Is it possible to add a Metatag Description in Views?
Most helpful answers
Hi @webmethod, thank you for checking out Backdrop CMS. Did you see the comment from earlier this year above?
"SEO Meta Tags module gives you metatags for views pages but without tokens."
I can confirm this:-)
However, I never had a need for Tokens in View's meta content, even when creating big sites.
Speaking of bigger sites... after using Backdrop CMS for two years, I have started using it also for more complex sites, it works really well (especially when relation and/or context is a requirement). The only thing I currently miss is Search API from D7, but I found pretty good workarounds for some scenarios.
Hey @webmetod - thanks for trying Backdrop CMS. Backdrop CMS is probably not the best tool for every project. I do lots of Backdrop CMS work, but if I'm going to start a new project that depends pretty heavily on a very complex suite of Drupal modules that have not been ported, then I may go with Drupal 9 instead.
However, for someone that just needs a couple of modules that have not been ported to Backdrop CMS or if Drupal 8/9 just isn't going to work for them, they have a couple of options:
1) Backdrop CMS was designed to make it as easy as possible to port Drupal 7 modules to Backdrop. Some of them port very easy, but not all of them. We sometimes see 2 or 3 Drupal 7 modules ported in a week to Backdrop CMS. If you have some coding skills, you will find it much easier to port a Drupal 7 module to Backdrop CMS than to Drupal 8.
2) If you need help porting a module, you can post a request here:
https://github.com/backdrop-ops/contrib/issues
There are no guarantees, but I've seen quite a few requests to port a module get fulfilled, sometimes within days. Of course, your chances of success will depend upon the difficulty of porting the specific module you are interested in.
3) Post a note in the forum or visit our chat channel https://backdrop.zulipchat.com/ and ask about your specific situation. Sometimes other users have started to port a Drupal 7 module but not finished or have found alternative solutions to specific Drupal 7 modules. We might be able to help you out.
But, in the end, Backdrop CMS is not going to work for every project. But, we're trying our best to make it work for a majority of the simple to moderately complicated Drupal 7 sites that are looking for an alternative path forward.
Here is a list of all (450+) modules that have official releases:
https://backdropcms.org/modules
You can also find additional modules with and without official releases (some of which may be work for you) here:
https://github.com/backdrop-contrib
Comments
I find decision with module SEO Meta Tags. But I use also Metatag module for other functionality that I don't find in SEO Meta Tags (f.e. using tokens for metatags in different content types) and hope they can work together without conflicts.
Could you explain what type of tokens for which meta tags in different content types would you like to have? Maybe you are not alone :-)
If you install Metatag https://backdropcms.org/project/metatag and go to admin/config/metadata/metatags/config/node you will see BASIC TAGS and ADVANCED TAGS sections with many different useful metatags - Page title, Description, Abstract, Keywords, Google News Keywords, Content rating, Rights, Image, Canonical URL and many others, that can be filled out manually or automatically with tokens.
- Content Tokens related to individual pieces of content, or "nodes".
- Current date Tokens related to the current date and time.
- Current page Tokens related to the current page request.
- Current user Tokens related to the currently logged in user.
- Meta tags Generated by the Metatag.
- Site information Tokens for site-wide settings and other global information.
You can edit this for Home page, Content (different content types), Taxonomy therm pages, User pages. It is useful for SEO, But you cannot edit metatags for Views pages (unless you embed views block in a node page).
SEO Meta Tags module gives you metatags for views pages but without tokens.
I Don't know how views tokens for Metatags can be used in advance. When I have a tool I gradually invent different ways how to use it.
It also Depends on what types of tokens would be available for views. It's Just an idea.
I don't if you can, but an alternative way that might work is to add a view block and filter it for one page. And then configure metatag on that page.
Hey. I started exploring Backdrop CMS as a replacement for Drupal 7 and did not find the Metatag Views module. I am making a very simple site, but the modules are not enough. Backdrop will not work for a complex project. Very sorry.
Hey @webmetod - thanks for trying Backdrop CMS. Backdrop CMS is probably not the best tool for every project. I do lots of Backdrop CMS work, but if I'm going to start a new project that depends pretty heavily on a very complex suite of Drupal modules that have not been ported, then I may go with Drupal 9 instead.
However, for someone that just needs a couple of modules that have not been ported to Backdrop CMS or if Drupal 8/9 just isn't going to work for them, they have a couple of options:
1) Backdrop CMS was designed to make it as easy as possible to port Drupal 7 modules to Backdrop. Some of them port very easy, but not all of them. We sometimes see 2 or 3 Drupal 7 modules ported in a week to Backdrop CMS. If you have some coding skills, you will find it much easier to port a Drupal 7 module to Backdrop CMS than to Drupal 8.
2) If you need help porting a module, you can post a request here:
https://github.com/backdrop-ops/contrib/issues
There are no guarantees, but I've seen quite a few requests to port a module get fulfilled, sometimes within days. Of course, your chances of success will depend upon the difficulty of porting the specific module you are interested in.
3) Post a note in the forum or visit our chat channel https://backdrop.zulipchat.com/ and ask about your specific situation. Sometimes other users have started to port a Drupal 7 module but not finished or have found alternative solutions to specific Drupal 7 modules. We might be able to help you out.
But, in the end, Backdrop CMS is not going to work for every project. But, we're trying our best to make it work for a majority of the simple to moderately complicated Drupal 7 sites that are looking for an alternative path forward.
Here is a list of all (450+) modules that have official releases:
https://backdropcms.org/modules
You can also find additional modules with and without official releases (some of which may be work for you) here:
https://github.com/backdrop-contrib
Hi @webmethod, thank you for checking out Backdrop CMS. Did you see the comment from earlier this year above?
"SEO Meta Tags module gives you metatags for views pages but without tokens."
I can confirm this:-)
However, I never had a need for Tokens in View's meta content, even when creating big sites.
Speaking of bigger sites... after using Backdrop CMS for two years, I have started using it also for more complex sites, it works really well (especially when relation and/or context is a requirement). The only thing I currently miss is Search API from D7, but I found pretty good workarounds for some scenarios.
I am writing to confirm that for more than a year since Mar 27, 2019, when I have been published my previous post (see above), the module SEO Meta Tags
https://backdropcms.org/project/seo_meta
works great for Views pages. I have used it in several dozen projects.
Moreover, it coordinates perfectly with Metatag module
https://backdropcms.org/project/metatag
and both modules can be used very useful to complement each other.
* * *
As for the use of Backdrop CMS for large and complex projects, I would note that there are no universal tools suitable for everything. You can't expect a personal car or small pickup truck to do international rail or overseas transportation at the same time.
Similarly, it is pointless to use a large truck to shop at your local store.
That's why I think Backdrop CMS does a great job with its specialized goals, which are set in its philosophy, while the Drupal user community suffers greatly because Drupal wants to work at a high corporate and expensive level, but does not want to lose the market of small and medium-sized sites and small web agencies made up of just a few people or even individual site developers like me.
Eventually, Drupal will lose them. It does not matter whether they extend the maintenance of Drupal 7 until 2022 or until 3022.
Thanks for the answers and advice! SEO Meta Tags works, thanks.
I will study further, trying to apply the Backdrop CMS where possible. The lack of familiar modules causes discomfort for beginners.
I am writing to confirm that for more than a year since Mar 27, 2019, when I have been published my previous post (see above), the module SEO Meta Tags
https://backdropcms.org/project/seo_meta
works great for Views pages. I have used it in several dozen projects.
Moreover, it coordinates perfectly with Metatag module
https://backdropcms.org/project/metatag
and both modules can be used very useful to complement each other.
* * *
As for the use of Backdrop CMS for large and complex projects, I would note that there are no universal tools suitable for everything. You can't expect a personal car or small pickup truck to do international rail or overseas transportation at the same time.
Similarly, it is pointless to use a large truck to shop at your local store.
That's why I think Backdrop CMS does a great job with its specialized goals, which are set in its philosophy, while the Drupal user community suffers greatly because Drupal wants to work at a high corporate and expensive level, but does not want to lose the market of small and medium-sized sites and small web agencies made up of just a few people or even individual site developers like me.
Eventually, Drupal will lose them. It does not matter whether they extend the maintenance of Drupal 7 until 2022 or until 3022.