Jims Core

Jim’s Core Plugin — Admin Manual (Non‑Technical Guide)

1) General Settings (the foundation)

Use this page first. It tells the plugin which Division and Country you’re working with, controls SEO templates, and sets connectivity.

A) General Division Settings

  1. Choose a Division – Pick the division you are managing (e.g., Jim’s Mowing).
  2. Choose a Country – Select the country (e.g., AU, NZ).
  3. Click Save Changes (top‑right buttons on this page).

If options look empty or odd: Your website’s IP might need to be whitelisted. Contact Infotech (as the page notes) to whitelist the site’s IP.

B) Debug Mode

  • Toggle Enable Debug Mode off for normal operation.
  • Turn on only if support asks you to. It’s for troubleshooting.

C) Locations Settings (per page type)

For each Page Type (State, Region, Suburb, Franchise pages, Service + Location combinations, etc.):

  1. Template – Choose which site template to use for that page type.
  2. Page Title Pattern – Controls the browser/SEO title for that page type.
  3. Include in Sitemap? – Toggle on/off to add/remove that page type from the XML sitemap.

Good practice: Keep titles human‑readable (brand + page context). If unsure, leave defaults.

D) Meta Descriptions (per page type)

  • Enter a short summary used by search engines.
  • Aim for 140–160 characters; make it clear and specific to that page type.

E) Connectivity

  • Google Maps API Key – Paste a valid Maps JavaScript API key so maps and coordinates work correctly.
    • If you see map errors, your key is missing or restricted.

F) “Find a Jim” Version & Auto‑Update

  1. Choose Your “Find a Jim” Version – Select the backend environment you should use.
    • Local / Docker – For local testing only.
    • Staging – For pre‑production testing.
    • Production – For live sites (recommended for real traffic).
  2. Auto‑Update – Turn on to let the plugin auto‑fetch stable changes.
  3. Version Type –
    • Stable – Recommended (safer, tested releases).
    • Early – New features sooner (use only if you know why).

G) Utility Buttons

  • Save Changes – Stores everything on this page.
  • Clear Cache – Clears cached data (transients). Use after large content updates.
  • Update URL Routing – Flushes permalinks so new/changed slugs start working.

2) Manage Services

Use this to add/edit Services (e.g., Lawn Mowing, Gutter Cleaning). These drive which service pages and combinations exist.

Add or Edit a Service

  1. Click Add Service (or click an existing service in the list to edit).
  2. Fill the form:
    • Name – Public name (e.g., Lawn Mowing).
    • Slug – URL‑friendly name (lowercase, hyphens only). Example: lawn-mowing.
    • Thumbnail – Small image shown in lists/cards.
    • Icon – Simple icon (optional, used in some templates).
    • Teaser – Short blurb for cards/lists.
    • Description – Full description for the service page.
    • Meta Title / Meta Description – SEO fields for this service page.
    • FMS Service Assignment – Pick the related FMS Service so data stays consistent with the source system.
    • FAQs – Add any number of Question / Answer pairs → click Add FAQ to create rows.
  3. Click Save.

Search, Sort, and List

  • Use the search box and filters (top of the list) to find services.
  • Columns typically include ID, Name, Slug, Thumbnail, Icon, and Actions.

Tip: After renaming a Slug, go to General Settings → Update URL Routing to avoid 404s.

3) Manage Locations

Represents the geography you serve: States, Regions, Suburbs and any location overrides.

Add or Edit a Location

  1. Click Add Location (or select one from the list to edit).
  2. Fill the form:
    • Name – Public location name.
    • Slug – URL segment (lowercase with hyphens). Example: south-melbourne.
    • State – Choose from the list.
    • Region – Choose from the list (contextual to the State).
    • Post Code – Numeric postcode.
    • Description – Optional text shown on some templates.
  3. Click Save.

Search & List

  • Use the Search in locations… box and filters to quickly find locations.
  • Columns include ID, Name, Slug, State Code.

Overrides: Editing a location here can override synced data for display. Keep names/slugs consistent.

4) Manage Franchises

Add/edit Franchise entries and “For Sale” information.

Add or Edit a Franchise

  1. Click Add Franchise.
  2. Search for a location – Use the search box to link the franchise to the correct Location. (Use Region fields for better matching if needed.)
  3. Fill the form:
    • Hide listing – Hides the normal franchise page from public listings.
    • Show only FSE for sale page – Shows only the for‑sale page variation (use when a territory is explicitly for sale).
    • Name / Slug – Public name and URL.
    • State / Region – Select correct geography.
    • Profile Photo (FMS) – The photo coming from the source system (read‑only display).
    • Profile Photo (Override) – Upload/choose a custom replacement if needed.
    • For sale – Toggle if this franchise/territory is for sale.
      • Number of Regular Clients
      • Average Regular Cut Value
      • Cut Value of All Clients
      • Selling Price
      • Includes GST – Toggle if the price includes GST.
      • Description (For Sale) – The marketing blurb for the for‑sale page.
    • Google Maps – Coordinates – Latitude,Longitude (e.g., -32.934316, 151.725781).
    • Description – General franchise description.
  4. Click Save.

Search & List

  • Use the Search in franchises… box and filters.
  • Columns include Photo, FSE, FSE Code, FSE ID, Slug, State, etc.

Tip: If you switch “For sale” on/off, review SEO and templates for the related page types in General Settings.

5) Manage Content (default/variable text)

Set reusable and variable content for different page types (e.g., paragraphs, intros, blocks). Great for avoiding duplicate text across many location/service pages.

How to use

  1. You’ll see tabs for each supported page type (left → right). The currently active tab is highlighted.
  2. Each tab contains one or more content sections:
    • Click a section to edit content in the Edit variation content area.
    • Use Save to store changes.
  3. Reset Tab – Resets the currently selected tab to defaults.
  4. Reset All – Resets all tabs to defaults (use with care).

What’s “variation”? The plugin can rotate among multiple text variants so large sets of pages don’t all show identical copy. You just provide the variants; the plugin handles the rotation.

6) SEO Settings

This page currently offers global SEO groundwork and may expand over time. For now, most SEO controls live in General Settings → Locations Settings & Meta Descriptions and in the service/franchise forms (Meta Title/Description).

7) Daily workflow checklist

  • Confirm Division and Country (General Settings).
  • Add/edit Services and link each to the correct FMS Service.
  • Add/edit Locations (State → Region → Suburb) as needed.
  • Add/edit Franchises, set For sale details when relevant.
  • Update Manage Content for reusable text.
  • Review Meta Descriptions and Title Patterns per page type.
  • Save Changes, Update URL Routing, and Clear Cache after large updates.

8) Troubleshooting & tips

  • I don’t see divisions or lists are empty → Set Division/Country in General Settings. If still empty, ask Infotech to whitelist your site’s IP.
  • Map errors → Add a valid Google Maps API Key under Connectivity.
  • New slugs show 404s → Click Update URL Routing in General Settings.
  • SEO not updating → Check you edited the correct page type and clicked Save; then Clear Cache.
  • Performance feels slow → Use Clear Cache after large edits; keep Debug Mode off.

9) Glossary (quick meanings)

  • Division – The business division (e.g., Jim’s Mowing). Drives which services/data you see.
  • Country – Country context for locations and services.
  • Slug – The URL‑friendly part of a page link (no spaces, use hyphens).
  • FMS – External source system for services/franchises. Assigning an FMS Service links your service to official data.
  • Page Type – A category of pages (e.g., STATE_PAGE, REGION_PAGE, SUBURB_PAGE, FRANCHISE_PAGE, and Service‑Location combos) used for templates, titles, and sitemaps.

Need help?

If something looks off or options are missing, first Save Changes, then try Clear Cache and Update URL Routing. If it persists, contact Infotech with your site URL and a brief description of what you were doing.