development Websites.
Q: What is a ShulCloud Development Website?
A: The Development Website is a temporary, blank “design only” sandbox of a ShulCloud website. The sole purpose of a ShulCloud Development Website is to create a new design template and rebuild web page content for your live ShulCloud website without affecting the front end look of your day-to-day operations.
PLEASE NOTE: A ShulCloud Development Website is not a clone of your live ShulCloud website and will be deactivated when you "Go Live".
Q: Can ShulCloud move the existing image files and/or web page content of our live ShulCloud website over to the ShulCloud Development Website?
A: No, ShulCloud does not have an automated way to transfer your live ShulCloud website image files or web page content into the Development Website. You are responsible for manually recreating or copying web page content into your ShulCloud Development Website.
PLEASE NOTE: Any web page content you have previously developed in your live ShulCloud website that has not been recreated in the Development Website will be deleted in the design migration.
Q: What is the cost associated with obtaining a ShulCloud Development Website?
A: The cost to start a Development Website is $750. This includes hosting the site for up to 4 months and having our team migrate your new design to your live ShulCloud website when you are ready to "Go Live".
Q: What if I need more than 4 months to finish my Development Website project?
A: Monthly extensions are available for $50 per month after the 4 months have expired. You will be billed automatically on a month-to-month basis until you either cancel your project or set a go-live date with our Professional Services team.
Q: Do ShulCloud websites integrate with other design platforms (Wix, WordPress, Square, Etc)?
A: No. ShulCloud websites are proprietary design platforms that utilize CSS & HTML to structure the design of each template we offer. We do not offer advice or support with any platforms outside ShulCloud.
If you use an outside website platform, you can still use ShulCloud as your member portal and use links to go between the sites. For example, you can place a donate button on your WordPress site that links to the URL of your ShulCloud donate page.
USING YOUR DEVELOPMENT SITE
Q: Will my designer or webmaster have direct access to the CSS, JavaScript, and HTML in a ShulCloud Development Website?
A: Yes, access to the CSS and JavaScript is available by selecting the Admin Menu > Settings > Advanced: CSS Override or Advanced: JS Override. HTML access can be found in the content management pop-up screen when adding new content areas.
PLEASE NOTE: ShulCloud does not provide Professional Services or Support assistance for repairing or modifying your custom CSS, JavaScript, and HTML in the future. Please discuss this procedure with your chosen designer or webmaster.
Q: What areas of ShulCloud would my designer or webmaster need Admin Permissions for to assist with a typical Development Website project?
A: In a ShulCloud Development Website, member and financial data do not exist so you can give all Admin Permissions to your webmaster or designer without compromising sensitive data.
If your webmaster or designer needs to access the existing content on your live ShulCloud website, the following Admin Permissions on your live ShulCloud website are recommended as the bare minimum:
- Settings
- My Lists
- CMS Pages, Files, Navigation
- Events, Schedule Rules
- Forms
- Galleries
- Audio Libraries
A complete list of admin permissions with descriptions is available here.
Q: I need to learn how to use ShulCloud's website platform. How can I get help learning the system?
A: We offer free trainings on using our website platform in ShulSchool. Please note that these trainings shows you how to use the options available in our system without adding CSS. We do not offer assistance with CSS, except in the case of color or font changes, which can be requested here. (Fee applies)
Q: What will happen to my live ShulCloud website?
A: You keep your live ShulCloud website throughout this process. You will continue to use your live ShulCloud website exclusively for Member Management, Financials, Forms, Calendar/Events, and Mail during your ongoing Development Website project. These areas of your live ShulCloud website should not be recreated or developed in the ShulCloud Development Website, except in the case where you are testing design elements. For example, you can create a test form to see how your new design elements look in a form.
PLEASE NOTE: If these items are recreated, for the purpose of testing on your Development Website, they will be deleted with your migration and not come over when you "Go Live".
Q: Can ShulCloud help with creating a custom template for our ShulCloud Development Website?
A: No, creating or designing a custom ShulCloud template is the responsibility of the client or their designer. When selecting a designer to redesign your ShulCloud website, your designer must be knowledgeable in manipulating CSS, HTML, & in more advanced scenarios, JavaScript.
GOING LIVE
Q: Could you please explain the design migration process for my ShulCloud Development Website?
A: The custom design content you create in the Development Website will be migrated over to replace the design content on your current live ShulCloud website. Uploaded images and files used in the Development Website will be added to your live ShulCloud website files. The Development Website is then deactivated, and your new custom design and content are available on your live ShulCloud website.
Q: What custom design content or areas of my live ShulCloud website get replaced in the design migration process?
A: The following are areas of your live ShulCloud website that are deleted and replaced by the content on your ShulCloud Development Website in the design migration process:
- ShulCloud Template selection
- Custom CSS, HTML, & JavaScript
- Custom Page Templates
- Custom Content Templates
- CMS pages (Web Pages)
- Navigation
Q: How much notice do we need to give the ShulCloud Professional Services team when we are ready to “Go Live” with the design migration?
A: ShulCloud Professional Services and the migration team require a minimum of two (2) weeks' notice* to get you on the "Go Live" calendar. During this time, you can still work on the customization of your ShulCloud Development Website up to the evening before your “Go Live” migration date.
*This time frame is subject to change. Please confirm with professionalservices@shulcloud.com.
Q: On our migration “Go Live” date, what should we expect?
A: Typically, Development Websites Sites are migrated first thing in the morning and the whole “Go Live” process takes about an hour, with very little downtime to your live ShulCloud website. Once completed and your new design and content have been migrated, it is best to check all content areas, custom widgets, menu items, and hyperlinks for accuracy. Please report any issues immediately to professionalservices@shulcloud.com if you aim to have it resolved in the same business day.
Q: Will we be able to access our website content that we did not recreate in the ShulCloud Development Website after we “Go Live”?
A: No. If you intend to keep the contents of a web page from your live ShulCloud website but want to work on it at a later time, you will need to bring the web page content you want to keep over to your ShulCloud Development Site before your migration. Any web page content you have previously developed in your live ShulCloud website that has not been recreated in the Development Website will be deleted in the design migration.
Q: What happens if there is an issue with my Development Website migration?
A. Before the migration is initiated, a backup of your live ShulCloud website and the Development Website will be taken. However, the purpose of these backups is solely for the accessibility of our ShulCloud migration team if we have a transfer issue, and the original version of your live ShulCloud website needs to be restored until we have a chance to resolve the issues with your design migration.