Create an Event Object

Introduction

An event is a scheduled occasion that is not modeled as a two-team match. Use it for fan festivals, watch parties, opening ceremonies, and other non-match programming. You create the event object in ViewLift Tools, complete metadata, schedule, and an optional Editor body, then place it on site pages in Template Builder.

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

Game is a separate content type. Use Game for a match with home and away teams. See Create a Game Object.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to help you:

• Create a new event object in ViewLift Tools
• Complete the metadata, images, schedule, players, broadcasters, and Editor body required for publication
• Know how to place the event on trays and which Template Page type applies

Scope

This article covers:

• Creating an event in ViewLift Tools → Content Management → Event
• Completing the event object (metadata, images, Schedule, Players, Broadcaster, Editor)
• Publishing or scheduling the event
• The required Template Builder points for trays and the Event Template Page

It does not cover Game Info, Game States, Monetization, Related Videos, or SEO tabs — those are not on the Event editor. For a match page, see Create a Game Object. For livestreams and videos you attach to the event, see Create a Live Object and Create a VOD 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 event 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
• Venue objects already created if you want to set a venue on the schedule
• Person objects if you want to link players or talent now
• Live objects if you want to attach livestreams, and VOD objects if you want highlights or a preview video
• Your metadata ready: title, description, tags, and categories

Example used in this article
Throughout the steps below we use one running example — an event called Championship Fan Festival. Replace the sample values with your own.

Step 1: Open Event 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 Event.

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

The Event list shows existing event objects. You can search by title, tag, or category.

Do not use Game in the content-type selector if you are creating a non-match event. Game is a different object with Game Info and Game States.

Step 2: Create an Event Object

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

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

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

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

Step 3: Complete Content Metadata

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

• Basic Details — Content Metadata, Manage Images
• Additional Metadata — Metadata & Macros
• Other Details — Schedule, Players, Broadcaster, Editor, Version History

Start with Content Metadata.

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

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

Event does not have Parental Rating, Redirect URL, Airtable ID, Teams on Content Metadata, or an editable External ID field. 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-fan-festival

• Avoid: /Championship Fan Festival_Event_12345

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

Step 4: Upload Images

Open Manage Images.

The required image for an event 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 Schedule, Players, and Broadcaster

Schedule

Open Schedule. Event 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.

Figure 5. 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 people associated with this event. The search placeholder is Select Players. Example: Alex Moore.

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 event.

Step 6: Write the Event Body (Editor)

Open Editor. Use this tab for the long-form event copy: lineup, gates, how to attend, and similar details. The editor placeholder is Add Content Here.

Current editor capabilities include:

• Paragraphs and Heading 1–6
• Font family, text color, and highlight color
• Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, and inline code
• Bullet, numbered, and task lists
• Left, center, right, and justified alignment
• Links, tables, blockquotes, code blocks, and horizontal rules
• Image upload
• Image gallery and image grid
• Media insertion from an embed URL or from the VOD library
• Undo, redo, and clear formatting

1. Add and format the body copy. Example opening: Gates open at 10:00 at United Park. Player appearances begin at noon.
2. Insert images or media where needed.
3. Select Save at the bottom of the Editor tab.

Editor changes are not complete until you select Save. Event does not calculate an article-style read time.

Figure 6. Editor. Add the event body, use the text and media toolbars, then select Save.

Step 7: Configure Additional Event Settings

Metadata & Macros

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

Example: key sponsor, value Acme Sports.

Version History

Open Version History to review event 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.

Event does not have Monetization, Game Info, Game States, Related Videos, Geo-Restrictions, Availability & Scheduling, or SEO tabs in the current sidebar.

Step 8: Publish the Event

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, and Editor body 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 event down, or Archive to retire it.

Preview becomes available for a published event.

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

Figure 7. Event detail header. Use Publish to publish now or the calendar control to schedule publication.

Publishing adds the event 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 Event on a Template Builder Page

To show the event 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 Fan Festival.
5. Choose Content Selection:
   • Manually Curate — set Content Type to Event, then search. The mixed-type search chips include Game and Article but do not include an Event chip.
   • Programmatically Generate — populate the tray from tags or categories. Set Content Type to Event. Event does not add Game Start Date / Game End Date fetch strategies; those apply when Content Type is Game.
6. 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.
7. 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.

Step 10: Event Template Page

The Template Builder page type for an individual event is Event Template Page.

1. In Template Builder, open Template Pages.
2. Open Event Template Page.

The current Template Builder registers VL Game Detail and VL Game Detail 02 on the Game Template Page for the Sports template. It does not register matching Event or Fight detail modules in that same Sports module list. Do not expect a VL Event Detail block unless your site’s Template Builder package includes one.

If your Event Template Page has no detail module, place the event on Modular Page trays (Step 9) and confirm with your implementation team how the event permalink is rendered.

Keep one default Event Template Page when more than one exists and your site uses this page type.

Troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Write titles for viewers. Championship Fan Festival works far better than event_fanfest_v3.
• Use Event for non-match occasions. Use Game when you need Home Team, Away Team, and Game States. See Create a Game Object.
• Fill Schedule before you try to publish. Title, start, and end are part of the current validator.
• Save the Editor after body edits. The tab does not auto-save.
• Create venue, people, and livestream first, then link them on the event.
• Tag consistently. Programmatic trays depend on exact tag and category values.

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. Should I use Event or Game?
Use Event for a single occasion that is not a two-team match (this article). Use Game for City United vs Riverside FC and similar fixtures.

Q. Where do I set Home Team and Away Team?
Those fields are not on Event. They are on Game Info for a Game object.

Q. Can I add monetization or SEO on Event?
The current Event sidebar does not include Monetization or SEO tabs.

Q. Can I duplicate an event?
No. Duplicate is not available for Event.

Q. Can I edit an event after publishing?
Yes. Make the changes and select Update. Remember to use Save in Editor and Save Schedule after schedule edits.

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

Important Information

• Create the event in Tools. Template Builder places the published object on pages.
• Title, Permalink, a 16:9 Landscape image, and a complete Schedule are the current publish requirements.
• Event has no Game Info, Game States, Monetization, Related Videos, Geo-Restrictions, Availability & Scheduling, or SEO tab.
• Editor body changes require Save.
• Duplicate is not available for Event.
• 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.