A Navpanel is intended first and foremost to allow people who are surfing your webring to get easily from website to website. It needs to be very attractive, as it is your primary advertisement for your ring. As a rule, the better looking the Navpanel, the more likely webmasters are to want to join your ring. This is often the first impression people have of your webring!

Once you've got your basic design, It's a good idea to use the default HTML code from the 'Customize HTML code' page within 'Ring admin'. Simply modify this as needed to fit your webring design and theme.

A substitution symbol is a special word which the webring system will modify later on. For example, Ringlink, the script The Official World War II Online™ Rings is using, has a special word of "[siteid]" for the website's ID. Other substitution symbols being:

Symbol	Description
[ringtitle]	Changed to the name of the ring
[cgiURL]	URL to folder with CGI files (next.pl etc.)
[siteid]	This causes the site id to be inserted
[sitetitle]	Changed to the name of the site
[wmname]	The name of the webmaster of the site.
[wmemail]	Modified to the webmaster's e-mail address.

For example, when that webring's Navpanel is e-mailed to a new webring member, that [siteid] will be replaced with their website's ID. It is always a good idea to use these substitution symbols, as thay ensure that when your new members receive their HTML code for the Navpanel, it is all ready for them to insert into their web page. The less work they have to do, the more likely it is that they will do it all correctly. The [cgiURL] symbol allows a RingMaster to easily move his or her webring between different Ringlink webring systems, after having first recovered his or her webring 'data' using the 'Backup ring' feature in 'Ringadmin'.

Take the default Navpanel code from the 'Customize HTML code' page within 'Ring admin' and paste it into your text or HTML editor, then modify it as needed, being very careful to maintain the substitution symbols correctly.

When a new website is added to a webring, the webmaster receives a copy of the Navpanel customized specifically for their website (the substitution symbols are replaced with the values defined for that website and that webring). They are expected to insert this Navpanel onto their web page, along with any graphics that may be used with the Navpanel.

Once you've got the Navpanel looking good (and be sure and test it on a page), replace the default Navpanel as displayed on the 'Customize HTML code' page within 'Ring admin' with your own.
Now it is a good idea to sign up a 'home' site to the ring so that you get the e-mail with the Navpanel, and then can display it on the webing's 'join' or 'description' page, and also then be able to check for any errors. Test it carefully (you will have to add or activate your test site to the ring before testing)!! It is important to check each link, as well as any graphic images, and how the Navpanel displays in different browsers and on web pages using CSS (style sheets).

As for graphic images and Navpanel(s), display them on the webing's 'join' or 'description' page with instructions for webring members to download them to their own servers. The graphic/s should be small in size so as not to take overly long to load for the average web surfer using a dial-up connection. It or they should also be attractive and well presented if displayed within a Navpanel. RingMasters have declined to join a webring simply because they did not want that ugly graphic or the butt ugly navpanel displayed on their website. It is also a good idea to offer more than 1 choice of navpanel as was done at The Official World War II Online™ Ring.

From your World War II Online™ combat unit's many personal webpages to units of common special interests such as geographical or military branch, this is the place to have your World War II Online™ webring hosted!

The basics on what you need to get going.

One of the most important parts of your webring is your home page. Here's tips on how to create a success.

An explanation of what it does and how to create your own. Remember, your navpanel is the most visible advertisement you have!

Very important information! What's necessary for maintaining your webring!

Having a problem finding the perfect background for your World War II Online™ website? We have a small collection of backgrounds which happen to match our variety of Official World War II Online Ring™ banners. Free for the taking - and you don't have to be a ringmember to use them!