Create a Team Object

Introduction

A team is a group of people associated with your content. It is most often used for sports, but it can represent any group you need to attach to videos, games, or other objects. You create the team object in ViewLift Tools, complete identity and branding, then place it on site pages in Template Builder.

This article explains how to add a new team, complete the object, publish it, and place it on the site.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to help you:

• Create a new team object in ViewLift Tools
• Fill in the metadata and images required to publish
• Complete Team Information (short name, colors, and related IDs)
• Know how to place the team on trays and which Template Page renders it

Scope

This article covers:

• Creating a team in ViewLift Tools → Content Management → Team
• Completing the team object (metadata, images, team information, geo, editor, season records)
• Publishing the team
• The required Template Builder points for trays and the Team Template Page

It does not cover full Template Builder how-to (that is a separate documentation set), creating people, or creating leagues. Team Stats Page, Team Roster Page, and Team Schedule Page are separate Template Builder layouts; those steps live in the Template Builder documentation. For videos, see Create a VOD Object.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Access to ViewLift Tools with permission to create and publish team content
• Access to Template Builder
• A 1:1 Square image (recommended 1200 × 1200 px), already cut to size — Tools does not crop images for you. This is the required image for a team (not 16:9)
• Person objects already created if you want to link a roster now (you can also link later)
• Your metadata ready before you start: title, tags, and categories

Example used in this article
Throughout the steps below we use one running example — a team called City United. Replace the sample values with your own.

Step 1: Open Team 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 Team.

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

The Team list shows existing team objects. You can search by title, tag, or category. This list does not have a VOD-style status filter.

Step 2: Create a Team Object

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

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

Permalink is not set in this dialog. It is generated on the detail page — editorialize it before you publish (see Step 3).

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

Step 3: Complete Content Metadata

Open the team. The detail page sidebar includes Content Metadata, Manage Images, Team Information, Geo-Restrictions, Editor, Season Records, and Metadata & Macros.

Start with Content Metadata.

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

To link a person or a league, that object must already exist in Tools.

Permalink guidelines

Use the same rules as other content types:

• Start with a slash (/)

• Lower-case letters only

• No spaces or special characters except dash (-) or underscore (_); dashes are preferred

• No leading or trailing whitespace

• Keep it SEO-friendly (about 59 characters)

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

• Good: /city-united

• Avoid: /City United_FC_final

You can change the permalink later if you need a better URL.

Step 4: Manage Images

Open Manage Images.

The 1:1 Square image is required to publish. Recommended size: 1200 × 1200 px. Upload images already cropped to the correct aspect ratio. Tools does not crop for you.

Unlike video and series, 16:9 Landscape is not required for a team. If it is missing, Tools shows Please upload a mandatory 1:1 Square image.

Figure 4. Manage Images. 1:1 Square is required for a team.

Step 5: Team Information

Open Team Information. This is the step that is unique to teams.

Identity

External IDs & Order

Branding

Settings

• Owner Team
• Personalize

Tools saves when you leave a field or toggle a switch.

Step 6: Geo, Editor, Season Records, and Macros

Complete the sections your service uses before you publish.

Geo-Restrictions

Team geo uses Zipcode Groups only. There is no license list on a team. Select groups from Select Zipcode Groups.

Editor

Open Editor to add long-form team copy (rich text). Select Save on that tab when you finish.

Season Records

Under Season Settings, set:

• Current Season — REG, PST, PIT, or PRE
• Season Year

Tools shows Win, Loss, and Points for REG, PST, PIT, and PRE. Those numbers are display-only on this tab.

Metadata & Macros

Extra metadata and playback macros if your site uses them. Select Add Metadata to add a row.

Step 7: Publish the Team

Required before publish:

• Title
• Permalink
• 1:1 Square image

Short Name is required on Team Information (asterisk in the form). Set it before you consider the object complete.

1. When you are ready, select Publish to go live now.
2. Or use Schedule to publish at a later date and time.
3. After publish, use Update for further metadata changes, Unpublish to take it down, or Archive to retire it.

Duplicate is not available for teams in ViewLift Tools. Create a new team if you need a similar title.

Figure 5. Team detail header. Use Publish (or Schedule) to go live in the CMS.

The team is now in the CMS library. It does not appear on the website until you curate it onto a page or a user opens its permalink (which uses the Team Template Page).

Step 8: Curate the Team on a Template Builder Page

To show the team on Home (or any Modular Page):

1. Open AppCMS → Edit Template Builder.
2. Open Modular Pages and find the page (for example, Home).
3. Add or select a tray module. Typical trays:
   • VL HighlightTray
   • VL LandscapeTray
   • VL Vertical Tray
4. Open module settings and set a tray title, for example Championship Clubs.
5. Choose Content Selection:
   • Manually Curate — search for the team. In the Content Type list it appears as Team.
   • Programmatically Generate — fill the tray from tags or categories. For example, generate from the tag championship.
6. Set Content Type to Team (or Any) if the tray filters by type.
7. In Thumbnail Type, choose the ratio that matches the images you uploaded. Template Builder writes these with an asterisk — use 1*1 when the tray shows square team marks. Other values include 16*9, 3*4, 32*9, 9*16, 4*3.
8. Publish the Template Builder page.

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

Clicking the team thumbnail takes the user to the team detail page. That layout is the Team Template Page. Keep one default Team Template Page unless this team is assigned a custom template.

Team Stats Page, Team Roster Page, and Team Schedule Page are separate Template Builder layouts. Tray modules and those pages are covered in the Template Builder documentation.

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Write titles for viewers. City United works far better than team_final_v3.
• Set Short Name as soon as you create the team. It is the compact label used where the full title does not fit.
• Upload a 1:1 mark, not a cropped 16:9 frame, as the required image.
• Create people first, then attach them under Players.
• Tag consistently. Programmatic trays are built from tags and categories.
• Upload images at the exact ratio. Tools does not crop for you.

FAQs

Q. Why is there no Description on Content Metadata?
Long-form copy for a team is on Editor, not on Content Metadata. There is also no Description in the create dialog.

Q. Can I publish without a 16:9 image?
Yes. For a team, Tools requires a 1:1 Square image, plus title and permalink.

Q. What is Short Name for?
It is the compact label (for example a three-letter code) used where the full title does not fit. It is required on Team Information.

Q. Do I add players on the team object?
Link existing Person objects under Players on Content Metadata. Create those people as Person content first.

Q. Can I duplicate a team?
No. Duplicate is not available for teams in ViewLift Tools. Create a new team.

Q. Can I edit a team after publishing?
Yes. Open the team, change what you need, and select Update. You do not have to unpublish first. Editor copy still needs Save on the Editor tab.

Q. I published the team but I do not see it on Home.
Publishing adds it to the library. You still need to curate it onto a tray (manually or by tag/category) and publish that Template Builder page. Allow a few minutes for cache.

Q. Which Template Page does a team use?
The Team Template Page. Stats, roster, and schedule use Team Stats Page, Team Roster Page, and Team Schedule Page.

Important Information

• Create the team object in Tools. Template Builder only places that object on pages and defines the detail layout.
• The required image is 1:1 Square, not 16:9.
• Set Short Name on Team Information before you consider the object complete.
• Team geo is zipcode groups only. Team has no SEO, Availability, Monetization, Quick Settings, or Version History tab.
• Upload images at the correct aspect ratio. Tools will not crop them.
• Use the same permalink style as other content: /lowercase-path-with-dashes.
• Tray thumbnail type must match the image ratios you uploaded (especially 1*1 for team marks).
• 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.

After the team is published in Tools, users can open it on the site by permalink, or from a tray after you curate it in Template Builder. The detail layout is the Team Template Page.