How to get started with Subsites

Once you are ready to set up a Spektrix Subsite, there are some one-time set up steps you’ll need to complete to get started.

Spektrix Subsites are managed in Spektrix Link. If you’re completely new to Spektrix Subsites, take a look at our article What is a Spektrix Subsite? to learn more.

Setting up a new Subsite

When getting started with a new Subsite, you’ll need to complete the following steps:

1. Set up a Subdomain
2. Complete the Domain specific configuration
3. Configure the Styles and Settings (follow the steps in the Subsite Styles and Settings article)
4. Apply CSS styling to iframes
    

Subsite Subdomains

How you configure your Subsite subdomain depends on how you plan to use the Subsite as part of your online experience for customers. 

Below, we’ve listed out the different approaches and which set up instructions you should follow as a result.

• Using a Subsite as your only purchase path. 
  
  If your Subsite will be the only way customers can make a purchase, follow the instructions in the Single Integration section.
  
   
• Using a Subsite alongside your existing integrated website.
  
  If you are using a Subsite as a secondary purchase path whilst still allowing customers to make purchases on your primary website, follow the instructions in the Existing Integration section.
  
   
• Using a Subsite for a festival or separate identity to your existing integrated website.
  
  If you are using a Subsite to provide a purchase path that is separate from your primary website,  follow the instructions in the Single Integration section.
  
   
• Migrating from an integrated website to a Subsite.

If you are moving from an integrated website to a Subsite which will become the only way customers can make a purchase,  follow the instructions in the Single Integration section.
 

TIP: For more inspiration and in-depth examples on how you can use a Subsite as part of your online journey, take a look at the Use Cases section of the What is a Spektrix Subsite? article.

Single integration

When setting up a new Subsite as your primary web integration tool, you will need to set up two subdomains.

1. The first subdomain will host your Spektrix Subsite.

   This subdomain will be visible to your customers in the address bar to help reassure customers that they're completing a secure transaction on your website.

   An example of this subdomain URL could be purchase.mywebsite.com or booking.mywebsite.com. Your selected subdomain must be different to any subdomains you have set up for iframes or emails.
   
    

2. The second subdomain (a sub-subdomain) will host the Spektrix iframes within the subsite. 

   This won’t be visible to your customers. It should be a subdomain of the first subdomain you set up, so that the two domains have a parent-child relationship (which is beneficial for web analytics tracking). 
   
   For example, if your first subdomain is purchase.mywebsite.com, your sub-subdomain could be tickets.purchase.mywebsite.com.
   
   For step by step instructions on how to set this up, take a look at our article iframe Subdomains.
    

Set your subdomains up with the following details:

Existing integration

When setting up a new Subsite as a secondary purchase path alongside your primary web integration, follow these steps.

In this approach, you will already have an iframe subdomain for your existing integration, so you will only need to set up one subdomain.

1. The first subdomain will host your Spektrix Subsite.
   
   This subdomain will be visible to your customers in the address bar to help reassure customers that they're completing a secure transaction on your website.
   
   An example of this subdomain URL could be purchase.mywebsite.com or booking.mywebsite.com.

   Your selected subdomain must be different to any subdomains you have set up for iframes and emails. Ask whoever manages this subdomain to set up a CNAME record to app.spektrix-link.com.
    

2. The second subdomain will be your existing iframe subdomain that will host the Spektrix iframes. This won’t be visible to your customers. 

Domain Specific Config

You’ll need to complete the Domain Specific Config set up for your new Subsite domain to be linked. Domain Specific Config can be found in the Website Admin Interface and is where you can apply settings which relate to your website integration.

TIP: To access Website Admin, you’ll need the Web Integration Administrator Role. If you don’t have this Role, ask the Settings Administrator in your organisation to add this Role to your User Account.

Your Subsite subdomain should be listed first, above your iframe subdomain. If you need to re-order your subdomains, you can delete and re-enter the iframe subdomain so that it appears after the subsite subdomain.

Configure the settings as per below by replacing purchase.mywebsite.com with your subsite subdomain.

For more information, take a look at the Domain Specific Config section in the Website Admin Interface article.
 

Download CSS

After you have applied the styling to your subsite, you will need to download your CSS file and upload this into Spektrix. This is to apply the styling to your iframes. 

To download your CSS, click the Download CSS button in the top right corner of your Subsite in Spektrix Link:

You only need to upload your CSS file into your Spektrix system once. If you have already uploaded your CSS for your subsite into your system, you won't need to do it again.

To upload your CSS file into Spektrix, follow the steps outlined in the CSS Styling for iframes article.

Further Reading

Next, you’ll want to take a look at the Configuring Subsite Pages and Navigation and the Subsite Styles and Settings articles.