cc-licensed photo “Evening” by flicker user aloucha
Members can have as many WordPress “sites” on the Commons as they want. We have over 1,300 sites on the Commons, many are dedicated to academic group collaboration or professional partnerships. These fall under different use cases. This page deals with personal sites (or “blogs”) – one person posting her/his thoughts, research, articles, poems, images…
We offer domain mapping if you choose to purchase your own domain name – your site will be hosted on the Commons, but your URL will be your own.
Examples of Personal Sites:
Tony’s Thoughts – where the Anthony Picciano, professor and executive officer of the Ph.D. program in Urban Education at the Graduate Center, reliably publishes his thoughts every day, many times focusing on pedagogical issues and current events.
Shehzad Nadeem – Assistant Professor of Sociology at Lehman College, uses a Commons blog as a portfolio site.
Orienting Statements – Perspectives on Black Music of the Americas by Dean S. Reynolds, a Ph.D. candidate in Ethno-musicology at the CUNY Graduate Center shows how someone can use a Commons site to gather resources and write incisive, personal blog posts. He also uses the site to post his CV and Bio.
Helldriver’s Pitstop One of our oldest ongoing blogs Helldriver’s Pit Stop is written by an Assistant Professor of English at Hostos Community College. By turns a music review, a personal diary, and an ongoing meditation on the nature of blogging, it’s been seven years foot sliding.
The List Pages Shortcode plugin comes in handy if your site has a lot of pages and you want a quick way to make them accessible. As its name suggests, it provides an easy-to-use shortcode with a bunch of optional parameters to list out links to your pages. Just type in the shortcode on a new line on the page where you want the list to appear.
You can exclude pages from the list, you can only show “child” pages of the current page, and specify how deep your want to go (grandchildren, great-grandchildren…), or you can only show siblings of the current page (pages with common ancestor pages). You can sort the list according to specified fields (post_author, post_title, ID, post_date, etc. ). And you can include a page excerpt (excerpt=”1″). This plugin works well with the “Page Excerpt” plugin, which allows you to create a excerpt that summarizes and teases your readers to explore the page. To exclude the current page, use exclude_current_page=”1″. If you plan to do some custom styling of your list using CSS, you can add a class (class=”my_page_list”).
Here are some sample ways to use the shortcode:
And here are some of the parameters that you can use:
An explanation of how to use these parameters can be found here.
This plugin is a great way to organize and manage content on your site.
What’s a Responsive Theme?
Responsive themes use fluid layouts, flexible images and media queries to make your site look and act great on a variety of devices. Sidebars and navigation menus collapse gracefully, and retain functionality. Approach designs vary, and you should check out how each theme handles display when real estate becomes narrow. Many themes provide live demos that show how a site would look if the width was very narrow. On a desktop, you can experiment by narrowing the browser window for these themes to see how they respond.
To find all our responsive themes, go to Appearances >> Themes on your blog dashboard and search our installed themes for “responsive.” Most of our current theme selections. If you have questions about the theme you are using, try minimizing the display width and see if you like the way your content displays. If not, maybe try a more modern theme.
It’s great to quantify your readership, and there are a couple plugins on the Commons (JetPack and Monster Insights) that provide interesting statistics on your Dashboard. The Commons also supports Google Analytics, which is perhaps the most powerful metrics tracker.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is installed on the Commons site-wide, and provides a wide variety of statistics for individual sites.
In the past we set up Google Analytics “views” so that members receive activity emails on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. We will continue to support those legacy setups, but going forward, we provide individual analytics management. This means that site admins will need to set up Google Analytics using their own Google accounts and register the Tracking ID or Measurement ID on their Commons dashboard at Settings>>General.
Google Analytics has extensive ways to measure activity and can break it down many ways, including Page views, Unique Page views, Average Time per Visit, Bounce Percentage, and Exit Percentage. Many kinds of custom reports are possible.
See directions on how to set up Google Analytics and optionally the Monster Insights WP plugin:
Set Up Universal Analytics (aka Google Analytics 2 or 3)
Getting Started
This document assumes that you are using an older version of Google Analytics called Universal Analytics (aka Google Analytics 2 or 3). If you are using the newer Google Analytics 4, please use these instructions.
How To Tell Which Version I'm Using
It isn’t easy to tell which version of Google Analytics you are using. If you signed up for Google Analytics before October, 2020, you are probably using Universal Analytics (aka Google Analytics 2 or 3). If you started after that, you are probably using the newer version, Google Analytics 4. The newer version is quite different, and slightly easier to use.
The Commons supports all these versions, but it’s probably good at some point to upgrade, since it is unclear how long Google will support the older version. Follow this link to upgrade from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4.
The most important difference in the various versions is the way your site pings Google to gather metrics. The older versions use a “Tracking ID” which has a format like this: UA-XXXXXXXX-X. (UA stands for Universal Analytics). The new version uses Measurement ID which has a format like this: G-XXXXXXXXXX.
Whichever version you are using, your first step is to go to your WP Dashboard, to Settings>>General and enter either your Tracking ID or Measurement ID. Once you do this, Google will start collecting metrics for your site.
Site admins can set up Google Analytics on their sites to gather and analyze site traffic. A Google account is required. To get started, log into your Google account and go to Analytics – https://analytics.google.com. You should see the following:
Click on the Sign up button to create a free Analytics account.
Enter your Account Name (free form – can just be your name), Website Name (this is the title of your Commons site), and the Website URL. Since all sites on the Commons are use an encrypted protocol, pick https:// in the dropdown. Typically, your URL will look like this:
yoursitename.commons.gc.cuny.edu
If you have a mapped site, enter your domain name rather than your Commons site URL.
Pick an Industry Category and Time Zone and create your Analytics account.
For simplicity’s sake, these instructions will assume you have one site, one account, one user, and one property.
Notes For Advanced Users
Some things to know:
You can have multiple users on your Analytics account, each with various permissions levels
You can have multiple Analytics accounts tied to your single Google account.
You can have multiple properties (each with a different tracking ID) tied to an Analytics account.
If you want to analyze more than one site, you can either
create a new account/new property or
create a new property on the same account.
After you have successfully created a Google Analytics account, you should see a screen something like this:
Note the Tracking ID, circled in red. You need to add this to your Commons site so that Google Analytics will know where to get statistics for your property.
Do Not Use The Global Site Tag. This will not work on Commons sites.
Instead, copy the Tracking ID, go to your Site’s back-end, to Settings>>General, scroll down to Google Analytics ID and paste it in. It should have the format “UA-XXXXXXXX-X.” See below:
At this point, Google will start collecting statistics on your site.
Next Steps
Google Analytics can be overwhelming. Here are a couple FAQ to get you started:
statistics can be “real time” (i.e. right now) or for a set period of time
statistics can be analyzed online or sent via email
if emailed, they can be sent as PDFs or as spreadsheets (daily, weekly, or monthly)
many “canned” reports are available
you can create custom reports if needed, but this requires expertise
you will not be able to see data before you plugged in your tracking ID
if you remove your tracking ID from your Commons site, Google will stop providing statistics
It is beyond the scope of this document to “teach” Google Analytics.
A Typical Report
Here is how to create a simple “Content Drilldown” report that may provide most statistics that you need. It shows the number of total number page views as well as the most popular 10 pages of the month. (Ten pages is the default, but you can change this to any number.)
We have chosen a specific time duration – February 1 thru February 28. We have chosen to see the analytics by day (rather than week or month). To create a recurring, monthly report, click on the share icon, enter email recipients, frequency, and format.
As you can see, there are many configurations for even this most basic report. For example, you can add another dimension to the report by comparing “Pageviews” to say, “Bounce rates.”
Feel free to experiment with all Google Analytics has to offer.
Help With Google Analytics
There are many help resources available. Here is a basic video:
-OR-
Set Up Google Analytics 4 (newest version)
Getting Started
This document assumes that you are using the most recent version – Google Analytics 4.
It isn’t easy to tell which version of Google Analytics you are using. If you signed up for Google Analytics before October, 2020, you are probably using Universal Analytics (aka Google Analytics 2 or 3). If you started after that, you are probably using the newer version, Google Analytics 4. The newer version is quite different, and slightly easier to use.
The Commons supports all these versions, but it’s probably good at some point to upgrade, since it is unclear how long Google will support the older version. Follow this link to upgrade from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4.
The most important difference in the various versions is the way your site pings Google to gather metrics. The older versions use a “Tracking ID” which has a format like this: UA-XXXXXXXX-X. (UA stands for Universal Analytics). The new version uses Measurement ID which has a format like this: G-XXXXXXXXXX.
Whichever version you are using, your first step is to go to your WP Dashboard, to Settings>>General and enter either your Tracking ID or Measurement ID. Once you do this, Google will start collecting metrics for your site.
To use Google Analytics, you need to have a Google account. Follow this link to get started. To set up Analytics, click on Admin in the lower left hand corner of your screen. You should see a screen like this:
Important Terms
Account – you can have one or more accounts (limit is 100). The only required field is a free form name.
Property ID – each account can have one or more property IDs. The only required field is a free form name. You can also adjust the timezone here.
Data Stream – each property ID must have at least data stream. This is where you will need to provide your site’s url.
Measurement ID – each data stream has one Measurement Id. The format is G-XXXXXXXXXX. In our example below, it is G-WD260E1X2Y
It is a matter of choice how you set up your analytics dashboard. Some members might have 2 or more sites on the Commons and choose to make each an account. Others in the same position may want to just have one account with 2 or more property IDs associated with their sites. Each site on the Commons can have only one Data Stream and one Measurement ID.
Data Stream Setup
At the end of the Property ID setup, you will need to choose a platform. See below. Choose Web.
Once you choose Web, you should see the following screen. Fill in your site’s URL and give your data stream a name. (If you are using Domain Mapping, use your mapped URL, not your Commons URL.)
So now you have successfully created your data stream. You should see something like this:
Connecting Your Data Stream To The Commons
The next step is to add your data stream’s Measurement ID to your site on the Commons. Copy your Measurement ID and go to your site’s WP Dashboard, to Settings>>General. Paste it into the field marked Google Analytics ID:
Your setup is now complete. To test to see if it is working, go to your Commons site and click on a couple pages and posts. Do not leave the site. In another tab or another browser, go back to Google Analytics to the Realtime tab. This tab displays metrics on who is currently viewing your site. You should see at least 1 user. Sometimes it takes a little while to complete the set up. You should see something like this:
Here is a video that explains Google Analytics 4 Metrics
This plugin lets you access Google Analytics from your WordPress dashboard. See how to set it up.
JetPack Stats
One of the plugins that’s included in JetPack is called “Stats” and it presents readership data in various graphs, in your dashboard, as shown below:
To find JetPack Stats, click on the Traffic tab. The Admin bar has a simple graph showing activity, and when clicked, takes you to full details.
How To Set Up Jetpack
The Jetpack plugin is actually a bundle of plugins that have been developed for WordPress.com.
Please don’t be fooled! All the plugins are free to use. Many times along the installation process, you will be encouraged to pick a premium plan and pay money to WordPress.com for features that will not be available on the Commons. Make sure to choose the free version of this tool when activating Jetpack.
Please note that you will need to create a WordPress.com account to use JetPack. You do not need to have a WordPress.com site. Just register here, get your id/password, and you are ready to activate Jetpack.
After installing the Jetpack plugin on your site in the Plugins area, Jetpack will be added to the Dashboard menu (screenshot, right). Visit this Jetpack area in the Dashboard and go through the process to activate Jetpack.
When activating JetPack, you will see the various paid options but you do not need to pay for this tool. Scroll down all the way and click on “Start for Free” (image below).
If you have a WordPress.com account and are logged in, once you click “Start for Free” you will activate Jetpack and re-routed back to your Commons Site.
If you need to create an account, click on the option highlighted above.
Once you click “Approve,” you should see the following:
Then you will see the following section added to your Dashboard. Click on Settings to get started with JetPack.
Highlighted below are the Settings for the various plugins in the JetPack bundle. Click on each tab to explore the possibilities.
JetPack provides a nice stats plugin that you can use to track your readers. It also provides Latex support for mathematical notation, and a bunch of other plugins, many of which are similar to other plugins on the Commons. Many members use JetPack’s “Subscription” plugin to allow people to subscribe to their sites and receive email notifications when a post is published. See more about Subscriptions.
In Jetpack’s “Sharing” menu, you can add new widgets to your site to pull in Twitter an other social media feeds.
As a rule, we don’t provide database and file bundles for import/export. Sites in the CUNY Academic Commons are part of a large WordPress network, and things like MySQL table prefixes, file paths, and user account IDs will not make sense for import/export. We encourage the use of WordPress’s native import/export tool (Dashboard > Tools > Export/Import), which generates an XML file that can be used for import/export to or from another WordPress installation. When importing/exporting into the new installation, WP will give you the option of bringing over old file attachments.
If this doesn’t work for some reason, please provide more info and we’ll see what we can do.
If you have content on another WordPress site, you can migrate your content following the instructions that follow. If your content is on Blogger, Tumblr, etc., or any site that has RSS feed functionality, you can easily import your content to your Commons site with the help of plugins detailed below. First, you’ll need to export your content to a file, and that process varies, depending upon the platform.
How To Migrate From Another WordPress Site
If you have content on another WordPress site (including WordPress.com), it is quite easy to migrate your content to the Commons by exporting your content to a file on your computer and then importing it to your site on the Commons.
First, go to the Commons and create your new site. See instructions for how to create a site.
Add the authors of the posts from your original site as users to your Commons site.
Then, go to your WordPress site, enter the dashboard (you can do this by adding “/wp-admin” to the end of the URL),
Click on “Tools” in the lower left-hand corner, and then click “Export” in the drop down menu that appears.
On the next screen, click “Start Export” under the free option for exporting.
If you want to migrate ALL your content, keep the default selection of “All Content” selected and click “Download Export File.” (You can also choose to just migrate selected posts, pages, or comments. If you are using a Premium theme, you may see other export options – make sure the same premium theme is available on the Commons and is installed.)
Save the file somewhere you can easily locate it.
Go to your new Commons site, enter the dashboard, click “Tools,” and then click “Import.”
Click “Run Importer.”
Click “Choose File” and search for the XML file that you downloaded from your old site, click “open,” then click “Upload file and import.”
On the next screen, assign authors to the posts and check the box for “Download and Import File Attachments” and click “Submit.”
See the following video for easy instructions:
How to Migrate from Blogger
Blogger is Google’s free blog-publishing service. If your site’s url is something like “yoursitename.blogspot.com” – you’re using Blogger. To export your content to a file, follow these instructions. Then install the “Blogger Importer” plugin on your Commons site.
How to Migrate from Tumblr
Tumblr is a microblogging platform and social networking website, now owned and operated by Yahoo. If your site url is something like “yoursitename.tumblr.com” you are using Tumblr. Follow these instructions to export your content to an xmr file. Then install the “Tumblr Importer” plugin on your Commons site.
How to Migrate from an RSS feed
If you can access content on the Web via an RSS feed, you can import that content into your blog stream using the “RSS Importer.” If you see a RSS icon, you can click on that, or you might try to simply append “/feed” to the end of the contents url. Once you reach a screen that looks something like this, you can click on “view source” and then save that file on your computer. Then install the “RSS Importer” plugin on your Commons site.
How to Migrate from Movable Type and TypePad
If your site’s url is something like “yoursitename.typepad.com” you’re using TypePad. If your site’s url is something like “yoursitename.movabletype.com” you’re using Movable Type. To export your content to a file, follow these instructions. Then install the Movable Type and TypePad Importer plugin on your Commons site.
How to Migrate from Live Journal
If your site’s url is something like “yoursitename.livejournal.com” – you’re using Live Journal. To export your content to a file, follow these instructions. Then install the “Live Journal Importer”plugin on your Commons site.
Import Process
Once you have your exported file, go your Commons site and open up your dashboard. Go to Tools>>Import and find the importer that corresponds with your content. Click on Run Importer, then upload your files.
A site can be configured to have one or many contributors, and WordPress allows granularity in the permissions users are assigned. Listed below are roles and their permissions:
Administrator – has access to all the administrative duties
Editor – can publish posts, manage posts as well as manage other people’s posts
Author – can publish and manage their own posts
Contributor – can write and manage their posts but not publish post
Subscriber – can read comments, and receive comment and news letters
To add a user to an existing site, follow these steps:
1. Log into the Dashboard of your site.
2. Navigate to the Users tab located in the left navigation bar of your Dashboard and select ‘Add New’. This will open up the Commons Invitations Modal. For the remaining steps, see Invite Others to Join a Group or Site.
Themes control the look and feel of your WordPress site. When you first create a site, you pick a site template and that template controls which theme is automatically activated. No matter what template you choose, you can still change your theme at any time by going to Appearance > Themes.
Thousands of themes have been developed for WordPress, and the Commons provides a small subset of those to choose from. We try to ensure our themes are up to date and look good on all devices, but we also ask that when you select a theme, make sure it is designed to responsively fit your content to smaller displays.
With such a variety, how can you choose the right theme for your site? One way is to simply page through the selections and preview ones that look good. When you are shopping around for themes, there is a preview button available which simulates what you’ll get. If you like it, simply click to activate.
When you go to Appearance > Themes, there is a search box:
All the metadata the theme developer(s) have provided for the theme can filter our themes. Try “two column,” “three columns,” “magazine,” “photo”, “journal”, or “parallax” search terms and see what themes show up.
Another option is to look at other sites on the Commons. If you find one that you really like, scroll down to the bottom and find its name. (If you can’t find its name, go to view source and search for the “/theme” and you should be able to discover its name. Then go back to the Appearance > Theme tab and search for that name.
Customization and Personalization
Don’t want your site to look like someone else’s? Some themes offer additional configuration options on the dashboard, including ways to change pictures, logos, and fonts. Each theme offers at least one way to customize it by manually overriding its CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). This “Custom CSS” option is not for everyone, and requires some knowledge of the way CSS is used to “style” HTML. But if you find a theme that you really like, but don’t like the background color or the font, you can use this method to modify it to your liking.
Adding A Theme For Your Site
If you purchase a premium theme and want to use it on your site, please contact us. If the theme doesn’t present any security issues, we can install it for your site only. The same is true of free themes and child themes – we will work with you to validate the theme, and install it for your site only.
The 
And here are some of the parameters that you can use:
Click on the Sign up button to create a free Analytics account.
WordPress.com site. Just register 
