# Public Pages

## Table of Contents

* [Overview](#overview)
* [How Public Access Works](#how-public-access-works)
  * [URL Conventions](#url-conventions)
  * [The Public Home Page](#the-public-home-page)
* [Menu-Driven Public Home Page](#menu-driven-public-home-page)
  * [How It Works](#how-it-works)
  * [Configuring the Public Navigation Menu](#configuring-the-public-navigation-menu)
  * [Coming Soon Items](#coming-soon-items)
  * [Linking the Menu to the Home Page](#linking-the-menu-to-the-home-page)
* [Public MicroStrategy Reports](#public-microstrategy-reports)
  * [Report Navigation](#report-navigation)
  * [Report Sections and Groups](#report-sections-and-groups)
  * [Page Filters](#page-filters)
  * [Print Mode](#print-mode)
* [Anonymous Access to Multi-Tier Pages](#anonymous-access-to-multi-tier-pages)
* [Public Pages vs. Authenticated Pages](#public-pages-vs-authenticated-pages)
  * [What Is Available Without Login](#what-is-available-without-login)
  * [What Requires Login](#what-requires-login)
  * [Session Timeout on Public Pages](#session-timeout-on-public-pages)
* [Common Scenarios](#common-scenarios)
* [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)

## Overview

Public Pages give members of the public access to selected reports and content without requiring a login. State education agencies can expose specific MicroStrategy data reports — such as school performance summaries or statewide statistics — to any visitor who has the URL. The public-facing experience uses a dedicated layout with its own navigation bar and branding, keeping it visually distinct from the authenticated portal.

Public Pages are an optional capability that must be enabled at the tenant level. When enabled, the navigation bar on public pages reflects the menu items configured specifically for public access, so visitors only see reports that are intentionally shared with the public.

## How Public Access Works

### URL Conventions

The application routes any URL whose path begins with `public-` to the public experience. This means visitors can reach a public page by navigating to a URL such as:

* `/public-home` — the public landing page
* `/public-reports` — a public report section (the exact path depends on the menu items configured for your deployment)

No account or login is required to view these pages. The application detects the `public-` prefix and automatically renders the public layout, bypassing all authentication checks.

Administrators configure which report menu items appear on public pages through the site settings. The public navigation bar is populated from a dedicated menu group, so only items explicitly placed in that group are visible to unauthenticated visitors.

### The Public Home Page

When visitors navigate to `/public-home`, they see a landing page assembled from widget content managed by administrators. The home page typically includes:

* A main content area with introductory text or highlights
* Two footer content areas for supplementary information or links

This content is maintained through the widget system under the `HOMEPAGE-PUBLIC` widget group. Administrators can update the text, links, and layout of the public home page without requiring a code change.

On deployments that use the menu-driven home page (see [Menu-Driven Public Home Page](#menu-driven-public-home-page) below), the layout also includes a top navigation bar and a set of explore cards, both driven by the configured public site menu.

## Menu-Driven Public Home Page

Some branded deployments render the public home page dynamically from a menu configured in Menu Admin, rather than from static content. When this feature is active, the home page displays:

* A **top navigation bar** with one link per child menu item in the configured public site menu.
* A **row of explore cards** — one card per child item — each showing the item's image, label, and a button that links to the item's configured destination.

Both the navbar and the explore cards are populated automatically whenever the menu configuration changes. No code change is required.

### How It Works

The portal reads the menu whose ID is stored in the **Public Site Menu ID** site setting (in the Public Site Navigation section of Site Settings). It loads that menu's direct child items and uses them to build both the top navbar and the explore cards, in the order the child items are sorted in Menu Admin.

Each child menu item contributes:

| Menu field           | Where it appears                                           |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Name                 | Navbar link label and card heading                         |
| Icon (image path)    | Card image                                                 |
| Path or External URL | Destination when the navbar link or card button is clicked |
| Parameters           | Appended to the destination URL                            |

### Configuring the Public Navigation Menu

To configure the menu that drives the public home page:

1. Navigate to Menu Admin (Administration menu > Menus).
2. Create or identify a parent menu item that will serve as the container for your public navigation items. This parent item does not appear on the home page itself — only its children are rendered.
3. Under the parent, create one child item for each section you want to appear. For a typical deployment with four explore areas, create four child items.
4. For each child item, set:
   * **Name** — the label that appears in the navbar and on the explore card.
   * **Icon** — the path to the image file to display on the explore card (for example, `/images/early-childhood.png`). The image is rendered as the card's visual.
   * **Route** or **External URL** — where the Explore button and navbar link navigate to. Leave both empty to mark the item as Coming Soon (see below).
   * **Parameters** — optional query-string parameters if the destination requires them.
   * **Sort Order** — controls the left-to-right display order of the navbar links and cards.
   * **Active** — must be checked for the item to appear.
5. Use **Sort Menus** on the parent to arrange the children in the intended display order.
6. Note the numeric ID of the parent menu item. You will need it in the next step.

### Coming Soon Items

If a section is not yet ready to go live, you can mark it as Coming Soon rather than removing it from the home page. A Coming Soon item shows a "Coming Soon" label on its explore card instead of an Explore button. The navbar link for a Coming Soon item may remain active (navigating to a placeholder destination) depending on how the item is configured.

Coming Soon behavior is determined automatically from the menu item's destination fields:

* **Empty destination** — if both Path and External URL are left blank, the card shows "Coming Soon" and the navbar entry is rendered as plain text (not a clickable link).
* **Placeholder widget destination** — if the path or URL is set to a widget or page whose identifier ends with `=SOON` (for example, a widget parameter of `id=SOON`), the card shows "Coming Soon" but the navbar link remains active and navigates to that destination. This allows you to link to a "coming soon" content page from the navbar while suppressing the Explore button on the card.

To mark a section as Coming Soon using the placeholder convention:

1. Create or configure a widget or report page that serves as the "coming soon" landing for that section.
2. In the menu item, set the Path or External URL to the address of that page, ensuring the identifier at the end of the URL includes `=SOON` (for example: `?widgetId=SOON` or a route with `id=SOON`).
3. Save. The card will render as Coming Soon; the navbar will remain a clickable link.

### Linking the Menu to the Home Page

After the menu is configured:

1. Navigate to Site Settings.
2. Scroll to the **Public Site Navigation** section.
3. Enter the parent menu's numeric ID in the **Public Site Menu ID** field.
4. Save. The public home page will immediately reflect the menu's child items.

## Public MicroStrategy Reports

The primary content on public pages is embedded MicroStrategy reports. These reports display educational data — such as assessment results, graduation rates, or school accountability metrics — in the same interactive format used by authenticated users, but without requiring visitors to sign in.

### Report Navigation

Public report pages use a three-tier layout that mirrors the authenticated reporting experience:

* A **left navigation panel** lists the report sections available within the current page. Clicking a section name switches the main content area to that section's reports.
* **Section groups** appear as tabs or links when a section contains more than one group of related reports. Click a group name to view the reports within that group.
* The **main content area** displays the selected report visualization.

The navigation panel is always visible on standard-width screens. On narrower screens, the layout adapts to keep the report content readable.

### Report Sections and Groups

Each public report page is organized into sections and groups:

* **Sections** represent broad topic areas, such as a category of accountability data or a specific program area. Each section appears as a link in the left navigation panel. Some sections include a short description that appears above the report to give visitors context.
* **Groups** are subdivisions within a section. When a section contains multiple groups, they appear as clickable labels just above the report area. Selecting a group loads the reports belonging to that group.

Groups of type "About" display descriptive text rather than a data visualization. These are used to provide background information about the data being presented.

### Page Filters

Some public report pages include filters that visitors can use to narrow the data. When filters are available, they appear above the report visualization. Typical filters include year selectors or organization selectors that let visitors focus on a specific school, district, or time period.

Changing a filter value refreshes the report to show data matching the selection. The filter panel is shown only when the page has been configured with at least one page-level filter.

### Print Mode

Public report pages support a print mode that prepares the report for printing or saving as a PDF. When print mode is activated, the navigation panels are hidden and the report expands to fill the available width. The browser's print dialog opens automatically once the report visualization has finished loading.

Print mode can be accessed by appending the appropriate parameter to a public report URL. Your administrator can provide the exact URL format used for your deployment.

## Anonymous Access to Multi-Tier Pages

On deployments where public access is enabled, anonymous (not logged-in) visitors can access multi-tier container pages directly via a URL in the form `/multi-tier?pid=...`. These pages display the same four-tier container layout that authenticated users see — including the site navigation bar and footer.

This means that bookmarks or shared links pointing to a `/multi-tier?pid=...` URL work without requiring the visitor to sign in first, as long as public access is enabled for the deployment.

To enable public access on your deployment, a system administrator must ensure the **Public Accessible** setting is turned on in Site Settings (under Maintenance and Access Settings). Without this setting, anonymous visitors are redirected to the login page.

If a visitor with a bookmark is unexpectedly redirected to the login page, contact your administrator to verify that the **Public Accessible** setting is enabled.

## Public Pages vs. Authenticated Pages

### What Is Available Without Login

When public access is enabled for the deployment, the following is available to unauthenticated visitors:

* The public home page with its configured widget content
* Any MicroStrategy report pages that are included in the public navigation menu
* Multi-tier container pages accessible via direct `/multi-tier?pid=...` URLs (when public access is enabled)
* The page-level filters associated with those report pages

The set of visible reports on public pages is intentionally limited to what administrators have explicitly configured for public access. Not all reports in the system are public.

### What Requires Login

The following always require an authenticated account:

* The full portal dashboard and authenticated home page
* All report pages not included in the public menu
* Administrative functions (report management, user management, site settings)
* User-specific features such as saved filter preferences and personalized dashboards
* Data entry forms and file upload features

### Session Timeout on Public Pages

Depending on the deployment configuration, a public session timeout may be active. If a visitor remains idle on a public page for longer than the configured timeout period — without moving the mouse, clicking, scrolling, or pressing keys — the browser automatically redirects to the authenticated home page. Activity of any kind resets the timer.

If you are reviewing data on a public page and the browser redirects unexpectedly, navigate back to the public URL to continue.

## Common Scenarios

**Sharing a link to a specific public report with a parent or community member.** Copy the URL from your browser while viewing the public report and share it directly. The recipient can open it without creating an account. The URL includes the path segment that identifies the correct page, so the report loads directly.

**Accessing a public report after being redirected away.** If you were viewing a public page and the browser redirected to the login screen (due to an inactivity timeout), navigate back to the original public URL. You do not need to log in to view public content.

**Printing or saving a public report.** Use the print-mode URL for the report if one is available, or use your browser's built-in print function from the standard public report page. Print mode removes the navigation elements so the report content fills the page cleanly.

**Finding which reports are available publicly.** Look at the navigation bar at the top of any `/public-` page. Only the items listed there are available without login. If a report you expected to find is not in the navigation, it has not been configured for public access.

**Adding a new section to the public home page explore cards.** Create a new child menu item under the parent menu that is referenced by the Public Site Menu ID setting. Set the name, icon image path, and destination route or URL. Set the sort order to position it among the existing cards. Save and verify the home page reflects the new card immediately.

**Temporarily hiding an explore card section that is not yet ready.** Rather than deleting the menu item, set both its Path and External URL fields to empty. The card will display as Coming Soon and the navbar entry will be rendered as plain (non-linked) text until you configure a destination.

## Troubleshooting

**The public page shows no navigation items.** The public navigation menu has not been configured, or the configuration has not been saved correctly. An administrator needs to verify that the **Public Site Menu ID** is set in the Public Site Navigation section of Site Settings and that menu items have been assigned to that menu group.

**The report does not load and no error appears.** The report page may not have any active groups or reports configured. An administrator should confirm that the report page contains at least one active group with at least one active report assigned to it.

**An error message reads "There are no reports setup for the report group."** The selected section group exists in the configuration but has no reports assigned to it. An administrator needs to add at least one report to the group, or deactivate the group so it is hidden from the public navigation.

**An error message reads "No groups have been set up."** The selected section has no groups configured beneath it. An administrator needs to add groups to the section or remove the section from the public page.

**The page redirects to the login screen immediately.** The public access feature may not be enabled for this deployment, or the URL you are using does not include the required `public-` prefix. Confirm the URL is correct. If public access is expected to be enabled, contact your administrator to verify that **Public Accessible** is turned on in Site Settings.

**The report appears but filters are missing.** Not all public report pages are configured with filters. If you expected filters to appear, an administrator may need to add page-level filters to the report page configuration.

**A `/multi-tier?pid=...` link redirects to login instead of opening the page.** Confirm that **Public Accessible** is enabled in Site Settings. If the setting is on and the redirect still occurs, contact your system administrator to verify that the container page is configured for anonymous access.

**The explore cards show the wrong images or broken images.** The **Icon** field on the corresponding child menu item may be missing or contain an incorrect image path. Edit the menu item in Menu Admin and confirm the Icon field contains a valid path to an image file accessible from the public portal URL.


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