Getting Started for Site Builders

Welcome! This guide will walk you through setting up a YMCA Website Services installation from start to finish.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to:

• ✅ Choose the right installation path for your YMCA
• ✅ Install YMCA Website Services using Composer
• ✅ Configure site basics (name, logo, taxonomy)
• ✅ Create your first webform
• ✅ Set up user roles and permissions

Estimated time: 45-60 minutes

Step 1: Choose Your Installation Path

Before installing, decide which solution fits your YMCA best.

Small Y Template (Recommended for Most) ⭐

Best for:

• Small to medium YMCAs
• Limited technical resources
• Want modern design out-of-the-box
• Need simplified administration

What’s included:

• Modern Carnation design system
• Layout Builder (drag-and-drop page building)
• Essential content types only
• Streamlined configuration
• Better performance

→ Learn more about Small Y Template

Full Distribution

Best for:

• Large YMCAs with complex needs
• Multiple branches with different requirements
• Custom development resources
• Need maximum flexibility

What’s included:

• All YMCA Website Services features
• Multiple themes and colorways
• Legacy Paragraphs support
• Advanced customization options

Step 2: Install YMCA Website Services

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure your server meets these requirements:

• Drupal: 11.1.x or higher
• PHP: 8.3 or higher
• Database: MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.6+
• Web Server: Apache 2.4+ or Nginx 1.18+
• Composer: 2.0 or higher

For detailed requirements, see Server Requirements.

Installation Steps

For Small Y Template:

# 1. Create a new project
composer create-project ycloudyusa/yusaopeny-project MY_YMCA_SITE --no-interaction

# 2. Navigate to the directory
cd MY_YMCA_SITE

# 3. Install Drupal
drush site:install openy_lily \
  --db-url='mysql://USER:PASS@localhost/DATABASE' \
  --account-name=admin \
  --account-pass=admin \
  --site-name='My YMCA'

For Full Distribution:

# 1. Create a new project
composer create-project ycloudyusa/yusaopeny-project MY_YMCA_SITE --no-interaction

# 2. Navigate to the directory
cd MY_YMCA_SITE

# 3. Install Drupal
drush site:install openy \
  --db-url='mysql://USER:PASS@localhost/DATABASE' \
  --account-name=admin \
  --account-pass=admin \
  --site-name='My YMCA'

Replace:

• USER - Your database username
• PASS - Your database password
• DATABASE - Your database name
• admin - Choose a secure admin password

First Login

1. Navigate to your site URL
2. Log in with username: admin
3. Use the password you set during installation

🎉 Congratulations! Your YMCA website is installed.

Step 3: Configure Site Basics

Now let’s configure your site’s essential settings.

Set Site Name and Logo

1. Navigate to Configuration > System > Site information
2. Update:
   • Site name: “My YMCA Name”
   • Slogan: Optional tagline
   • Email address: Your admin email
3. Click Save configuration

Upload Your Logo

1. Go to Appearance > Your active theme > Settings
2. Uncheck “Use the logo supplied by the theme”
3. Upload your YMCA logo (recommended: PNG, 200px wide)
4. Click Save configuration

Configure Taxonomy Vocabularies

Taxonomy helps organize your content. Set up these essential vocabularies:

Categories (for Articles/News)

1. Go to Structure > Taxonomy > News Categories
2. Click Add term
3. Add categories like:
   • Youth Programs
   • Aquatics
   • Wellness
   • Community Events
4. Click Save

Amenities (for Branches)

1. Go to Structure > Taxonomy > Amenities
2. Add amenities your branches offer:
   • Indoor Pool
   • Gymnasium
   • Childcare
   • Group Exercise Studio

Pro Tip: Set up your taxonomies before creating content - it makes categorization easier!

Step 4: Create Your First Webform

Webforms collect information from members and visitors. Let’s create a simple contact form.

Enable Webform Module (if not enabled)

drush en webform webform_ui -y

Create Contact Form

1. Go to Structure > Webforms
2. Click Add webform
3. Fill in:
   • Title: “Contact Us”
   • Description: “Get in touch with our team”
4. Click Save

Add Form Fields

1. Click Build tab
2. Add these fields:

Name Field:

• Click Add element > Text field
• Title: “Your Name”
• Check Required
• Click Save

Email Field:

• Click Add element > Email
• Title: “Email Address”
• Check Required
• Click Save

Message Field:

• Click Add element > Textarea
• Title: “Message”
• Check Required
• Rows: 5
• Click Save

Configure Email Handler

1. Click Emails/Handlers tab
2. Click Add handler > Email
3. Configure:
   • To email: your-team@ymca.org
   • From email: [webform_submission:values:email]
   • Subject: New Contact Form Submission
4. Click Save

Test Your Form

1. Click View tab
2. Fill out the form
3. Submit and check your email!

🎉 Success! You’ve created your first webform.

Step 5: Set Up User Roles and Permissions

Control what different users can do on your site.

Common Roles

YMCA Website Services includes these default roles:

Create a Content Editor User

1. Go to People > Add user
2. Fill in:
   • Email: editor@yourymca.org
   • Username: editor
   • Password: Create secure password
   • Roles: Check “Content Editor”
   • Status: Check “Active”
3. Click Create new account

Customize Permissions

1. Go to People > Permissions > Roles
2. Click Edit permissions next to “Content Editor”
3. Grant permissions like:
   • Create Landing Page (Layout Builder)
   • Edit own Landing Page (Layout Builder)
   • Use Layout Builder
   • Access media library
4. Click Save permissions

Security Tip: Follow the principle of least privilege - only grant permissions users actually need!

Next Steps

Now that you’ve set up the basics, explore these advanced topics:

Continue Configuring

Essential How-To Guides

• Use Two-Factor Authentication - Secure admin accounts
• Customize Location Maps - Google Maps integration
• Track & Analyze Users - Set up analytics
• Avoid Outdated Config - Prevent update issues

Deployment & Updates

• Configuration Management - Export/import config
• Drupal 10 → 11 Upgrade - Update your site
• Security Updates - Keep your site secure

Quick Reference

Common Drush Commands

# Clear cache
drush cr

# Enable a module
drush en module_name -y

# Export configuration
drush config:export -y

# Import configuration
drush config:import -y

# Update database
drush updb -y

# Check for security updates
drush pm:security

# Create admin login link
drush uli

Essential URLs

File Structure

MY_YMCA_SITE/
├── web/                    # Drupal root
│   ├── modules/           # Contrib & custom modules
│   ├── themes/            # Themes
│   └── sites/default/     # Site-specific files
├── config/                # Configuration files
├── vendor/                # Composer dependencies
└── composer.json          # Project dependencies

Need Help?

Troubleshooting

• Installation fails? Check System Requirements
• Permissions errors? See Troubleshooting Common Errors
• Composer issues? Review Composer Dependency Conflicts

Get Support

• Community Forum - Ask questions, share tips
• Monthly Community Calls - Live Q&A sessions
• GitHub Issues - Report bugs
• Troubleshooting Guide - Solutions by category

Best Practices

Security

• ✅ Change default admin password immediately
• ✅ Enable Two-Factor Authentication
• ✅ Keep modules updated
• ✅ Regular security audits
• ✅ Limit admin access

Performance

• ✅ Enable caching (Production)
• ✅ Aggregate CSS/JS files
• ✅ Use Redis or Memcache
• ✅ Optimize images
• ✅ Monitor database size

Maintenance

• ✅ Regular backups (daily database, weekly files)
• ✅ Test updates on staging first
• ✅ Export configuration regularly
• ✅ Monitor error logs
• ✅ Document customizations

Workflow

• ✅ Use configuration management
• ✅ Version control your config
• ✅ Staging → Production deployment
• ✅ Never edit production directly
• ✅ Keep deployment notes

Ready to build? Start creating content with the Content Editor Guide or configure advanced features! 🚀