Create a Game Object

Introduction

A game is a match or fixture between two teams. You create the game object in ViewLift Tools, complete match metadata, schedule, and images, then place it on site pages and the Game Template Page in Template Builder.

This article explains how to create a game, complete its metadata, publish it, and place it on the site.

Event is a separate content type. This article is for Game. For Event, see Create an Event Object.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to help you:

• Create a new game object in ViewLift Tools
• Complete the metadata, images, Game Info, Game States, schedule, and other settings required for publication
• Link livestreams, highlights, teams, venue, and related videos
• Know how to place the game on trays and which Template Page renders it

Scope

This article covers:

• Creating a game in ViewLift Tools → Content Management → Game
• Completing the game object (metadata, images, monetization, Game Info, Game States, Schedule, Players, Broadcaster, Related Videos, SEO)
• Publishing or scheduling the game
• The required Template Builder points for trays and the Game Template Page

It does not cover creating teams, people, venues, or lives. For those, see Create a Team Object, Create a Person Object, and Create a Live Object. Full Template Builder configuration is a separate documentation set.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Access to ViewLift Tools with permission to create and publish game content
• Access to Template Builder
• A 16:9 thumbnail image (recommended 1920 × 1080 px), already cut to size — Tools does not crop images for you
• Team objects already created if you want to set Home Team and Away Team now (you can also link later)
• Venue objects already created if you want to set a venue on the schedule
• Live objects if you want to attach livestreams, and VOD objects if you want highlights, preview video, or related videos
• Your metadata ready: title, description, tags, and categories

Example used in this article
Throughout the steps below we use one running example — a game called Championship Final — City United vs Riverside FC. Replace the sample values with your own.

Step 1: Open Game in ViewLift Tools

1. Log into ViewLift Tools.
2. From the main menu, open Content Management.
3. In the content type selector at the top of the list, choose Game.

Figure 1. ViewLift Tools → Content Management → Game. Use the content-type dropdown to select Game, then click + Add New Game.

The Game list shows existing game objects. You can search by title, tag, or category.

Do not use Event in the content-type selector if you are creating a match page. Event is a different object with a different set of tabs.

Step 2: Create a Game Object

1. On the Game list, select + Add New Game. The button is labelled with the content type you selected, so it reads Add New Game while Game is active.
2. The Create New Game dialog opens.
3. Enter a Title (required). Example: Championship Final — City United vs Riverside FC.
4. Select Create.

Tools creates the game as a draft and opens the game editor.

Permalink is not set in this dialog. It is generated on the detail page — editorialize it before you publish.

Figure 2. Create New Game dialog. Enter a Title (required), then select Create.

Step 3: Complete Content Metadata

Open the game. The detail page sidebar groups the tabs as follows:

• Basic Details — Content Metadata, Manage Images, Monetization
• Additional Metadata — Metadata & Macros
• Other Details — Game Info, Game States, Schedule, Players, Broadcaster, Related Videos, SEO, Version History

Start with Content Metadata.

Figure 3. Game detail page, Content Metadata. Required fields are Title and Permalink.

A Network field can also appear when networks are configured for the site.

Game does not have Parental Rating, Redirect URL, Teams on Content Metadata, or an editable External ID field. Home and Away teams are set on Game Info. Players are set on the Players tab.

Quick Settings

Permalink guidelines

Use the same rules as other content types:

• Start with a slash (/)

• Use lower-case letters

• Do not use spaces or special characters except dash (-) or underscore (_); dashes are preferred

• Do not leave whitespace before or after the path

• Keep the URL concise and descriptive (about 59 characters is a useful target)

• Remove auto-generated numeric identifiers when you editorialize the path

• Good: /championship-final-city-united-riverside

• Avoid: /Championship Final_Game_12345

You can change the permalink later. After you change it, save, then use Update if the game is already published.

Step 4: Upload Images

Open Manage Images.

The required image for a game is 16:9 Landscape (recommended 1920 × 1080 px). Upload the file at the correct ratio. Tools does not crop images for you.

Optional slots such as 1:1 Square, 3:4, 32:9, and 4:3 can be added when your trays or detail layout use those ratios.

Figure 4. Manage Images. Upload a 16:9 Landscape image before you publish. Optional ratios can be added for trays that use them.

Step 5: Complete Game Info and Game States

Game Info

Open Game Info. These fields identify the match and optional ticketing IDs. They are not required by the common publish validator, but Home Team, Away Team, and League are needed for most game layouts.

Create teams under Content Management → Team, not from a Sport tab on this object. Create leagues under Content Management → League.

The current Game Info tab does not include a Champions ID field. Champions ID is on Team Information for team objects.

Figure 5. Game Info. Set League, Home Team, Away Team, and optional Sportradar and Ticketmaster values.

Game States

Open Game States. Use this tab to set the current state and the timestamps associated with each state.

These fields are stored on the game object. The current Tools UI does not show an automatic Sportradar state-sync control. If states are updated from an integration, confirm the values on this tab after ingest.

Figure 6. Game States. Set Current Game State and the Default, Pre, Live, Post, and Game End timestamps.

Step 6: Complete Schedule, Players, Broadcaster, and Related Videos

Schedule

Open Schedule. Game publish validation includes this tab. Fill it before you publish.

Select Save Schedule after you set the dates. Tools stores the browser timezone on save.

Create venues under Content Management → Venue. The current Game editor does not include an Admin Venue create path.

Figure 7. Schedule. Enter a schedule Title, Start Date & Time, and End Date & Time, optionally select a Venue, then select Save Schedule.

Players

Open Players. Search existing Person objects and select the players associated with this game. The search placeholder is Select Players.

Create people under Content Management → Person. See Create a Person Object.

Broadcaster

Open Broadcaster. If none are set, the empty state is No Broadcasters Added. Select Add Broadcaster, then choose a country and enter the broadcaster name. You can add more than one country row. A country can be used only once on the same game.

Related Videos

Open Related Videos. Search existing VOD objects and attach them. The search placeholder is Select Related Videos.

For on-demand videos, see Create a VOD Object.

Step 7: Configure Additional Game Settings

Complete the sections your service uses before you publish.

Monetization

Attach the subscription model, plans, or plan groups that should unlock the game.

1. Select Add Model.
2. Choose the monetization model.
3. Select the plans or plan groups that can access the game.
4. Save the selection.

If the game is intended to be free, follow your site’s normal entitlement configuration.

Game does not have an Availability & Scheduling tab. Use Schedule for kickoff and window times, and Game States for pre / live / post timestamps.

Metadata & Macros

Use Metadata & Macros for additional key/value metadata required by your site. Select Add Metadata to add a row.

SEO (Search & Discovery)

These fields are optional:

Version History

Open Version History to review game versions. The table shows publication and update times, user, and status.

Select two versions to use Compare Versions. The current Tools interface does not provide a gear-menu Revert action.

Step 8: Publish the Game

Required before publish:

• Title
• Permalink
• 16:9 Landscape image
• Schedule Title, Start Date & Time, and End Date & Time (end must be later than start)

Author, Description, Game Info, and Game States are strongly recommended, but they are not part of the current common publish validator.

1. Select Publish to publish immediately.
2. Or use the calendar control to schedule publication for a later date and time.
3. After publication, use Update for changes, Unpublish to take the game down, or Archive to retire it.

Preview becomes available for a published game.

Duplicate is not available for Game. Duplicate is limited to article, linear channel, VOD, and live.

Figure 8. Game detail header. Use Publish to publish now or the calendar control to schedule publication.

Publishing adds the game to the CMS library. It appears on a site page after you curate it in Template Builder, or when a user opens its permalink.

Step 9: Curate the Game on a Template Builder Page

To show the game on Home or another Modular Page:

1. Open AppCMS → Edit Template Builder.
2. Open Modular Pages and select the page.
3. Add or select a tray module. Common options include:
   • VL HighlightTray
   • VL LandscapeTray
   • VL Vertical Tray
4. Open the module settings and enter a tray title, for example Championship Final.
5. Choose Content Selection:
   • Manually Curate — search for the game. The search chips include Game. Arrange items in the order you want.
   • Programmatically Generate — populate the tray from tags or categories. When Content Type is Game, Fetch Strategy also includes Game Start Date and Game End Date.
6. Set Content Type to Game (or Any) if the tray provides a content-type filter.
7. In Thumbnail Type, choose a ratio that matches an image uploaded in Manage Images. Template Builder writes ratios with an asterisk, such as 16*9, 3*4, 32*9, 1*1, and 4*3.
8. Publish the Template Builder page.

Changes can take about 5–10 minutes to appear because of caching. To verify sooner, use a private window, another browser, or clear cookies and cache.

Clicking the game thumbnail takes the user to the game detail page. That layout is the Game Template Page.

Step 10: Configure the Game Template Page

The layout for an individual game is defined by the Game Template Page.

1. In Template Builder, open Template Pages.
2. Open Game Template Page.
3. If it is available for your site template, select VL Game Detail or VL Game Detail 02. The current Template Builder registers these modules for the Sports template; other template configurations may not show them.
4. Configure the game experience as needed. Available settings include:
   • Primary CTA and Secondary CTA (SVOD, Buy, Rent, TVE, FREE; secondary also has Not Applicable)
   • Show Highlights Tray
   • Enable Sharing
   • Hide Scores
   • Show Game Timer
   • Hide Set Alerts / Hide Buy Tickets
   • Show Monetization Badge
   • Show Sticky Widget
   • Show Title / Show Description
   • Show Add Event to Calendar Button
   • Localized labels such as Game Start In Text, Buy Tickets Text, and Set Alerts Text
   • Countdown, tab, and team colors
5. Publish the template.

Keep one default Game Template Page unless a specific game is assigned a custom template.

Event objects (related type)

Use Content Management → Event when you need an Event object, not a Game. Full steps: Create an Event Object.

Event create subtitle: An event represents a single event. An event can have different display attributes like team, venue, title, etc.

Event Editor uses the details field. Select Save on that tab after you edit the body.

Manual tray search chips include Game. They do not include an Event chip in the current curated search options. Programmatic trays can still set Content Type to Event.

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Write titles for viewers. Championship Final — City United vs Riverside FC works far better than game_final_v3.
• Create teams, venue, and livestream first, then link them on the game.
• Fill Schedule before you try to publish. Title, start, and end are part of the current validator.
• Set Current Game State so trays and the Game Template Page can show the correct pre / live / post treatment.
• Tag consistently. Programmatic trays depend on exact tag and category values.
• Complete SEO fields for games intended to receive search-engine traffic.
• Set monetization before publishing when the game must be restricted to subscribers.

FAQs

Q. Which fields are required to publish?
Title, Permalink, a 16:9 Landscape image, and Schedule Title, Start Date & Time, and End Date & Time.

Q. Where do I add Home Team and Away Team?
On Game Info, not on Content Metadata.

Q. Does Description appear for users?
Description is stored on the game. Whether a layout shows it depends on the Game Template Page (for example Show Description) and tray configuration. Do not assume it is hidden from users.

Q. Can I duplicate a game?
No. Duplicate is not available for Game.

Q. Can I edit a game after publishing?
Yes. Make the changes and select Update. Remember to use Save Schedule after schedule edits.

Q. I published the game but do not see it on Home.
Publishing adds it to the CMS library. You must also curate it onto a tray and publish that Template Builder page.

Q. Can I have more than one Game Template Page?
Yes, but only one is selected as the default.

Q. Should I use Event or Game?
Use Game for a match between teams with Game Info and Game States. Use Event when you need the Event object (including Editor) rather than the Game object. See Create an Event Object.

Important Information

• Create the game in Tools. Template Builder places the published object on pages and defines its detail layout.
• Title, Permalink, a 16:9 Landscape image, and a complete Schedule are the current publish requirements.
• Game has no Geo-Restrictions or Availability & Scheduling tab.
• Duplicate is not available for Game.
• Use /lowercase-path-with-dashes for the permalink.
• Template Builder thumbnail ratios use an asterisk, such as 16*9.
• Cache can delay frontend updates by 5–10 minutes.

Glossary

Contact Support

If you need help beyond this article, contact the ViewLift support team.

• Email: techsupport@viewlift.com
• Phone (US): +1-800-859-0420
• Phone (UK): +44-203-014-8921

Support hours: B2C requests are handled Monday to Friday. B2B support is available 24/7.