The LPagery Source File Creator streamlines the process of generating pages by allowing you to set up data, placeholders, and functional settings within a single source file. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using the Source File Creator, including setting up your columns, adding data, and enabling Combination Mode for efficient page generation.
There are two versions of the source file creator:
If you have the free version of LPagery, go to this one.
If you have the paid version of LPagery, you can use the more advanced creator:
Open Pro Version Source File Creator
Step 1: Start from Scratch or Upload an Existing File
You have two options to start using the source file creator:
a) Start from Scratch:
Select Start from scratch to create a new source file within the LPagery interface. This interactive builder lets you add columns, rows, and customize settings directly.
b) Upload an Existing File:
If you already have a source file, choose Upload existing file to import your
.csvor.xlsxfile. This will pre fill the source file configuration table with the values from your existing file.
Step 2: Setting Up Columns (Placeholders and Functional Columns)
Columns represent the dynamic content LPagery will use to generate each page. You can add standard placeholders or functional columns for more advanced page features.
Add Basic Columns:
Click the
+icon in the Source File Configuration section.You can then choose one of the
Add Functional Columns:
Categories: Assign categories, such as
{Service} > {City}, to organize pages.Parent: Define a parent page to create a hierarchy (e.g., place "Drain Cleaning" under "New York Services").
Slug: Set custom URLs using placeholders (e.g.,
{service}-in-{city}), generating unique URLs like "drain-cleaning-in-new-york".Template: Choose specific templates for styling each page.
Status: Define the publication status (e.g., “Draft” or “Published”) for each page.
To learn more about functional columns read this article: Adjust page settings from your source file
Step 3: Adding Data to Columns
In this step, you’ll add data to each column using placeholders and functional columns. Below is an overview of each input option, with explanations on how they behave in Combination Mode.
Text Placeholder (Default Placeholder)
Input Data
Use the Text Placeholder to add dynamic content such as service names or locations. Enter values in each cell, for example, "Window Cleaning" or "New York."
Behavior in Combination Mode
In Combination Mode, each entry in the text placeholder column is combined with entries in other columns. This results in all possible combinations, allowing multiple services to be matched with multiple locations for example.
Image Placeholder
Input Data
The Image Placeholder allows you to set images dynamically for each generated page. The filename (e.g., header.jpg) should be placed in this column. Ensure it ends with a valid file extension such as .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, or .webp.
Behavior in Combination Mode
In Combination Mode, each image entry will be combined with entries in other columns, generating pages with unique images for every possible combination of values in the source file. In Combination Mode you can only insert one image value. We recommend using this value with placeholders to dynamically create images for each of the combinations.
To learn more about using image processing with LPagery, read this on: How to insert different images on each page or: How to create unique metadata for images on each page
Categories (lpagery_categories)
Input Data
Use the Categories column to assign categories to each page. You can specify a single category or multiple categories using the | separator (e.g., "Cleaning|Services"). For hierarchical categories, use > (e.g., "Services>Cleaning"). You can also use placeholders in the category column to get dynamic values.
Behavior in Combination Mode
In Combination Mode, categories are applied to each combination, allowing you to specify how pages are organized based on the combination of other placeholders. Here you can also only insert one value. To create dynamic categories use placeholders like: {service}. Then each created page will automatically have the category with the value of {service} assigned to it.
Parent (lpagery_parent)
Input Data
The Parent column defines a parent page for each generated page, creating a page hierarchy. Specify the parent by either page ID or slug (e.g., "New-York-Services").
Behavior in Combination Mode
In Combination Mode, each page will be associated with the specified parent, which is applied consistently across all combinations. If you want different parent pages based on combinations, you’ll need to customize this column accordingly.
To create dynamic parent pages use placeholders like: {service}. Then each created page will automatically have the parent page with the value of {service} assigned to it.
Make sure that you have a parent page for every possible combination if you are using this.
Slug (lpagery_slug)
Input Data
The Slug column allows you to create a custom URL slug for each page. You can use placeholders here to create unique URLs, such as {service}-in-{city}.
Template (lpagery_template)
Input Data
The Template column enables you to choose specific templates for each page. You can set this by the template ID or template slug.
Behavior in Combination Mode
In Combination Mode, the chosen template will be applied to each page generated, allowing for consistent styling. You can set different templates per combination if you want variation in design across generated pages by using placeholders.
Make sure that you have a template page for every possible combination if you are using this. We don't recommend using the lpagery_template column with Combination mode!
Status (lpagery_status)
Input Data
The Status column defines the publication status of each page (e.g., "publish", "draft", "private", "future"). This allows you to control the visibility of each page.
Behavior in Combination Mode
In Combination Mode, each page will inherit the status set here. For example, if the status is set to "draft," all pages generated from combinations will initially be drafts.
Step 4: Enable Combination Mode (Optional)
The Combination Mode automatically creates all possible combinations of values across columns, making it ideal for generating a high volume of pages without manually entering each combination.
Activate Combination Mode:
Toggle the Combination Mode switch to enable this feature.
When to Use Combination Mode:
If you want pages for every combination of services and locations, Combination Mode saves significant time.
Example: With three services and five cities, Combination Mode generates 15 pages, covering every service in each city.
Combination Mode vs. Non-Combination Mode:
Combination Mode: Creates every possible page combination (e.g., "Window Cleaning in Manhattan" and "Floor Cleaning in Brooklyn").
Non-Combination Mode: Generates one page per row, without extra combinations.
Step 4.1: Previewing Combinations
After enabling Combination Mode, you can preview the pages LPagery will generate.
Preview Feature:
Check a sample of the page combinations to ensure accuracy.
The preview also displays the total number of combinations, indicating how many pages will be created.
Step 5: Download the Completed Source File
Once your source file setup is complete:
Download File:
Click Download Source File or Generate Combinations to save your configuration.
Use Source File in LPagery
You can now use the created file in LPagery to create your pages.
Undo and Redo Options
If you need to make adjustments:
Undo (Cmd/Ctrl + Z): Revert recent changes.
Redo (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z): Restore reverted changes.