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Guide to Site Publisher Templates - The meta.json File

Introduction

The meta.json file stores your Site Publisher template's information. Every Site Publisher template that you create must include a meta.json file in the main template directory. cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) uses this file to display template information and generate the form fields in the Customize and Publish step.

This file does not store user-entered information. The system stores that data in the configuration file for each Site Publisher website.

Important:

Each meta.json file must include the information hash and may include one or more hashes in the fields array.

The information hash

The information hash contains all of the data that cPanel uses for individual Site Publisher templates.

Parameter	Type	Description	Possible values	Example
`id`	string	Required The template ID. This value is also the template's directory name.	A valid string.	`my_template`
`name`	string	Required The template's display name. cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) displays this name in the Select a Template section.	A valid string.	`My Template`
`date`	string	The template's creation date. cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) uses this value to determine the template's display order in the list of templates. If you do not supply a value, the cPanel interface sorts the template to the end of the template list.	A valid date, in `YYYY-MM-DD` format, where: `YYYY` represents the four-digit year. `MM` represents the two-digit month. `DD` represents the two-digit day.	`2017-01-01`
`description`	string	Required The template's description. cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) displays this text in the Select a Template section.	A valid string.	`A one-page placeholder website.`
`preview_image_path`	string	Required The path to the template's preview image. Preview images must be at least 370 by 200 pixels. The system will automatically shrink larger images.	The path to a `preview.png` file, relative to the template directory. This file must use the `preview` filename and the `.png` file extension.	`img/preview.png`

The fields array

The fields array includes hashes of data for each custom field that the Customize and Publish section of cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) displays. You can use these variables in the Template Toolkit files in your template in order to allow users to customize the information that their websites display.

Parameter	Type	Description	Possible values	Example
`id`	string	Required The field's unique ID.	A valid string.	`description`
`label`	string	Required The field's label. cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) displays this label with the form field in the Customize and Publish section.	A valid string.	`Description`
`type`	string	Required The field type. This value determines the type of form field that cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) displays. Note: Older browsers may not support all HTML5 field types. Most older browsers revert to the `text` or `textarea` types for field types that they do not support. The way in which some HTML5 field types display depends on the specific browser and its version.	A Site Publisher-supported field type: `checkbox` — A checkbox. `color` — A color value. `date` — A date. `datetime` — A date, time, and timezone. `datetime-local` — A date and time. `email` — An email address. `month` — A month and year. `number` — A numeric value. `password` — A password. `range` — A numeric value within a range. `search` — A search field. `tel` — A telephone number. `text` — A single-line text box. `textarea` — A multi-line text box. `time` — A time. `url` — A URL. `week` — A week and year. For more information, read Mozilla's HTML5 `<input>` documentation.	`text`
`placeholder`	string	The default placeholder value that cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) displays before the user enters a value for the `email`, `number`, `password`, `search`, `tel`, `text`, `textarea`, and `url` field types. If you do not supply a value, the interface will not display placeholder text for that input field.	A valid string.	`This site is under construction.`
`min`	string	The minimum value that cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) will allow for a value in the `date`, `datetime`, `datetime-local`, `number`, or `range` field types.	For the `number` and `range` types, a valid integer. For the `date`, `datetime`, and `datetime-local` types, a valid date, in `YYYY-MM-DD` format, where: `YYYY` represents the four-digit year. `MM` represents the two-digit month. `DD` represents the two-digit day.	`2012-06-29`
`max`	string	The maximum value that cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) will allow for a value in the `date`, `datetime`, `datetime-local`, `number`, or `range` field types.	For the `number` and `range` types, a valid integer. For the `date`, `datetime`, and `datetime-local` types, a valid date, in `YYYY-MM-DD` format, where: `YYYY` represents the four-digit year. `MM` represents the two-digit month. `DD` represents the two-digit day.	`2014-03-29`
`value`	string	The default value for the `checkbox`, `color`, `date`, `datetime`, `datetime-local`, `month`, `range`, `time` or `week` field types. cPanel's Site Publisher interface (cPanel >> Home >> Domains >> Site Publisher) will preselect this value when it loads the selected template.	A valid value for the selected field type.	`#4acaa8`

Example

{
  "information": {
    "id": "my_template",
    "name": "My Template",
    "date": "2017-01-01",
    "description": "A one-page placeholder website.",
    "preview_image_path": "img/preview.png"
  },
  "fields": [{
    "id": "text_field",
    "label": "A Text Field",
    "type": "text",
    "placeholder": "This text will appear until the user enters a value."
  },
  {
    "id": "password_field",
    "label": "A Password Field",
    "type": "password",
    "placeholder": "This text will appear until the user enters a value."
  },
  {
    "id": "textarea_field",
    "label": "A Large Text Box",
    "type": "textarea",
    "placeholder": "This text will appear until the user enters a value."
  },
  {
    "id": "checkbox_item",
    "label": "Check the checkbox?",
    "type": "checkbox"
  },
  {
    "id": "color_field",
    "label": "Pick a Color",
    "type": "color",
    "value": "#4acaa8"
  },
  {
    "id": "date_field",
    "label": "Date",
    "type": "date",
    "min": "2012-06-29",
    "max": "2014-03-29"
  },
  {
    "id": "datetime_field",
    "label": "Date, Time, and Timezone",
    "type": "datetime",
    "min": "2012-06-29",
    "max": "2014-03-29"
  },
  {
    "id": "datetime-local_field",
    "label": "Date and Time",
    "type": "datetime-local",
    "min": "2012-06-29",
    "max": "2014-03-29"
  },
  {
    "id": "email_field",
    "label": "Email Address",
    "type": "email",
    "placeholder": "user@example.com"
  },
  {
    "id": "month_field",
    "label": "Month and Year",
    "type": "month"
  },
  {
    "id": "number_field",
    "label": "A Number",
    "type": "number",
    "min": "0",
    "max": "10"
  },
  {
    "id": "range_field",
    "label": "A Range",
    "type": "range",
    "min": "0",
    "max": "10"
  },
  {
    "id": "search_field",
    "label": "A Search Box",
    "type": "search",
    "placeholder": "This text will appear until the user enters a value."
  },
  {
    "id": "tel_field",
    "label": "A Telephone Number",
    "type": "tel",
    "placeholder": "555-555-1212"
  },
  {
    "id": "time_field",
    "label": "A Time",
    "type": "time"
  },
  {
    "id": "url_field",
    "label": "URL",
    "type": "url",
    "placeholder": "http://www.cpanel.com"
  },
  {
    "id": "week_field",
    "label": "A Week and Year",
    "type": "week"
  }]
}