Plone site setup (control panel)#
The Site Setup (also called "Control Panel") is the central administration interface in Plone where site managers and advanced editors can configure and customize the Plone site. It's accessible to users with the Manager role through the gear icon at the bottom left of the Plone interface.
Note: Some control panels are available in both Volto (frontend) and Classic UI (backend). This outline focuses on the Classic UI, which provides access to all available configuration options.
Access path: http://localhost:8080/Plone/@@overview-controlpanel
General Configuration#
Settings that affect the overall site behavior and presentation.
Site#
Purpose: Configure basic site properties and metadata.
Key settings:
Site Title: The name of your Plone site (appears in page titles and headers)
Site Subtitle: A tagline or short description of the site
Site Logo: Upload a logo image for the site
Default Page: Set a custom page to display as the site home
Enable Self Registration: Allow anonymous users to create accounts
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Email Validation Required: Require email confirmation for new accounts
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Allow Members to Change Their Own Email: Users can modify their email address
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Allow Members to Request Password Resets: Enable "Forgot Password" functionality
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Date and Time#
Purpose: Set timezone, date formats, and time-related settings.
Key settings:
Timezone: Select the default timezone for content creation and display
Options: List of available timezones (e.g., UTC, Europe/Brussels, America/New_York)
Date Format: Define how dates are displayed throughout the site
Common formats: DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD
Include Time Zone Info: Show timezone abbreviation in timestamp displays
Options: Yes / No
Language#
Purpose: Configure language settings and multilingual support.
Key settings:
Available Languages: Choose which languages are available on the site
Options: Checkboxes for each supported language (English, German, French, Spanish, etc.)
Default Language: Set the default language for new content
Options: Dropdown list of available languages
Allow Automatic Language Selection: Detect user's browser language
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Use Content Negotiation: Automatically serve content in the user's preferred language
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Search#
Purpose: Configure search functionality and indexing behavior.
Key settings:
Enable Live Search: Show instant search suggestions as user types
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Live Search Results Limit: Number of suggestions to display
Common values: 5, 10, 15, 20
Indexes to Include: Choose which content fields are searchable
Options: Title, Description, Body, Keywords, etc. (checkboxes)
Results Per Page: How many search results to show on each page
Default: 25
Enable Simple Search: Allow basic keyword search (vs. advanced search)
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Mail#
Purpose: Configure email settings for notifications and messaging.
Key settings:
SMTP Server: Address of outgoing mail server
Example:
smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Port: Port number for SMTP connection
Default: 25 (standard), 587 (TLS), 465 (SSL)
SMTP Username: Username for SMTP authentication
SMTP Password: Password for SMTP authentication
SMTP Connection Security: Encryption method
Options: None / TLS / SSL
Site E-mail Address: From address for automated emails
Example:
noreply@example.com
Send Password Reset E-mail: Allow password reset emails
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Enable User Folders: Create personal folders for each user
Options: Enabled / Disabled
URL Management#
Purpose: Configure URL rewriting and site accessibility settings.
Key settings:
Pretty URLs: Use clean URLs without .html extensions
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Assume URL Rewriting: Assume web server handles URL rewriting
Options: Yes / No
Virtual Hosting: Configure virtual hosting paths
Canonical URL: Set the preferred domain/protocol for the site
Example:
https://example.com
Database#
Purpose: View database connection information and status.
Key Information:
Database Type: Type of database in use (e.g., FileStorage, RelStorage)
Database Size: Current size of the database
Connection Status: Whether database is connected and healthy
Last Pack: Date/time of last database optimization
Pack Database: Manual database optimization button
Use to reclaim space from deleted content
Undo (Volto only)#
Purpose: Configure undo/transaction settings.
Key settings:
Enable Undo: Allow users to undo changes
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Keep Undo Transactions: Number of transactions to keep for undo
Default: 30
Undo Limit (Days): Maximum age of transactions available for undo
Default: 7 days
Volto Settings (Volto only)#
Purpose: Configure frontend (Volto) specific options when using React-based frontend.
Key settings:
Volto Instance URL: URL of the Volto frontend
Example:
http://localhost:3000
Edit URL: Path for edit mode in Volto
API Endpoint: URL of the API that Volto should use
OAuth Settings: Configure OAuth for Volto authentication
Allowed CORS Origins: Domains allowed to access the API
Example:
https://example.com,https://www.example.com
Add-ons#
Purpose: Manage and view installed add-on packages.
Key settings:
Installed add-ons: List of currently installed packages
Available add-ons: List of available (but not yet installed) add-ons
Install: Install a new add-on package
Uninstall: Remove an installed add-on
Upgrade: Update an add-on to a newer version
Activate/Deactivate: Enable or disable add-on features
Content Management#
Settings related to content types, creation, editing, and display.
Content Types#
Purpose: Manage content type definitions and their properties.
Key Actions:
View Content Types: List all available content types
Add Content Type: Create a new custom content type
Edit Content Type: Modify existing content type definition
Configure fields
Set default values
Manage behaviors/mixins
Configure security/workflow
Delete Content Type: Remove a custom content type
Export/Import: Export content type definitions for backup/migration
Content Type Properties:
Title: Display name of the content type
Description: Purpose and usage of this content type
Icon: Image representation in menus
Allowed Content Types: What content can be created inside this type
Default View: Template used to display the content
Automatically Added Fields: Standard fields included in all instances
Workflow: Transition states available for this type
Editing#
Purpose: Configure content editing interface and behavior.
Key settings:
Enable Inline Editing: Allow editing content directly on the page
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Rich Text Editor: Choose default HTML editor
Options: TinyMCE, CKEditor, or other configured editors
Markup Language: Default text format for body fields
Options: HTML, Markdown, Structured Text, Plain Text
Link Types: Allow different types of links in content
Options: Internal links, External links, Email links, Anchors
Enable Auto-Save: Save content automatically while editing
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Auto-Save Interval: How often to save (in seconds)
Default: 60
Show Deactivated Content Types: Display inactive content types in creation menu
Options: Yes / No
Image Handling#
Purpose: Configure image processing and display settings.
Key settings:
Allowed Image Types: File formats users can upload
Options: JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP (checkboxes)
Maximum Image Size: Max file size in bytes
Example: 5242880 (5 MB)
Image Scaling: Automatically resize large images
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Thumbnail Size: Default thumbnail dimensions
Default: 128x128 pixels
Image Variants: Create multiple sizes automatically
Example: Small (200px), Medium (400px), Large (800px)
Quality/Compression: JPEG compression level
Scale: 1-100 (higher = better quality, larger files)
Auto Thumbnail Generation: Create thumbnails on upload
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Block Types#
Purpose: Configure available content blocks in Volto frontend.
Key Actions:
Available Blocks: List of block types that can be added
Text, Image, Video, Grid, Listing, Search, Maps, etc.
Required Blocks: Blocks that must appear in certain content types
Restricted Blocks: Limit which blocks certain user roles can use
Block Settings: Configure defaults for each block type
Size limits, preview options, allowed formats
Relations#
Purpose: Configure how content items can be related to each other.
Key settings:
Available Relation Types: Define custom relationship types
Example: "Related To", "Requires", "References"
Bidirectional Relations: Automatically create reverse links
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Allow User Relations: Let content editors create custom relations
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Display Relations: Show relation links on content view
Options: Always, Never, Editor's choice
Content Rules#
Purpose: Create automated actions triggered by content events.
Key features:
Trigger Events: What action starts the rule
Options: Workflow transition, Content added, Content modified, State changed
Conditions: Requirements that must be met
Examples: Content type is "News Item", User has role "Reviewer"
Actions: What happens when rule is triggered
Examples: Send email, Move to folder, Change workflow state, Assign permissions
Rule Management: Enable/disable, edit, delete, test rules
Users and groups#
Settings for user management, authentication, and permissions.
Users#
Purpose: Manage individual user accounts on the site.
Key Actions:
Add User: Create new user account
Set username, password, email
Edit User: Modify existing user properties
Change password, email, full name
Add/remove roles
Assign to groups
Delete User: Remove user account (content usually preserved)
Reset Password: Force user to change password on next login
Lock/Unlock User: Temporarily disable account without deleting
View User Properties:
Username
Email
Full Name
Roles (Site Managers, Editors, Reviewers, etc.)
Groups (assigned group memberships)
Last Login
Account Created Date
Groups#
Purpose: Organize users into groups for easier permission management.
Key Actions:
Create Group: Create new user group
Edit Group: Modify group properties
Name, description, members
Delete Group: Remove group (members retain other permissions)
Assign Members: Add/remove users from group
Set Group Roles: Assign roles to entire group
Example: Make group "Reviewers" → All members get Reviewer role
Common Group Types:
Editors: Can create/edit content
Reviewers: Can approve content for publishing
Contributors: Can add content but not publish
Translators: Can translate content to other languages
User Group Membership#
Purpose: Manage which groups individual users belong to.
Key features:
View Group Membership: See all groups a user is in
Add User to Group: Make user a member of a group
Remove User from Group: Remove group membership
Bulk Operations: Add multiple users to group at once
Import Users: Import user list from file (CSV, LDAP, etc.)
User and Group Settings#
Purpose: Configure default user and group behavior.
Key settings:
Allow User Folders: Create personal folders for each user
Options: Enabled / Disabled
User Folder Path: Where user folders are created
Default: /Users
User Folder Template: Template for new user folders
Enable Self Registration: Allow anonymous users to create accounts
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Auto-Approve Registration: Approve accounts automatically
Options: Enabled / Disabled (if disabled, admin must approve)
Require Email Verification: Confirm email before account activation
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Member Registration: Allow members to create groups
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Security and permissions#
Settings related to access control, authentication, and data protection.
Security#
Purpose: Configure security policies and access control.
Key settings:
Enable HTTPS/SSL: Force encrypted connections
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Require HTTPS: Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Session Timeout: How long before user is logged out due to inactivity
Default: 24 hours
Values in minutes or "never"
Authentication Method: How users log in
Options: Standard (username/password), LDAP, OAuth, CAS, SAML
Password Policy:
Minimum length (default: 5 characters)
Require uppercase/lowercase/numbers/special characters
Password expiration period
Prevent reuse of recent passwords
Force password change on first login
Account Lockout: Lock accounts after failed login attempts
Number of failures: 3, 5, 10 (configurable)
Lockout duration: 15, 30, 60 minutes (configurable)
CORS Settings: Allow cross-origin requests for APIs
Allowed domains/origins list
API Token Settings: Configure access tokens for API authentication
Token expiration
Token revocation
Permissions management#
Purpose: Control what different user roles can do.
Key Concepts:
Global Roles: Assigned to all content
Manager, Owner, Reviewer, Editor, Contributor, Member, Anonymous
Local Roles: Assigned per content item
Can grant role to user/group on specific folder/page
Role Definitions: What permissions each role has
Can add/edit content, publish, delete, manage users, etc.
Key Actions:
View Role Permissions: See what each role can do
Add Local Role: Grant role to user/group on specific content
Remove Local Role: Revoke role from user/group
Inherit Permissions: Set whether subfolder inherits parent permissions
Options: Yes / No / Custom
HTML Filtering#
Purpose: Control what HTML tags and attributes are allowed in content.
Key settings:
Allowed Tags: HTML elements users can include in content
Common: p, div, span, a, img, strong, em, h1-h6, ul, ol, li
Restricted by default: script, iframe, form, etc.
Allowed Attributes: Attributes allowed on tags
Example: href, src, alt, class, id
Filtering Behavior:
Strip all HTML except safe tags
Allow user HTML tags but filter dangerous ones
Disable filtering (not recommended)
Custom Filters: Create rules for specific content types
Errors#
Purpose: Configure error logging and reporting.
Key settings:
Error Logging Level: How verbose to be
Options: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL
Log to File: Write errors to disk
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Log File Location: Path where error logs are stored
Email Admin on Errors: Send notification when errors occur
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Error Email Recipients: Who receives error notifications
Clear Old Logs: Auto-delete old log files after N days
Error Page Display: What users see when errors occur
Options: Full error details, Generic message, Custom page
Advanced settings#
Configuration options for experienced administrators.
Caching#
Purpose: Optimize site performance through caching.
Key settings:
Enable Page Caching: Cache generated HTML pages
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Cache Duration: How long to keep cached pages (in seconds)
Default: 3600 (1 hour)
Cache Invalidation Rules: When cache is cleared
On content creation, modification, workflow transition
Purge Cache: Manually clear all cached content
Cache Backend: Where cache is stored
Options: Memory, File, Memcached, Redis
Exclude from Caching: Content types/paths never to cache
Example: Personalized content, dynamic feeds
Cache Statistics: View cache hit/miss rates
Configuration registry#
Purpose: Manage low-level configuration settings via user interface.
Key features:
View Registry: See all registered configuration keys
Edit Registry Values: Modify settings directly
Interface for strings, integers, booleans, lists, objects
Import Registry: Load settings from XML file
Export Registry: Save current settings to XML file
Reset to Defaults: Restore factory default settings
Search Registry: Find specific settings by keyword
Resource Registries#
Purpose: Manage CSS and JavaScript resources included in site.
Key features:
CSS Registry: View, enable, disable, edit CSS files
Bundle/minify options
Conditional loading (IE, mobile, etc.)
JavaScript Registry: View, enable, disable, edit JS files
Compression options
Load order/dependencies
Add Resource: Include custom CSS or JS files
Resource Conditions: Only load resource for specific conditions
Example: Only on home page, only for authenticated users
Resource Merge: Combine multiple files into single request
Reduces HTTP requests, improves performance
Maintenance#
Purpose: Perform site maintenance tasks.
Key Actions:
Database Optimization: Pack database to reclaim space
Regular packing recommended (monthly)
Clear Temporary Files: Remove temporary uploads/cache
Cleanup Old Logs: Archive or delete old log files
Repair Corrupted Data: Detect and fix data inconsistencies
Backup/Restore: Create/restore database backups
Check Integrity: Verify database/file system consistency
System Status: View memory usage, disk space, uptime
Discussion#
Purpose: Configure content discussion/comments settings.
Key settings:
Enable Comments: Allow users to comment on content
Options: Globally enabled, Per-content-type, Per-item
Comment Moderation: Require approval before display
Options: Auto-approve, Require review, Anonymous spam filter
Notary Settings: Display commenter information
Show user name, avatar, comment date/time
Comment Anonymity: Allow anonymous comments
Options: Allow all, Members only, Authenticated users only
Discussion Workflow: Approval process for comments
States: Pending, Published, Private, Spam
Notification: Email site admins when new comments arrive
Options: Enabled / Disabled
Actions (Blicca only)#
Purpose: Configure content actions and menu items.
Key features:
View Actions: See all available content actions
Edit, Copy, Delete, Cut, Paste, Rename, etc.
Edit Actions: Modify or customize actions
Name, description, URL pattern, visibility conditions
Create Custom Action: Add new action to content menu
Condition Actions: Control when action appears
Show only for certain content types, user roles, states
Add-ons Management#
Additional configuration panels provided by installed packages.
Add-ons Panel#
Purpose: View and manage installed add-on packages.
Key Information:
List of Installed add-ons: Packages currently running
Package name, version, author, description
Available add-ons: Packages available but not installed
Installation Status: Which add-ons are active/inactive
Dependencies: What each add-on requires
Documentation: Links to add-on documentation
Common add-ons Include:
plone.app.discussion: Comments on content
plone.app.multilingual: Multilingual content management
eea.facetednavigation: Advanced filtering/faceted search
collective.easyform: Forms
System Information#
Located at the bottom of the Site Setup page.
Version Information Displayed:
Plone Version: Current version of Plone
Zope Version: Version of underlying Zope framework
Python Version: Python interpreter version
Database Type: Type of database in use
Server Mode: Production or Development mode indicator
Deployment Type: Docker, standalone, etc.
Best practices for advanced editors#
General guidelines#
Document changes: Keep notes of what you configure and why
Test before deploying: Test in quality environment first
Make backup: Create database backups before major changes
Review permissions: Periodically audit user roles and permissions
Update add-ons: Keep installed packages up-to-date for security
Security first: Update when you can
Common tasks#
Creating a new content type → Content Management > Content Types > Add
Allowing comments on articles → Advanced > Discussion > Enable for content type
Improving performance → Advanced > Caching > Enable and configure
Creating content rules → Content Management > Content Rules > Add
Managing multiple languages → General > Language > Add languages and set default