> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://guide.worshipbuddy.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Announcements

> Create and manage organization-wide announcements

# Announcements

Announcements allow you to communicate important information to all members of your organization. You can create rich, formatted announcements with text, headings, buttons, links, and more.

## Overview

Announcements help you:

* **Broadcast Information** - Share news, updates, and important messages
* **Rich Formatting** - Use headings, text, buttons, links, and cards
* **Scheduled Publishing** - Set when announcements go live and expire
* **Status Management** - Draft, publish, and archive announcements

## Announcement Status

Announcements can have three statuses:

* **Draft** - Not visible to members, still being created
* **Published** - Live and visible to organization members
* **Archived** - No longer visible, kept for records

<Info>
  **Note**: Only one announcement can be live (published and within its time window) at a time. If you publish a new announcement, make sure to archive or expire the previous one.
</Info>

## Who Sees Announcements

* **Mobile app** — Live announcement on the org **Home** tab
* **Web** — The main **Dashboard** page does **not** display announcements to members; announcements are managed under **Organization → Announcements**

## Creating Announcements

To create an announcement:

1. Click **Organization → Announcements**
2. Click the **+** button → **New Announcement**
3. Choose **ChurchBuddy Only** or **ChurchBuddy and PresenterBuddy**
4. **Drag components** from the library into the phone preview editor
5. Set scheduling and status (**Draft** / **Published**)
6. Save

## Announcement Components

Announcements are built using components. Each component has a type and data. Available components include:

### Heading

Display a heading with customizable size and alignment.

**Options:**

* **Text** — The heading text
* **Font Size (px)** — 12–72 pixel size control
* **Alignment** — Left, Center, or Right
* **Color** — Text color (optional)

### Text

Display paragraph text.

**Options:**

* **Text** - The text content
* **Alignment** - Left, Center, or Right
* **Color** - Text color (optional)

### Button

A clickable button that links to a URL.

**Options:**

* **Text** - Button label
* **Link/URL** - Where the button links to
* **Button Background Color** - Background color
* **Button Text Color** - Text color

### Link

A text link to a URL.

**Options:**

* **Text** - Link text
* **URL/Link** - Where the link goes
* **Color** - Link color

### Divider

A horizontal line to separate sections.

### Spacer

Empty space to add spacing between components.

**Options:**

* **Height** - Height of the spacer in pixels

### Image

Display an image in the announcement.

**Options:**

* **Image URL** - Full URL of the image
* **Alt Text** - Accessibility description
* **Alignment** - Left, Center, or Right

### Card

A card container with title and content.

**Options:**

* **Title** - Card title
* **Content** - Card body text
* **Background Color** - Card background
* **Padding** - Internal padding
* **Border Radius** - Corner rounding

### List

A bulleted or numbered list.

**Options:**

* **Items** - List of items to display
* **List Type** - Bullet or Number

## Building Announcements

When creating an announcement, you'll add components in order. The announcement displays components from top to bottom.

### Adding Components

1. **Drag components** from the library into the phone preview (there is no **Add Component** button)
2. Configure each component's options in the editor panel
3. Repeat for additional components

### Reordering Components

Use **Move Up** and **Move Down** arrow buttons on each component in the canvas (components are not draggable).

### Editing Components

1. Click on a component to edit it
2. Modify the component's data
3. Save changes

### Removing Components

1. Select the component
2. Click **Delete**
3. Confirm removal

## Scheduling Announcements

You can schedule when announcements go live and expire:

### Go Live Time

Set when the announcement should become visible:

* **Immediately** - No go live time (visible as soon as published)
* **Scheduled** - Set a specific date and time

### Expire Time

Set when the announcement should stop being visible:

* **Never** - Announcement stays live until archived
* **Scheduled** - Set a specific date and time

<Info>
  **Note**: The expire time must be after the go live time. If you set an expire time without a go live time, the announcement will be live immediately until it expires.
</Info>

### Live Announcement Rules

An announcement is considered "live" when:

1. Status is **Published**
2. Current time is **after** go live time (if set)
3. Current time is **before** expire time (if set)

Only one announcement can be live at a time. If you try to publish a second announcement while one is live, you'll need to archive or expire the first one.

## Viewing Announcements

Organization members see announcements in:

* **Mobile App** - Home tab shows the current live announcement

<Info>
  Web members do **not** see live announcements on the Dashboard — only mobile Home displays them to members. Admins manage announcements under **Organization → Announcements**.
</Info>

### Announcement Display

Live announcements are displayed with:

* All components rendered in order
* Buttons and links are clickable
* Formatting is preserved
* Responsive layout for mobile and desktop

<Info>
  **Note**: Only the currently live announcement is shown. Draft and archived announcements are not visible to regular members.
</Info>

## Managing Announcements

### Editing Announcements

To edit an announcement:

1. Click **Organization** in the top navigation
2. Click the **"Announcements"** sub-tab
3. Find the announcement you want to edit in the sidebar
4. Click on it to open the editor
5. Modify components, scheduling, or status
6. Save changes

<Warning>
  **Note**: If you edit a live announcement, changes take effect immediately. Members will see the updated version right away.
</Warning>

### Publishing Announcements

To publish an announcement:

1. Edit the announcement
2. Set status to **Published**
3. Configure go live time (if needed)
4. Save

<Info>
  **Tip**: If another announcement is currently live, you'll need to archive it first or set its expire time to before your new announcement's go live time.
</Info>

### Archiving Announcements

To archive an announcement:

1. Edit the announcement
2. Set status to **Archived**
3. Save

Archived announcements:

* Are no longer visible to members
* Are kept in your announcement list
* Can be viewed and edited (but won't be live)
* Can be republished later if needed

### Deleting Announcements

To delete an announcement:

1. Find the announcement
2. Click **"Delete"**
3. Confirm deletion

<Warning>
  **Warning**: Deleting an announcement permanently removes it. This cannot be undone.
</Warning>

## Best Practices

### Content

1. **Keep It Concise** - Announcements should be brief and to the point
2. **Use Clear Headings** - Help people quickly understand the message
3. **Include Actions** - Use buttons or links when you want people to do something
4. **Update Regularly** - Keep announcements current and relevant

### Scheduling

1. **Plan Ahead** - Create announcements in advance and schedule them
2. **Set Expire Times** - Don't let outdated announcements stay live
3. **One at a Time** - Remember only one announcement can be live
4. **Test First** - Create as Draft, review, then publish

### Formatting

1. **Use Components Wisely** - Don't overload with too many components
2. **Maintain Hierarchy** - Use headings to structure content
3. **Add Spacing** - Use spacers and dividers for readability
4. **Test on Mobile** - Check how announcements look on mobile devices

## Permissions

To create, edit, or delete announcements, you must be:

* **Owner** of the organization, OR
* **Organization Admin**

Regular members can only view live announcements, not create or edit them.

## Troubleshooting

**Announcement not showing:**

* Check that status is **Published**
* Verify current time is after go live time (if set)
* Verify current time is before expire time (if set)
* Make sure no other announcement is currently live
* Try refreshing the page or app

**Can't publish second announcement:**

* Only one announcement can be live at a time
* Archive or expire the current live announcement first
* Or set the current announcement's expire time to before the new one's go live time

**Components not displaying correctly:**

* Check that component data is filled in correctly
* Verify URLs are valid (for buttons and links)
* Test on different devices/browsers
* Check for formatting issues in text content

**Button/link not working:**

* Verify the URL is correct and includes http\:// or https\://
* Test the URL in a browser first
* Some URLs may not work in mobile apps (use web links instead)