External Widgets

What is the LawHelp External Widget?

The widget maker supports three types of widgets that can be embedded on an external website to display a dynamic feed of content from LawHelpMN.org. Widget types include:

• A browsable resource widget: allows to the user to select a topic and subtopic within the widget to view resources in a specific legal area of their choice.
• A one-subtopic resource widget: displays a result set that has been pre-filtered with resources for one subtopic, for example foreclosure resources for tenants.
• A browsable organization widget: allows the user to enter their zip code and select a topic and subtopic within the widget to view organizations providing services for that issue in their local area.

For an example of how these widgets look, go to RamseyCountyLawHelp.org, where they have embedded a widget to display "Do It Yourself Legal Forms" and "Legal Help in Ramsey County".

How do I enable the External Widget Maker?

To enable the widget maker on your site, please contact support@lawhelp.org, and our staff will enable the option and provide you with a live training on how to use this feature.

How do I create an external widget?

One the option is enabled on your site, log into your admin dashboard, and under the SetUp tab you will see "External Widget Maker". From there you can select from a variety of filters to customize the feed of content that displays in the widget. Filters for the browsable and one-subtopic resource widget are multi-select and include:

  • Channel
  • Category
  • Tags
  • Coverage (county)
  • Language
  • Authoring Organization
  • Module Type (e.g. PDF, PowerPoint, etc.)

Filters for the browsable organization widget are multi-select and include:

  • Channel
  • Category
  • Tags
  • Coverage (county)
  • Language

The External Widget Maker also has fields to configure the size, display and styling of the widget. These fields include:

  • Widget title
  • Font size
  • Preferred Font
  • Alternative Font (if preferred is not web-safe)
  • Widget Height
  • Widget Width
  • Item Count
  • Preferences for Long Titles
  • Preferences for Long Descriptions
  • Pagination Settings
  • Hyperlink Icon Preferences

After configuring a widget using these controls, you can then choose the Preview Widget button to see a preview of how the widget will look. The Get Embed Code button will generate the string of HTML code needed to embed the widget on an external site. This is the code you will provide to you community partner that will display the widget itself. As content is published or edited on LawHelpMN.org, the updates are automatically reflected in the external widget.

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