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Onboarding Tutorial: Create a Center and Go Live with the Website

This guide will walk you through the process from start to finish: creating a new center, entering data, assigning a website template, editing content, and going live. No prior knowledge is necessary – with this guide, you can create a center and launch the website without further assistance.

Prerequisites​

Step 1: Create a New Center​

  1. Open the dashboard at https://dashboard.cockpit-os.de and log in.
  2. Click on Content in the left navigation.
  3. Select Centers and then New Center (or click directly on + New Center).
  4. You will be taken to the form page for a new shopping center.

Step 2: Enter Basic Data​

Fill in the required fields:

General Information:

  • Name: e.g., "Rathaus Galerie Wuppertal"
  • Organization: Select the appropriate organization (e.g., HBB, ECE) or "Single Center" if the center is not associated with any organization.
  • Description: Short description of the center (optional but recommended).

Address:

  • Street: e.g., "Rathaus-Galerie 1"
  • City: e.g., "Wuppertal"
  • Postal Code: e.g., "42103"
  • Country: Default is "Germany."

Contact Information:

Opening Hours:

  • Enter the regular opening hours (Monday to Sunday).
  • You can optionally add special hours and announcements.

Images (optional but recommended):

  • Logo: Upload the center logo (PNG/SVG, max. 5 MB).
  • Title Image: Hero or cover image of the center (max. 10 MB).

At the end, click on Save. You will be automatically redirected to the center detail page.

Step 3: Activate the Website and Assign a Template​

  1. Open the center detail page (if not already open).
  2. Click on the Website tab.
  3. In the Website Activation section:
    • Toggle the Website activated switch to "On."
    • Choose the desired template under Layout Template (e.g., Social Lounge One, CEV Template, HBB, Event Lounge One, or Standard).
  4. Optionally: Enter a Custom Domain (e.g., "www.my-center.de") if you want to use your own domain. If not provided, {slug}.cockpit-os.de will be used automatically.
  5. Click on Save.

The website is now active and can be accessed at the displayed URL.

Overview of Website Templates​

The choice of layout template determines the appearance and available content areas. Here’s a brief overview of the available templates:

Standard (cockpitOS Base)
Base layout without specific industry customization. Suitable for simple center websites with standard pages (homepage, shops, center plan, contact, imprint, privacy policy).

Social Lounge One
Modern, inviting design focused on community and social media. Includes: AI assistant (chatbot), themed worlds, news & deals, our brands (shop logo wall), social media lounge (Instagram feed), center plan promo, opening hours section, header & navigation, footer & links, newsletter. Ideal for shopping centers with a strong focus on events and visitor engagement.

CEV Template
Template for CEV centers with a customized layout and pre-configured sections. Offers template content and all standard pages.

HBB
Template for HBB organization with industry-specific modules: hero area, mega menu, featured cards, shop logo slider, quick links bar, anchor tenants, construction diary. Suitable for shopping centers in the HBB portfolio.

Event Lounge One
Template focused on events and gastronomy. Includes: homepage section, advertorials, header & navigation, pages for gastronomy, services, center plan, parking, and "Inside the Center." Ideal for event locations and centers with a strong F&B area.

Step 4: Edit Content​

In the Website tab, various sub-tabs are available depending on the selected template:

Typical Areas:

  • Theme: Adjust colors, fonts, and design.
  • Content: Template-specific content such as hero area, news, shops, opening hours, header, footer, etc.
  • Pages: Content for individual pages (shops, news, directions, contact, imprint, privacy policy, etc.).
  1. Switch to the relevant tabs.
  2. Edit the fields as needed.
  3. After each change, click on Save.

Changes usually appear on the website within seconds.

Step 5: Maintain Shops, Events, and News​

Add Shops:

  • Use Content > Shops > New Shop to create shops and assign them to the center.
  • Alternatively, use the optional legacy import (see below) to transfer shops from an existing system.

Create Events:

  • Use Content > Events > New Event to create events and assign them to the center.

Publish News:

  • Use Content > News > New Article to create news articles for the center.

These contents will automatically appear on the website as long as the chosen template includes the relevant areas.

Optional: DevSM Legacy Import​

If you want to transfer shops from the old DevSM Console (https://console.devsm.de):

  1. Open the center detail page.
  2. Click on the Legacy Import tab.
  3. Click on Import Legacy Data.
  4. In the import wizard:
    • Step 1: Enter the legacy center ID (e.g. 969 or 33799 — in the URL as ?devsm-json=… or ?devsm-full-json=…). Cockpit loads both DevSM exports in parallel and merges shop data, news, and center branding.
    • Step 2: Review the preview (number of shops, categories, floors).
    • Step 3: Configure the category and floor mapping if needed.
    • Step 4: Select options (e.g., download images, overwrite existing shops) and start the import.
    • Step 5: The import will be executed. After completion, you will see a summary.

After the import, you can review the shops in the center and adjust them as needed.

What Happens Automatically​

When creating and activating a center, the system performs several steps automatically:

Domain and SSL:

  • The website will be hosted under {slug}.cockpit-os.de.
  • SSL certificates are automatically set up.
  • For Custom Domain, the domain configuration is initiated.

Analytics (Umami):

  • If you enable the "Umami" option in the Analytics tab and save, a Umami website for this center will be automatically created.
  • You do not need to set anything up manually in Umami – the website ID is stored in the system and used for tracking.

Other Automatic Setups:

  • Standard pages and navigation are provided based on the template.
  • Center Manager App and Digital Signage are configured for the center.

Go Live – Checklist​

Before the official launch, check:

  1. Website activated: The "Website activated" switch is set to "On."
  2. Template assigned: The correct layout template is selected.
  3. Basic data complete: Name, address, contact, and opening hours are filled out.
  4. Imprint and privacy policy: Legal required content is provided under the corresponding website page tabs.
  5. Content checked: Texts, images, and links are correct.
  6. Test URL: Check https://{slug}.cockpit-os.de (or your custom domain) in the browser.

Once everything is in order, the website is live. No further steps are needed.

Next Steps​

Help and Support​

If you have questions or issues, please contact support. Common topics include:

  • Website not reachable: After activation, it may take 1–2 minutes for the website to become available.
  • Logo or images not displayed: Check the file size (logo max. 5 MB, title image max. 10 MB) and format (PNG, JPG, SVG).
  • Incorrect template: Switch to a different template in the Website tab under "Layout Template" and save.

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