3. Settings (After Installation)

3.1 Global Search Engine Settings
      3.1.1 General Settings
      3.1.2 HTML File Generation Settings
      3.1.3 Directory/Category Listing Settings
      3.1.4 Search Settings
      3.1.5 New Submission Settings
      3.1.6 Comment/Review Submission Settings
      3.1.7 Control Panel Settings
      3.1.8 What's New & Top Hits Settings
      3.1.9 New & Popular Indication Settings
      3.1.10 Modifying Links Settings
3.2 HTML Generation Resource Usage
3.3 Customize Emails
      3.3.1 New Submission Emails
      3.3.2 New Premium Submission Emails
      3.3.3 User Registration System Emails
      3.3.4 Link Modification Emails
3.4 Text Configurations
3.5 Extra Field/Key Settings
      3.5.1 How to add an extra field
      3.5.2 Changing Extra Field Settings
      3.5.3 Removing Extra Fields
3.6 User Extra Fields/Keys Settings

Overview

Once PowerSeek has been installed, you may want to change the way in which your Directory & Search Engine operates. If you do not understand some settings explained here, don't worry. At a later stage when you are more acquainted with PowerSeek, you'd most likely come back to this section and tweak PowerSeek to your needs with the various settings and options it provides you with.

Click on the 'Settings' tab in the control panel to set the settings & options.

3.1. Global Engine Settings

3.1.1 General Settings

Are you going to run a static or dynamic directory? A static Directory is where you generate a complete browsable set of HTML files that is browsable. Light on server resources, search engine friendly and highly recommended. Note that you will have to generate the files by clicking the 'Dir Manager' button. Then click 'Generate HTML files'. When any links are changed or added, the HTML files will have to be regenerated to reflect the changes.From versions 3.0 there is an update function to only update changes to files when links have changed so that you don't have to re-generate everything. A dynamic directory is where HTML files are generated on the fly while users browse the directory. All changes to links and directories/categories are immediate and no HTML files needs to be generated. We recommend that you go for a static directory if you have under 15 000 links. Also see: 6. How to run a Static or Dynamic Directory Next Page Text This is the link text used where the end- user can click to go to a next page of link listings in categories. Previous Page Text This is the link text used where the end user can click to go to a previous page of link listings.

 

Text before number of pages

When there is more than 1 page containing link listings the number of pages with links to the pages are displayed. For example:
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Separator between next and previous page:

This separator will be used when for example the text 'Next Page' and 'Previous Page' are displayed next to each other. Example: Next Page | Previous Page

Category separator

This is the separator used when displaying the current location of where the end-user is currently residing.
Examples:
Top : Entertainment : Movies : By Genre : Action
Top >> Entertainment >> Movies >> By Genre >> Action

No comments text

Each link has the option of having comments that is also referred to as reviews. When end-users view comments and there is no comments available for the link then this text will be displayed.

Open new windows for links in directories/categories

When this is set to 'Yes', links residing in the directories/categories will open in new windows when clicked.

Number of links displayed next to directories/categories?

If set to ‘Yes, then the number of links will be displayed next to directories/categories in brackets when subdirectories are listed in directories/categories. This setting only affects the display of the pages displayed to end-users and has no effect in the control panel.

Hide URL's when displaying link listings

If set to 'Yes', URL's won't be visible when end users browse categories or search for link listings. (URL's won't display in the status bar of the browser) and the URL's will not be able to be harvested by site rippers and crawlers. Note that if this is set to 'No', that hits won't be counted. When this is set to ‘Yes’ then all URL's in the search engine will have a URL that looks like this: http://www.yourdomain.com/cgi-bin/pseek/go.cgi?id=234

What date format should be used when displaying dates?

Choose a date format. This date format will be used when displaying all dates when end-users use your search engine.

 

3.1.2 HTML File Generation Settings

Generated File Extensions All HTML files that are generated by PowerSeek will have the file extension specified.

Default Index File

This is the first file in any generated directory that will be loaded when no file name was given to access a directory. Other index files can be for example, index.htm, default.htm, etc. Web servers are usually configured to load up a default file when no file was specified in the address bar of a web browser. The web server will for example load a default index file if the following URL is loaded in a browser:
http://www.yourdomain.com/somewhere/

Generating from telnet/ssh

If this is set to ‘Verbose’ then build details will be shown in the console when generating HTML files from telnet/ssh. If it is set to ‘Silent’, then no details will be displayed in the console when generating HTML files. The ‘Silent’ setting can come in handy if you generate HTML files via Unix Cron.

Also see:
6.1 How to run a static directory
6.1.1 Generating the HTML files from the admin control panel
6.1.2 Generating the HTML files from Telnet or SSH
6.1.3 Using cron to generate your HTML files on a scheduled basis

3.1.3 Directory/Category Listing Settings

Listings in Directories Sorted by

You may choose one of the following options.

Popularity
Each vote, hit & rating receives a score and the link listings with the highest scores are listed first.

Alphabetical
Link listings are alphabetically listed in directories/categories

Hits
Link listings are sorted from most hits (clicks) to least hits

Votes
Link listings are sorted from most votes to least votes

Ratings
Link listings is sorted from highest to lowest rating

Newest to Oldest
List listings from latest to oldest or from oldest to latest.

Number of listings per page

This setting is used to determine what number of links should be displayed on a ‘per page’ basis inside categories when end-users browser your directory.

Substitute with the following text if the category has no title and %%custom_pagetitle%% has been used:

When adding a category a title may be specified for the category. (This is not the category name). This title can be used as a page title. (The title between the <title> tags of the category page.) This can come in handy when search engines index/spider the category as the page title will be displayed on other search engine  results. You can for example name the title of the category something that people frequently search for at other search engines. Note that the category template (normally defdir.html) will need to have the variable %%custom_pagetitle%% between the title tags.

If you are using an uploaded image with link listings and there is no image for the link listing then you can specify the path to a default image that will display: (Leaving it blank will results in nothing being displayed)

When links contain uploaded images then this image will be displayed if some links do not have images. It can also be referred to a default image.

Would you like uploaded images displayed with link listings to have a fixed width and height? If so then please supply the width and height. If not then set the values to be zero.

This setting sets the width and height of uploaded images. Note that this setting is global and the width and height will be applied to all uploaded images when displaying it to end users.

Enable image uploading from submission forms?

If this is set to 'No' then image uploads will not be accepted regardless of the image upload box and button on Add URL or Modify Forms.

What is the maximum size of an image file that may be uploaded?

This is the maximum file size of uploaded images that will be accepted. The image will not be accepted when a user attempts to upload a file larger than the size specified in this setting.

 

3.1.4 Search Settings

Search Method

PowerSeek's Relevance Formula
Higher accuracy than FULLTEXT searching but requires more resources than MySQL's FULLTEXT searching.

MySQL's FULLTEXT Searching
Faster searching with larger amounts of links and highly recommended for directories with tens/hundreds of thousands of links.

What to use when a search revealed no matches

Use and display the template called 'nomatch.html'
Use this to display the ‘no match’ template. You can customize this template to explain to end users that the keywords they are searching for was not found and that they should try to use more or different keywords. Recommended

Use the template called searchres.html with the 'no match text below'
Use the default search template and only display a message to end users.

Text when a search revealed no matches

If you have chosen to display a message to end-users when their searches did no reveal any matches, then this message would be displayed to them.

Open new windows for links from search results

Set this to 'Yes' if you would like links to open in new windows when clicked from the search results.

Number of listings per page:

This setting is used to determine what number of links should be displayed on a ‘per page’ basis when displaying search results.

Remove duplicate links from search results?

When there is identical links in different categories with the same URL then only one instance of this link will be displayed in search results.

Number of listings per page when searching categories from advanced search form:

This is the number of links that will be displayed on a 'per page' basis when visitors use the advanced search function.

Separator to separate categories in category search results when searching categories from advanced search form:

Categories will be separated by this character when category searches are done.

Would you like to use flood control?

If a visitor repeatedly press the search button in more than a certain amount of time then only one search will be performed and not the number of times the visitor clicked the button. This prevents a situation where visitors can overload the server.

Number of seconds to wait when a user tries to press the search button (flood the search script) continuously.

If the search button is pressed more than once in a 2 second time period for example then this is the amount of time the script will wait before attempting the search. If you are not sure about this value, leave it at 2 seconds.

 

3.1.5 New Submission Settings

These settings have relation to new submissions from end-users.

Would you like to use the user registration system?

If you use this then users will be required to register an verify their email addresses before they are able to submit links. Note that different 'Add URL' and 'Link Modify' templates are used as this option provides a control panel to users who submit links. Click the template manager tab for more details from the main control panel when this setting has been enabled.

Would you like users to register an account to be able to post comments for links?

Require visitors to register an account before they may post comments. This should be a good deterrent to spammers trying to spam the search engine with comments.

Would you like users to register an account to be able to rate links?

Require visitors to register an account before they may rate links.

What 'Add URL' form will you be using?

You can use 1 of two sets of ‘add URL’ pages.

Medium Sized Search Engine: The 'add url' form for medium sized search engines is recommended for search engines that is using less than 2000 directories. The directory tree is available as a dropdown box on the submission form.

Large Sized Search Engine: The 'add url' form for large sized search engines is recommended for Search Engines that has more than 2000 directories. The directory tree is not available as a dropdown box on the submission form. Users have to go to the directory where they would like to submit a new URL and then click on the 'add URL' link. The Large Sized Search Engine Add URL form or page is used because when there is too much directories, then the ‘Add URL’ page takes to long to load because the drop down box has so many categories. In the Large Sized Search Engine Add URL form the drop down box isn’t available which solves the problem.

Also see:
5.14 Customizing The Add URL Template Plug-Ins
8.1.1 Medium-Sized and Large-Sized Search Engines Add URL Forms

Maximum Number of Description Characters

This is the maximum number of characters allowed in the description field when a link is submitted from the ‘Add URL’ form by an end-user.

Check for duplicates when new URL's are submitted?

When set to ‘Yes’, all submitted URL's are checked if they would create duplicates. If duplicates are found then the submitter won’t be able to submit his/her link.

Check that a URL is present in submission form

This setting is available to support a situation where listings might not always have a URL. The ‘duplicate checking’ setting in 2.5.3 is ignored if this setting is enabled and no URL has been entered.
 
Also See:
10.1 Using listings without URL's

Check that a modify password was entered?

You can disable the requirement for supplying a password when end-users submit URL's via the ‘Add URL’ forms. Note that users won't be able to modify their links/listings when set to 'No'. When this setting is set to 'Yes', there will be checked if a modify password was entered in the 'Add URL' form.

Send 'Welcome Email' email?

If set to 'Yes', then a welcome email will be sent to the end users that has made new submissions. You can edit this email by clicking on the ‘Settings’ tab in the control panel. Then click 'New Submission' and 'Modify Link' Emails.

Also See:
3.3 Customize Emails

Be informed when new submissions are made?

If set to 'Yes', then an email will be sent to you, informing you of each new submission. This setting works for normal and premium submissions.

Strip HTML Code from descriptions?

This option will remove any HTML code found in descriptions of listings when they submit a listing.

Enable Image Authentication?

Image authentication will block submissions (or spam submissions) from automated submission services and automated scripts. For full details on enabling or disabling this see:
11.2 How to block automated submission services and spammers from using the 'Add URL' forms.

Number of results to display on a 'per page' basis when approving new submissions:

This is the number of listings that will be displayed on a 'per page' basis when approving new submissions for inclusion in the Directory.

Enable the reciprocal link checker for standard URL's?

When this is enabled then PowerSeek will check for a reciprocal link at a specified URL when a visitor makes a new submission.

Enable the reciprocal link checker for premium URL's?

When this is enabled then PowerSeek will check for a reciprocal link at a specified URL when a visitor makes a new premium submission.

If you answered 'Yes' above then specify the URL that should be looked for at the submitters web site:

When a visitor submits a link and the reciprocal link checker is enabled then PowerSeek will check the page at the URL they specified to see if the URL specified here is available. If it's not available then the visitor will not be allowed to make his/her submission.

 

3.1.6 Comment/Review Submission Settings

Enable Image Authentication when visitors post comments:

Image authentication will block comment/review submissions (or spam submissions) from automated automated submissions scripts. For full details on enabling or disabling this see:
11.3 How to block automated submission services and spammers from using the 'Comments' forms.

Number of comments to display on a per page basis when approving comments from the Control Panel:

This is the number of comments that will display on a 'per page' basis when approving comments submitted by visitors.

Maximum amount of characters that may be used when adding a new comment:

This is the maximum amount of characters that visitors may use for a comment when posting a comment for a link listing.

When displaying Comments/Reviews sort them from:

Sort comments from latest to oldest or from oldest to latest when displaying them to visitors.

 

3.1.7 Control Panel Settings

Number of link listings per page

This is the number of links that will be displayed on a ‘per page’ basis when browsing directories via the Directory Manager in the Control Panel.

Number of link listings per page when searching:

This is the number of links displayed in search results on a ‘per page’ basis when using the built-in search functionality of the Control Panel.

 

3.1.8 What's New & Top Hits Settings

These settings affect the way in which the ‘What’s New’ and ‘Top Hits’ page displays works.

Number of links to display on What's New page

If you specify 20 for example, then the 20 latest additions will be displayed in your ‘What's New’ page.

Number of links to display on Top Hits page

If you specify 20 for example, then the 20 links that had the most 'hits' or clicks will be displayed in your ‘Top Hits’ page.

 

3.1.9 New & Popular Indication Settings

How old should a link be where it will receive a 'New' graphic indication for graphic new1.gif?

This setting is only applicable to the graphic new1.gif

How old should a link be where it will receive a 'New' graphic indication for graphic new2.gif?

This setting is only applicable to the graphic new2.gif

How old should a link be where it will receive a 'New' graphic indication for graphic new3.gif?

This setting is only applicable to the graphic new3.gif

Would you like to display a graphic 'Pop' (Popular) Graphic next to links that is considered to be popular?

If this setting is set to ‘Yes’ then each link displayed in your directory will receive a ‘Pop’ graphic if it is considered to be a popular link. Note that you will need the variable !!pop!! inside your link listing templates for this to work.

How many hits/clicks should a link have received before it is considered as being popular?

If any link inside your directory has this number of clicks, then it will receive a Popular graphic.

3.1.10 Modifying of links

3.1.43 Require users to supply a password to be able to modify links?

Setting this to ‘Yes’ is not recommended as it may have some security implications to the user data in your database. This setting is not in use when the user registration system is in use.

3.2 HTML Generation Resource Usage

A lot of server resources can be used with Directories that has tens of thousands of links when HTML files are generated. You can slow down the generation process to conserve server resource usage with the settings provided in this section. On some systems overloads may cause Internal Server Errors or the browser window might time-out. In this event you will need to slow down things to conserve server resources. The slower things are done the lighter the load on the server.

Explanation of Settings:

Number of categories to build per browser window:

The less categories that is built at a time the less the load on the server.

Number of seconds to wait for each browser refresh window:

Increase this number to lower resource usage.

3.3 Customize Emails

 

3.3.1 New Submission Emails

Welcome Email

This is sent when a new submission takes place. It almost acts like an auto-responder because it is sent just after a user added a new link listing via the 'Add URL' form. This is optional and you can disable this by changing this in the ‘Global Engine Settings’ section.

New Submission Acceptance Email

This is an email sent to end-users to inform them that their new submissions were successfully added to the index.

New Submission Rejection Email

This is an email sent to end-users to inform them that their new submissions were rejected and not added to the index.

New Submission Informer Email

This informer email, informs you via email when a new submission has been made. The sending of this email is optional and can be turned off in the Control Panel >> Settings >> Global Engine Settings

3.3.2 New Premium Submission Emails

See:
9.1.5 Customizing Premium Link Email Responses

3.3.3 User Registration System Emails

Note that these emails will only be used if the user registration system is turned on. You can find out more about the user registration system here: 7. The User Manager

User Registration System Activation Email
This email is sent when a visitor registers an account. The email contains a link that the user clicks to activate his/her account that he/she registered.

Password Retrieval Email
This email is sent when a user requests his/her password to their control panel.

Also See:
7.5 Sending Email to users

3.3.4 Link Modification Emails

Modify Acceptance Email

This email is sent to end-users to inform them that link modifications made by them has been approved by the administrator.

Modify Rejection Email

This is an email sent to end-users to inform them that their modifications to links were rejected and not added to the index.

Password Retrieval Email

This email is sent to end users when they request that their password needs to be sent to their email address in case they lost or forgot their passwords to modify links.

3.4 Text Configurations

These texts are used to display problems or error responses to end-users when they submit 'data'. For example if a user left out a field in error when doing a new submission, text will be displayed from this section to the user.

3.5 Extra Fields/Keys

This section allows you to add or edit or remove extra fields. Extra fields/keys allows you to add additional fields for your link listings. You can have up to 20 extra fields/keys.

The following standard fields for link listings are available by default:

Let's say that you are creating a specialized Directory on the topic of web cams. Let's also say that it will provide users with links to web sites with live web cams on them. Naturally you would want to use more or less the following fields/keys:
title
description
keywords
url
name
email
urldate
country
city
operational_hours
indoors_or_outdoors
date_of_going_live

The field names in 'red' would be extra fields that you create so that this information is available with the links in your directory.

Note that it is very important that you make a backup of your database before you add or remove any extra fields. You can find out how to do that here: 9.6 Data Backups

3.6 User Extra Fields/Keys Settings

See:
7.4 User Extra Fields/Keys (Collecting Extra Information when users register accounts)