What is Customized Server Side Embedding?

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Timely‘s Customized Server Side Embedding (SSE) Plugin is recommended for websites that are extremely serious about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The SSE helps to make your events discoverable on search engines.

1. Types of Calendar Embedding

A calendar can be embedded to a website in two ways – by embedding an iframe or by pulling the calendar from the server of the website (SSE).

1.1 JS/IFRAME:

Snippet code generated in the dashboard creates an iframe and loads a calendar inside. It also loads embed.js that acts in the scope of the webpage and communicates with the iframe by cross-window messaging. Such embedded calendars act independently from the website and it can’t have any conflicts with its JS and CSS. The only exception is embed.js.

1.2 Server Side Embed (SSE)

A calendar can be embedded directly in the website’s server. Either a snippet code provided by Dashboard, a special WP plugin, or some custom solution can be used. Snippet example in Dashboard is in PHP.

In order for Angular (web application framework) to successfully initialize on the Website, it forces to load all the modules, otherwise, it will not know where to load them from. As SSE-calendar becomes a part of the webpage, some JS and CSS conflicts are possible.

Currently, JS will be broken if there’s already another Angular installation on the page. Even if JS is broken or switched off, the calendar will be displayed, and events will be clickable, as due to SSR it is all rendered on the server first.

An exclusion, the view that will not be shown is Posterboard – which requires some calculations in the browser, as it depends on image sizes.

3. Customized Server Side Embedding for WordPress (Timely WP Plugin v.2.6.8 and older + old platform)

If you are a WordPress user and have installed and activated Timely WP Plugin v.2.6.8 and older or is using our older WP Plugin platform, you can customize server side embedding under the WordPress Admin dashboard > Settings > Timely SSE.

Go to Timely SSE Settings page, go ahead and add your Timely Calendar (URL) which starts with “https://calendar.time.ly/…..”, Set the default view and calendar page path, something like calendar-page. Once the changes are saved, you can view your SSE calendar along with its single page event details on your website.

Note: If you are using Al1EC plugin, please make sure it is disabled, otherwise it could cause a conflict and error.

If you use other Content Management Systems, the provided embedded code will need to be placed in a PHP file, then uploaded to your website via an FTP program, or through a File Manager program such as the one available in Cpanel. Then on the page, you are going to display the calendar, make sure you have included the following line ”  echo $calendar;”

If you would like to take advantage of the SSE option, please contact Timely at customersuccess@time.ly and request about Timely SSE Option. The SSE is available as a plugin for WordPress users and also as a stand-alone PHP code for other Content Management Systems.

Once you’ve decided which type of calendar embedding you want to use, go ahead and set up the embed code for your calendar so you can install it into your website.

For more user guidance, please go to our Help Center. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, do not hesitate to contact us by opening a support ticket from your Timely account’s dashboard.