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Integrations

The integrations section of System Settings allows you to add select third party services into your website. This can include "Analytics" (i.e. Google Analytics), "Disqus" to add the ability for visitors to comment on blog posts), "reCAPTCHA" to control spam within your forms, and "Stripe" payment processors for the store and forms.

Analytics

Analytics helps you track how your website is being used. For example: how many visitors have opened your site and which pages they've viewed.

While all Analytics tools are designed to track usage of your site, they are not all created equal. There is a basic Analytics tool called Webalizer that is already attached to your website. Webalizer gives you a ballpark type view of activity on your site, but it is a free attachment that doesn't require a login and the results tend to be inflated by bots scanning your site.

Google Analytics not only provides more accurate information, it provides more kinds of information. Google Analytics is free. You will need a gmail.com email address to sign up for it.

Google instructions will provide you some HTML code for your website. All you need to do is enter your Tracking ID in the field provided. By activating the service, we will place the code on each page for you automagically.

Using another analytics provider is also possible.

Add Analytics to your website

Remember that the collection of Statistics only starts after you've setup the connection. It will not show any information prior to the setup in Integrations.

View Analytics

Disqus

It is possible to allow website visitors to comment on your blog. Comments are optional, but if you opt to use comments, you will need Disqus. Disqus is third party plugin that helps you manage comments posted to your Blog.

You can sign up for Disqus and integrate your Disqus account with your website

Signup Notes

There are two types of Disqus accounts.

  1. One allows you to make comments on other sites using Disqus
  2. The other allows your site to allow comments to be made

You'll want the one that allows comments to be made on your site.

You will be asked to start a trial based on a payment plan. According to notes hidden near the bottom of the page, "If you have not entered your billing information to confirm your subscription by the end of your trial, you will be automatically put on the Basic version of Disqus, which is free to use and supported by advertising. You have until the end of the trial to enter your billing information for your subscription."

This is a Disqus statement which is NOT supported by SimpleUpdates.

reCAPTCHA v3

Creating forms on your website allows visitors to your website to send you a message, but it has one drawback. Forms added to your website can be accessed by humans and non-humans. The non-human programs that automatically fill out forms and submit them create spam. You can eliminate most of the spam by adding “reCAPTCHA” to your website. reCAPTCHA will verify the submission process is done by a human and not an automated process. reCAPTCHA does a great job of eliminating most of these unwanted submissions. It will automatically add an "I'm Human" checkmark to each of your forms but it is not invasive to your visitors.

You can choose to integrate reCAPTCHA on your forms to help prevent spam submissions. It is easy to sign up for a free account, and the steps are simple to complete. When you have completed the integration with ReCaptcha, all of your public forms will contain the spam prevention check at the end of the form.

Note: reCAPTCHA is optional - BUT . . . 

If you choose to integrate reCAPTCHA on your website, you will get email containing the message from the form. You can then reply to the email.

If you opt NOT to integrate reCAPTCHA, you will receive an emailed notice that a form submission has been made. You will then need to go to forms and view the messages online. If you wish to respond, you will need to copy and paste the email address into your email processor as the Forms responses list is only a list. You cannot respond directly from the list.
 

Setup Instructions for reCAPTCHA:

From the black admin bar on the left, click Settings > Integrations you can scroll down and see the reCaptcha area. The 'more info' link (top right of the reCAPTCHA section) will take you to the link below.

You can apply here: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/

Note: You will need a google email account so if you don't already have one, pause and go create one at:
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/56256?hl=en

  1. On the reCAPTCHA site, click the "Admin Console" link at the top right of the screen.
  2. Give your account a label. The name of your website works well. Note: because it is possible - though not probable - to set up multiple websites on the same account it is important to distinguish them from each other. 
  3. Select the option: reCAPTCHA v2, and then select "I'm not a robot" Checkbox.
  4. Domains: you will want to add ALL the domain names that are associated with your website. If you are not sure what domain names are associated with your website, you can go to your website, Settings, Domains and Email where you will find a list of ALL associated domain names.

    Note: a domain name does not use http or www
    1. A correct domain name: mychurch.com
    2. incorrect domain name: www.mychurch.com
    3. incorrect domain name: https://mychurch.com
  5. Optional: If you'd like to add other owners to this Label, add their email addresses.
     
  6. Accept the reCAPTCHA Terms of service
  7. Indicate whether or not you (and any other owners you've added) would like to get alerts.
  8. Submit the form. On screen you will see two alphanumeric gibberish keys - a Site Key and a Secret Key.
  9. Copy and Paste these keys into the fields also named 'Site Key' and 'Secret Key' on the integrations page of your website.
  10. Save the integrations page. (you may have to scroll down to see the save button on the bottom left.
    When you have added these keys and saved the page all the forms your website has now and will create in the future, will be automatically protected with reCAPTCHA.

reCAPTCHA will stop the automated (non-human) filling out of your forms which is the most common reason for receiving email with content not relating to your website. Keep in mind that real people get paid to fill out these forms with advertising messages. Spam blockers do not stop real people.

Payment Processors

The Adventist Church & School Connect platforms support Stripe as the primary supported payment processor. We have selected Stripe because of its industry leadership, low fees, and ease of use. Creating a Stripe account is free and easy. There are no recurring monthly fees. You are only billed around 3% of sales as a transaction processing fee. You can setup your free account here: https://dashboard.stripe.com/register

The steps you will perform:

  1. Create your stripe account
  2. Verify your email address by clicking the link in an email that Stripe will send you
  3. Fill out the Business Settings page. This will be how Stripe moves funds into your bank account.
  4. Confirm your Business Settings.
  5. Go to your website Integrations page, and in the Payment Processor section, click "Connect with Stripe" and follow the simple steps.
  6. All set!
     

Zoom

The Adventist Church & School Connect platforms support integrating with Zoom to publish your Zoom meeting information directly on your website. For this integration to work, you will need a dedicated zoom host account. Once this is complete, you can integrate that account with your website.

This integration is a two-step process. First you will need to connect the Adventist Church & School Connect App with your Zoom account. Once this integration step is complete, you will be able to add meeting information to the content of your website.

Connect Your Website with Your Zoom Account

  1. On the black Admin bar to the left of your website, click the Settings link
  2. Click the Integrations icon
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the blue"Connect to Zoom" button
  4. This will take you to Zoom's authentication site where Zoom will ask you to login to your account
  5. Zoom and your website will talk to each other and when they've reached an understanding you'll be sent back to the Integration page
  6. All that's left for you to do is click the blue "Save" button at the bottom of the page.

Note: once this Integration is complete you will be able to add meeting information to content on your website. See Adding a Zoom Block for instructions

Uninstallation of Zoom

To disable Zoom, log into your Zoom account, access the Marketplace, and uninstall the "SimpleUpdates" app.  Public view of any meeting connections you've added to your website content will be disabled.

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