FAQ - Journal Entries
- How do I post an entry?
- Can I change what style I see entry pages in?
- How do I post an entry to a community that I administer or am a member of?
- How do I control who can read my entries?
- How can I choose which user icon to use?
- How can I show my mood, music, or location on a post?
- How do I set age restriction filters on my journal or entry?
- How do I edit or delete an entry?
- How do I make a link to another Dreamwidth account, or an account on another service?
- What is a cut? How can I hide part of my entry behind a cut?
- How do I make an entry sticky, so it's always at the top of my journal?
- What is a client? What clients can I use with Dreamwidth?
- How do I make all my posts private?
- What is the Rich Text Editor? What is the HTML Editor?
- What HTML can I use in my entry?
- How can I use Markdown to format my entries?
- How do I post an entry without it showing on my subscribers' reading pages? Why would I do this?
- How do I create a poll?
- How do I close or reopen a poll?
- What is Auto-Formatting?
- How can I email entries into my journal?
- How do I view entries in my journal by security?
- How do I add a slug to change the URL of my entry?
» How do I post an entry?
You need to be logged into your Dreamwidth account to do this. There are several ways to post an entry.
1. You can navigate to Create on site-schemed pages. From there you can navigate to the Post an Entry page. This will take you to a page with a box where you can compose your entry.
2. If you've enabled the Navigation Strip (you can do this on the Customize Journal Style page), you can follow the "Post" link which will take you to the Post an Entry page.
3. You can go to your Profile Page and follow the "Post an Entry" link in the interactions menu.
4. You can set up email posting and email an entry to your journal.
You can compose your entry in either the rich text editor or the HTML editor. We recommend the HTML editor, because the rich text editor doesn't always format text properly, but it is available as a choice. You can choose the editor you use with the "Rich Text" and "HTML" tabs.
When you've finished writing, you can check how the entry will appear when it’s been posted to your journal by clicking on the "Preview" button or link. When you’re ready to post, click on the "Post to username" button or link. The entry will then appear in your journal.
1. You can navigate to Create on site-schemed pages. From there you can navigate to the Post an Entry page. This will take you to a page with a box where you can compose your entry.
2. If you've enabled the Navigation Strip (you can do this on the Customize Journal Style page), you can follow the "Post" link which will take you to the Post an Entry page.
3. You can go to your Profile Page and follow the "Post an Entry" link in the interactions menu.
4. You can set up email posting and email an entry to your journal.
You can compose your entry in either the rich text editor or the HTML editor. We recommend the HTML editor, because the rich text editor doesn't always format text properly, but it is available as a choice. You can choose the editor you use with the "Rich Text" and "HTML" tabs.
When you've finished writing, you can check how the entry will appear when it’s been posted to your journal by clicking on the "Preview" button or link. When you’re ready to post, click on the "Post to username" button or link. The entry will then appear in your journal.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» Can I change what style I see entry pages in?
Yes, you can change the style entry pages are shown in. Entry pages are the pages where individual entries and their comments are displayed.
You can change how entry pages in your account will appear to others, and you can also choose how the site will show other users' entries to you while you're logged in to your account.
To choose how your entry pages will show, visit the Display tab of Account Settings.
If you want other people who visit your entry pages to see them in your journal style, check the box labelled "Entry Page Default: Your Journal". This will set the default for logged-out users and people who haven't changed their viewing setting. If you leave this box unchecked, your entry pages will show in the site skin.
To choose how you'll see entry pages (including your own) when you're logged in, select the appropriate option in the drop-down labelled "Entry Pages: Shown to You". You can choose from "original style", which will show you whatever the journal owner has set; "my own style", which will show you all entry pages in your own journal style; "site skin", which will show you all entry pages in the site skin, and "light format", which will show you all entry pages in a stripped-down, simplified layout.
The 'Shown to You' setting will always override the 'Default' setting. For instance, if you check "Entry Page Default: Your Journal" to show your journal's entry pages in your journal style, but pick "site skin" for "Entry Pages: Shown to You", logged out visitors to your journal will see your entry pages in your journal style, but you will see all entry pages on the site (including in your own journal) in the site skin.
You can change how entry pages in your account will appear to others, and you can also choose how the site will show other users' entries to you while you're logged in to your account.
To choose how your entry pages will show, visit the Display tab of Account Settings.
If you want other people who visit your entry pages to see them in your journal style, check the box labelled "Entry Page Default: Your Journal". This will set the default for logged-out users and people who haven't changed their viewing setting. If you leave this box unchecked, your entry pages will show in the site skin.
To choose how you'll see entry pages (including your own) when you're logged in, select the appropriate option in the drop-down labelled "Entry Pages: Shown to You". You can choose from "original style", which will show you whatever the journal owner has set; "my own style", which will show you all entry pages in your own journal style; "site skin", which will show you all entry pages in the site skin, and "light format", which will show you all entry pages in a stripped-down, simplified layout.
The 'Shown to You' setting will always override the 'Default' setting. For instance, if you check "Entry Page Default: Your Journal" to show your journal's entry pages in your journal style, but pick "site skin" for "Entry Pages: Shown to You", logged out visitors to your journal will see your entry pages in your journal style, but you will see all entry pages on the site (including in your own journal) in the site skin.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I post an entry to a community that I administer or am a member of?
You need to be logged into your Dreamwidth account to post an entry to a community. In most cases you will also need to be a member of a community before you can post to it, although some communities have non-member posting enabled. Please read the How do I post to a community? FAQ for more details.
There are several ways to post to a community.
1. Open the Post an Entry page. If you click on your account name, you will find a dropdown menu listing communities you have posting access to. You can then select a journal or community from this list. Your post will be posted in whichever journal or community is showing in "Post To:". This method will only work if you're a member of the community and have posting access. If the community allows non-member posting and you're not a member, you will need to use one of the other two methods.
2. Go to the community's profile page. The interactions menu contains a "Post to Community" link if you are able to post to the community. In most site skins, the interactions menu is on the right-hand side of the profile, and appears as the first set of links when read by a screenreader or displayed in a non-graphical browser. You can use this method to post to a community if the community allows open posting and you're not a member.
3. Use the Navigation Strip on the community. If you have the Navigation Strip enabled and you have posting access to the community, a link to "Post to this community" will display when you're viewing the community. You may need to enable the Navigation Strip first.
There are several ways to post to a community.
1. Open the Post an Entry page. If you click on your account name, you will find a dropdown menu listing communities you have posting access to. You can then select a journal or community from this list. Your post will be posted in whichever journal or community is showing in "Post To:". This method will only work if you're a member of the community and have posting access. If the community allows non-member posting and you're not a member, you will need to use one of the other two methods.
2. Go to the community's profile page. The interactions menu contains a "Post to Community" link if you are able to post to the community. In most site skins, the interactions menu is on the right-hand side of the profile, and appears as the first set of links when read by a screenreader or displayed in a non-graphical browser. You can use this method to post to a community if the community allows open posting and you're not a member.
3. Use the Navigation Strip on the community. If you have the Navigation Strip enabled and you have posting access to the community, a link to "Post to this community" will display when you're viewing the community. You may need to enable the Navigation Strip first.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I control who can read my entries?
When you're composing an entry, you can select various privacy options from the "Show this entry to: " dropdown menu on the Post an Entry page.
You can choose whether to make the entry Public, Private or Access List only (if you're posting to your journal) or Public or Members Only (if you're posting to a community).
A public entry is viewable to everyone, whether or not they have a Dreamwidth account. Access List only entries are viewable only to the accounts (including OpenID accounts) you've given access to. You'll need to add a user's Dreamwidth or OpenID account to your Access List before the user can read your protected entries.
You can give yourself more control over who can read your entries by setting up access filters. If you have access filters set up, you'll have the option to post to your access filters by selecting "Custom" in the "Show this entry to:" dropdown menu. Selecting "Custom" from this menu will make checkboxes for your filters appear under the "Show this entry to:" menu. You can then select one or more filters.
If you've granted access to any OpenID accounts, you might want to periodically review the list of OpenID accounts who have access to your locked entries and make sure those accounts still belong to the people you intend to give access to. Some OpenID providers will recycle usernames or allow someone else to register the username if the original account owner deletes the account. Since OpenID identifies you by URL, it's possible this can result in someone else controlling the OpenID-equipped URL you gave access to.
You can choose whether to make the entry Public, Private or Access List only (if you're posting to your journal) or Public or Members Only (if you're posting to a community).
A public entry is viewable to everyone, whether or not they have a Dreamwidth account. Access List only entries are viewable only to the accounts (including OpenID accounts) you've given access to. You'll need to add a user's Dreamwidth or OpenID account to your Access List before the user can read your protected entries.
You can give yourself more control over who can read your entries by setting up access filters. If you have access filters set up, you'll have the option to post to your access filters by selecting "Custom" in the "Show this entry to:" dropdown menu. Selecting "Custom" from this menu will make checkboxes for your filters appear under the "Show this entry to:" menu. You can then select one or more filters.
If you've granted access to any OpenID accounts, you might want to periodically review the list of OpenID accounts who have access to your locked entries and make sure those accounts still belong to the people you intend to give access to. Some OpenID providers will recycle usernames or allow someone else to register the username if the original account owner deletes the account. Since OpenID identifies you by URL, it's possible this can result in someone else controlling the OpenID-equipped URL you gave access to.
Last Activity: February 26th, 2012 (denise)
» How can I choose which user icon to use?
You need to have uploaded some icons and assigned keywords to them first, so if you haven’t done that yet, see the How do I upload an icon? FAQ first.
On the Post an Entry page you’ll find a dropdown menu next to "Icon:". The dropdown menu will display a list of your icon keywords. You can then select your desired user icon from the list.
Paid accounts can also click the "View Thumbnails" link on the Post an Entry page. This will open a window with pictures of your icons. You can then choose which icon you'd like to use by clicking on it. You can also click "Choose random icon" to let Dreamwidth select an icon at random for you.
If you've chosen a default icon, it will automatically appear with your entries unless you specifically choose a different icon.
On the Post an Entry page you’ll find a dropdown menu next to "Icon:". The dropdown menu will display a list of your icon keywords. You can then select your desired user icon from the list.
Paid accounts can also click the "View Thumbnails" link on the Post an Entry page. This will open a window with pictures of your icons. You can then choose which icon you'd like to use by clicking on it. You can also click "Choose random icon" to let Dreamwidth select an icon at random for you.
If you've chosen a default icon, it will automatically appear with your entries unless you specifically choose a different icon.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How can I show my mood, music, or location on a post?
You can give your readers more information about the music you’re listening to, your mood, and your location by filling out the respective text areas on the Post an Entry page.
These are sometimes known as "currents", because of the label displayed for the data when shown on your entries: "current mood", "current music", and "current location". Most people use them as a fun way to provide more information about what they're doing when they're writing an entry.
Current Music
For music, just type in whatever you like in the box marked "Music". You can be as general (Classical, Rock, Pop) or as specific (The Beatles - With A Little Help From My Friends) as you like.
Current Mood
You can set your mood by using the "Mood:" dropdown menu or by filling in the text area next to it. If you've set a mood theme, when you use the dropdown menu or write a mood in the text area that has a linked graphic -- for example, "curious" -- the associated graphic will appear in your entry. You can also select a graphic and write a custom mood in the text area (for example, select the "happy" graphic from the menu and write "blissfully happy" in the text area). If you have a paid account, you can create and use a custom mood theme.
For fun, we track the site's current overall mood, aggregated from the latest posts made to the site. You can see what kind of a mood Dreamwidth is in by visiting the Mood of Service page. This page shows both the most-used mood and the "emotional weather" on a sliding scale from :( (bad mood) to :) (good mood).
Current Location
The location text area is linked to Google Maps. Whatever you fill in here will appear as a link to a map of that location when viewed on the entry. The field does not auto-detect your location: you must make a deliberate choice to type it in. If you add a ZIP code or street address the map link may pinpoint your location to others, so think carefully about your privacy and comfort level before specifying a physical location. You can also choose a non-specific location such as a city or country, or a descriptive phrase like "at home" or "in the library".
These are sometimes known as "currents", because of the label displayed for the data when shown on your entries: "current mood", "current music", and "current location". Most people use them as a fun way to provide more information about what they're doing when they're writing an entry.
Current Music
For music, just type in whatever you like in the box marked "Music". You can be as general (Classical, Rock, Pop) or as specific (The Beatles - With A Little Help From My Friends) as you like.
Current Mood
You can set your mood by using the "Mood:" dropdown menu or by filling in the text area next to it. If you've set a mood theme, when you use the dropdown menu or write a mood in the text area that has a linked graphic -- for example, "curious" -- the associated graphic will appear in your entry. You can also select a graphic and write a custom mood in the text area (for example, select the "happy" graphic from the menu and write "blissfully happy" in the text area). If you have a paid account, you can create and use a custom mood theme.
For fun, we track the site's current overall mood, aggregated from the latest posts made to the site. You can see what kind of a mood Dreamwidth is in by visiting the Mood of Service page. This page shows both the most-used mood and the "emotional weather" on a sliding scale from :( (bad mood) to :) (good mood).
Current Location
The location text area is linked to Google Maps. Whatever you fill in here will appear as a link to a map of that location when viewed on the entry. The field does not auto-detect your location: you must make a deliberate choice to type it in. If you add a ZIP code or street address the map link may pinpoint your location to others, so think carefully about your privacy and comfort level before specifying a physical location. You can also choose a non-specific location such as a city or country, or a descriptive phrase like "at home" or "in the library".
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I set age restriction filters on my journal or entry?
On the "Display" Tab of the My Account Settings page, there's an "Adult Content" option, which gives you three choices: "Is suitable for everyone", "Should be viewed with discretion", "Is suitable for ages 18+". Whichever of these you choose will be the default setting for all of your journal entries.
Below the "Adult Content" menu is an optional box marked "Adult Content Reason", where you can write whatever you like. This text will be displayed wherever your Age Filtered Notice appears. For example, if you wrote "Nudity and Obscene Language" in your "Adult Content Reason" box, the Age Filtered notices would appear as follows:
Age Filtered Notice:
You're about to view content that username marked as inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. To continue, you must confirm that you're at least 18 years of age. username provided the following reason for this journal being marked inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18: Nudity and Obscene Language
If the person is less than 18 years old they won't be able to access this page.
Age Filtered Notice:
You're about to view content that username has advised should be viewed with discretion. To continue, you must confirm you want to view this content. username provided the following reason why this journal should be viewed with discretion: Nudity and Obscene Language
This notice won't keep people 18 years of age or less from viewing your journal's content.
You can also set Age Restriction Filters on your individual journal entries. At the bottom of your "Post an Entry" page, there are boxes and pulldown menus allowing you to customize each entry. For "Age Restriction" you can choose from:
You can also write a "Adult Content Reason" in the text box provided.
Below the "Adult Content" menu is an optional box marked "Adult Content Reason", where you can write whatever you like. This text will be displayed wherever your Age Filtered Notice appears. For example, if you wrote "Nudity and Obscene Language" in your "Adult Content Reason" box, the Age Filtered notices would appear as follows:
(Adult Content)
Age Filtered Notice:
You're about to view content that username marked as inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. To continue, you must confirm that you're at least 18 years of age. username provided the following reason for this journal being marked inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18: Nudity and Obscene Language
If the person is less than 18 years old they won't be able to access this page.
(Viewer Discretion Advised)
Age Filtered Notice:
You're about to view content that username has advised should be viewed with discretion. To continue, you must confirm you want to view this content. username provided the following reason why this journal should be viewed with discretion: Nudity and Obscene Language
This notice won't keep people 18 years of age or less from viewing your journal's content.
You can also set Age Restriction Filters on your individual journal entries. At the bottom of your "Post an Entry" page, there are boxes and pulldown menus allowing you to customize each entry. For "Age Restriction" you can choose from:
- Journal Default
- No Age Restriction
- Viewer Discretion Advised
- Age 18 and Over
You can also write a "Adult Content Reason" in the text box provided.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I edit or delete an entry?
You need to be logged into the account that you wish to edit or delete entries in. Then:
1. Depending on what style you use, the entry page may say "Edit" or show you the Dreamwidth "Edit" icon. The Dreamwidth "Edit" icon looks like this:
Or:
2. Select Edit Entries from under the "Create" menu.
To edit your entry, open the edit page for that entry and make the edits you'd like. When you've finished editing your entry, click the "Save Entry" button.
To delete the entire entry, navigate to the edit page for that entry then click "Delete Entry" at the bottom. You'll be asked if you're sure you want to delete the entry.
Deleting an entry will permanently remove it and all its comments from the Dreamwidth servers and you won't be able to get it back. Instead of deleting the entry, you might prefer to change the security on the entry (e.g. by making it private) instead. If the entry security level is "private", nobody can see it or any of its comments but you.
1. Depending on what style you use, the entry page may say "Edit" or show you the Dreamwidth "Edit" icon. The Dreamwidth "Edit" icon looks like this:
Or:
2. Select Edit Entries from under the "Create" menu.
To edit your entry, open the edit page for that entry and make the edits you'd like. When you've finished editing your entry, click the "Save Entry" button.
To delete the entire entry, navigate to the edit page for that entry then click "Delete Entry" at the bottom. You'll be asked if you're sure you want to delete the entry.
Deleting an entry will permanently remove it and all its comments from the Dreamwidth servers and you won't be able to get it back. Instead of deleting the entry, you might prefer to change the security on the entry (e.g. by making it private) instead. If the entry security level is "private", nobody can see it or any of its comments but you.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I make a link to another Dreamwidth account, or an account on another service?
You can use the <user name=username> tag to create a link to another Dreamwidth account. The link you create will look different for a person, a community, or a feed, but in each case the icon will be a link to that account's profile. For example:
DW user: <user name=username> gives![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
username
DW community: <user name=omnomnom> gives![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
omnomnom
Feed account: <user name=xkcd_feed> gives![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
xkcd_feed
OpenID account: <user name=rahaeli.livejournal.com> gives![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
rahaeli.livejournal.com
You can also specify an account on a different site by adding "site=sitename" in the tag, as follows:
<user name=news site=livejournal.com> gives![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
news
<user name=announcements site=insanejournal.com> gives![[insanejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/ij-community.gif)
announcements
Alternatively, if you are using Markdown you can use @username to link tousername. To link to a user on another site, use @username.sitename.
This feature will work with any site that has specifically been added, or with any site that uses the structure "www.example.com/users/username" for their URLs. Unknown sites will display with a generic icon.
Sites that are currently recognized by this tag are:
archiveofourown.org (also works with ao3.org, archiveofourown, ao3)
blogger.com (also works with blogspot.com, blogger, blogspot)
deadjournal.com (also works with deadjournal, dj)
deviantart.com (also works with deviantart, da)
etsy.com (also works with etsy)
facebook.com (also works with facebook, fb)
fanfiction.net (also works with ffn)
github.com (also works with github)
insanejournal.com (also works with insanejournal, ij)
instagram.com (also works with instagram)
last.fm
livejournal.com (also works with livejournal, lj)
lj.rossia.org (also works with LJR)
medium.com (also works with medium)
pinboard.in (also works with pinboard)
pinterest.com (also works with pinterest)
plurk.com (also works with plurk)
ravelry.com (also works with ravelry)
twitter.com (also works with twitter)
tumblr.com (also works with tumblr)
wordpress.com (also works with wordpress)
youtube.com (also works with youtube)
To request that a site be added, you can make a suggestion.
Official communities and Dreamwidth staff accounts display with different icons, but the method of linking is the same. These official accounts display with different icons to show that they are in some way connected to the process of running Dreamwidth. For example:
DW staff: <user name=denise> gives![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png)
denise
Official community: <user name=dw_news> gives![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png)
dw_news
If you're using the Rich Text Editor, enter the account name, then highlight it and select Account. This will automatically generate a link. At the moment this only works for links to users on Dreamwidth.
You can also find the code for this link at the bottom of each user's profile page, along with HTML code to link to them on sites outside Dreamwidth.
DW user: <user name=username> gives
usernameDW community: <user name=omnomnom> gives
omnomnomFeed account: <user name=xkcd_feed> gives
xkcd_feedOpenID account: <user name=rahaeli.livejournal.com> gives
rahaeli.livejournal.comYou can also specify an account on a different site by adding "site=sitename" in the tag, as follows:
<user name=news site=livejournal.com> gives
news<user name=announcements site=insanejournal.com> gives
announcementsAlternatively, if you are using Markdown you can use @username to link to
username. To link to a user on another site, use @username.sitename.This feature will work with any site that has specifically been added, or with any site that uses the structure "www.example.com/users/username" for their URLs. Unknown sites will display with a generic icon.
Sites that are currently recognized by this tag are:
archiveofourown.org (also works with ao3.org, archiveofourown, ao3)
blogger.com (also works with blogspot.com, blogger, blogspot)
deadjournal.com (also works with deadjournal, dj)
deviantart.com (also works with deviantart, da)
etsy.com (also works with etsy)
facebook.com (also works with facebook, fb)
fanfiction.net (also works with ffn)
github.com (also works with github)
insanejournal.com (also works with insanejournal, ij)
instagram.com (also works with instagram)
last.fm
livejournal.com (also works with livejournal, lj)
lj.rossia.org (also works with LJR)
medium.com (also works with medium)
pinboard.in (also works with pinboard)
pinterest.com (also works with pinterest)
plurk.com (also works with plurk)
ravelry.com (also works with ravelry)
twitter.com (also works with twitter)
tumblr.com (also works with tumblr)
wordpress.com (also works with wordpress)
youtube.com (also works with youtube)
To request that a site be added, you can make a suggestion.
Official communities and Dreamwidth staff accounts display with different icons, but the method of linking is the same. These official accounts display with different icons to show that they are in some way connected to the process of running Dreamwidth. For example:
DW staff: <user name=denise> gives
deniseOfficial community: <user name=dw_news> gives
dw_newsIf you're using the Rich Text Editor, enter the account name, then highlight it and select Account. This will automatically generate a link. At the moment this only works for links to users on Dreamwidth.
You can also find the code for this link at the bottom of each user's profile page, along with HTML code to link to them on sites outside Dreamwidth.
Last Activity: January 13th, 2023 (denise)
» What is a cut? How can I hide part of my entry behind a cut?
Dreamwidth allows you to hide part of your entry text behind a cut, so you don't post a huge entry on your subscribers' reading page, or so you can hide something you don't want to be immediately visible when someone's scrolling through your journal, like a plot spoiler for a movie.
If you use a cut, a link will appear in your entry. To see what's behind the cut, you can select the triangle next to the cut text, which will expand the cut on the same page. You can also select the cut itself, which will take you to a new page, with the full entry. The full entry will also be shown if you open the page to read the comments, or if you're linked to the entry directly. Cuts are only shown on main journal pages, like your reading page, your journal page, or a community page. Previewing an entry also doesn't show cuts.
To make a cut with the HTML Editor, type <cut> before the text you want to hide under a cut, then </cut> after you've entered the text you want to be hidden. If you'd like to replace the usual "Read more..." cut text, enter <cut text="your text here">. Quote marks around the additional text are optional.
Dreamwidth also supports the legacy code inherited from LiveJournal, so you can also type: <lj-cut> and </lj-cut> and <lj-cut text="your text here">.
If you're using the rich text editor, highlight the text you want to appear behind a cut, then select the "Cut" button. A pop-up box will appear so you can add your own text to the cut text link. Text that's been hidden by a cut is shown in grey in the rich text editor. You cannot use quote marks in the cut text link: if you do, the cut text link will end at the quote mark.
If you use a cut, a link will appear in your entry. To see what's behind the cut, you can select the triangle next to the cut text, which will expand the cut on the same page. You can also select the cut itself, which will take you to a new page, with the full entry. The full entry will also be shown if you open the page to read the comments, or if you're linked to the entry directly. Cuts are only shown on main journal pages, like your reading page, your journal page, or a community page. Previewing an entry also doesn't show cuts.
To make a cut with the HTML Editor, type <cut> before the text you want to hide under a cut, then </cut> after you've entered the text you want to be hidden. If you'd like to replace the usual "Read more..." cut text, enter <cut text="your text here">. Quote marks around the additional text are optional.
Dreamwidth also supports the legacy code inherited from LiveJournal, so you can also type: <lj-cut> and </lj-cut> and <lj-cut text="your text here">.
If you're using the rich text editor, highlight the text you want to appear behind a cut, then select the "Cut" button. A pop-up box will appear so you can add your own text to the cut text link. Text that's been hidden by a cut is shown in grey in the rich text editor. You cannot use quote marks in the cut text link: if you do, the cut text link will end at the quote mark.
Last Activity: November 21st, 2024 (denise)
» How do I make an entry sticky, so it's always at the top of my journal?
If you have an entry or entries with information you want everyone to read as soon as they visit your journal, like an introduction or a journal policy, you can make the entry "sticky". This will make the entry always appear as the first entry on the front page of your journal, no matter when it was posted or how many other entries you've posted since posting it.
To do this, first find the URL of an entry you want to make sticky by viewing the entry and then copying the URL from your browser's address bar. This will look something like this, only with a different number:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/12345.html
Then go to the Display tab of the My Account Settings page, and find the option "IDs or URLs of Sticky Entries" towards the bottom of the page. Copy the URL for the entry into the first available box box and select "Save" at the bottom of the page.
This will make the entry sticky, so it will show as the top entry whenever anyone visits your journal. This has no effect on how the entry appears on other people's Reading Pages.
You can also set a sticky entry for a community that you administer. Make sure that the entry that you would like to make sticky is in the community and not your personal journal. On the Display tab of Account Settings, select your community from the "Work As" menu and select the 'Switch' button. Then enter the URL and save, just like you'd do for a personal account.
The number of sticky entries you can have in your account depends on your account type. If you need more sticky entries than your account type allows, you can use the Date Out of Order option to make entries appear at the top of your journal by giving the entry a date in the far future. You could also write an "index" post that links to all the entries you want to make sticky, then make the index post into your sticky entry.
To do this, first find the URL of an entry you want to make sticky by viewing the entry and then copying the URL from your browser's address bar. This will look something like this, only with a different number:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/12345.html
Then go to the Display tab of the My Account Settings page, and find the option "IDs or URLs of Sticky Entries" towards the bottom of the page. Copy the URL for the entry into the first available box box and select "Save" at the bottom of the page.
This will make the entry sticky, so it will show as the top entry whenever anyone visits your journal. This has no effect on how the entry appears on other people's Reading Pages.
You can also set a sticky entry for a community that you administer. Make sure that the entry that you would like to make sticky is in the community and not your personal journal. On the Display tab of Account Settings, select your community from the "Work As" menu and select the 'Switch' button. Then enter the URL and save, just like you'd do for a personal account.
The number of sticky entries you can have in your account depends on your account type. If you need more sticky entries than your account type allows, you can use the Date Out of Order option to make entries appear at the top of your journal by giving the entry a date in the far future. You could also write an "index" post that links to all the entries you want to make sticky, then make the index post into your sticky entry.
Last Activity: August 30th, 2015 (kaberett)
» What is a client? What clients can I use with Dreamwidth?
A client is an independent software application that allows you to post to multiple journals/accounts at once from the client interface.
The majority of clients were written for the LiveJournal platform and work best on LiveJournal and sites running LiveJournal code. Because Dreamwidth is a code fork of the LiveJournal code and has changed some things (for example, breaking down the Friends List into access/subscription), some features of the client may not work.
A list of clients can be found in the Dreamwidth Wiki under: List of Compatible Clients, along with any notes on how well they work. This list has not been updated since 2014 and may be inaccurate.
In order to log into Dreamwidth with any client, such as Semagic, you'll need to generate and use an API key instead of using your password:
The majority of clients were written for the LiveJournal platform and work best on LiveJournal and sites running LiveJournal code. Because Dreamwidth is a code fork of the LiveJournal code and has changed some things (for example, breaking down the Friends List into access/subscription), some features of the client may not work.
A list of clients can be found in the Dreamwidth Wiki under: List of Compatible Clients, along with any notes on how well they work. This list has not been updated since 2014 and may be inaccurate.
In order to log into Dreamwidth with any client, such as Semagic, you'll need to generate and use an API key instead of using your password:
- Go to the Mobile Account Settings page and scroll down to "Generate API Key".
- Click the checkbox labelled "Generate a new API key" and save the form.
- Copy the generated API key and use that instead of your Dreamwidth password in your client's settings.
Last Activity: July 31st, 2023 (karzilla)
» How do I make all my posts private?
For future entries
On the "Privacy" tab of your Manage Account Settings page there is an option called Minimum Entry Security. This setting allows you to choose the security setting all future entries will be posted with. You can choose from:
- Everyone (Public): anyone, whether they have a Dreamwidth account or not, can see your entries
- Access list: only your access list can see your entries
- Private (Just You): only you can see your entries
You can change your minimum entry security at any time, but whatever you select here will only affect your future posts, not any of your past ones.
If you want to post an entry with a higher security level than your minimum, use the options on the Post an Entry page (see How do I control who can read my entries? for details). You can't post entries with a less restrictive security than your minimum level, so if your minimum entry security is Private, you won't be able to post any locked or public entries directly from the Post an Entry page. You'll need to either lower your minimum security level, or post the entry and then edit the entry to change the security level after you post it.
For existing entries
If you have a Paid, Premium Paid, or Seed account, you can use the Edit Journal Privacy tool. This will allow you to change the privacy level of all entries made during a specific period by choosing the start and end date of the period you want to change, or all past entries by choosing "All Dates". You can also specify that only entries of a certain privacy level should be changed: for example, you might want to change your locked entries to public ones, while leaving your private entries alone, or change your locked entries to private ones while leaving your public entries alone.
The Edit Journal Privacy tool only works for your entries in your journal. To change the privacy of your entries in communities, you can find your entries in the community and edit them directly.
This tool is restricted to paid accounts only because of the load it places on our servers. If you don't have a paid account, you might be able to mass-edit your security settings by using a downloadable client. You should consult the individual client's documentation to find out what abilities it has and who you should contact for help. You can also directly edit each entry by hand to change the security.
Last Activity: January 23rd, 2016 (kaberett)
» What is the Rich Text Editor? What is the HTML Editor?
Dreamwidth gives you two ways (interfaces) to compose entries: the HTML editor and the Rich Text editor. You can switch between the two by selecting the appropriate tab on the Post an Entry page. You can also select which editor to use by default on the My Account Settings page, under the Display tab. By default, the page will remember which you used last.
The HTML editor (also called the plain text editor) allows you to change the look of your text with HTML markup. It can be used in both entries and comments. There is a full list of the HTML you can use on Dreamwidth.
The rich text editor lets you add formatting and pictures to text without using HTML tags. It can only be used when posting an entry, not making a comment. The rich text editor will attempt to preserve your formatting if you paste text from another source, such as a word processor, into it. This can cause problems for subscribers reading your entry from their reading page as your entry might be unreadable for them.
The rich text editor can sometimes produce markup that doesn't do what you want it to do. If your entry doesn't look like you want it to look when you post, you may want to switch to the HTML editor and make corrections.
Remember that forcing font changes may make things difficult for those reading your entries on their reading page. If you want to make changes to the way the text appears on your journal without changing the way the text appears on others' reading pages, see: How do I change the appearance of my journal?.
The HTML editor (also called the plain text editor) allows you to change the look of your text with HTML markup. It can be used in both entries and comments. There is a full list of the HTML you can use on Dreamwidth.
The rich text editor lets you add formatting and pictures to text without using HTML tags. It can only be used when posting an entry, not making a comment. The rich text editor will attempt to preserve your formatting if you paste text from another source, such as a word processor, into it. This can cause problems for subscribers reading your entry from their reading page as your entry might be unreadable for them.
The rich text editor can sometimes produce markup that doesn't do what you want it to do. If your entry doesn't look like you want it to look when you post, you may want to switch to the HTML editor and make corrections.
Remember that forcing font changes may make things difficult for those reading your entries on their reading page. If you want to make changes to the way the text appears on your journal without changing the way the text appears on others' reading pages, see: How do I change the appearance of my journal?.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» What HTML can I use in my entry?
HTML is short for Hyper Text Markup Language. These are instructions, called tags, to your browser that allow you to "mark up" your text. You can use HTML to change the color or size of your font, insert images or make your text bold or italic. The tags allowed in entries are as follows:
<a> <b> <big> <blockquote> <br> <center> <cite> <code> <dd> <div> <dl> <dt> <em> <font> <form> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <hr> <i> <img> <input> <li> <marquee> <nobr> <ol> <option> <p> <pre> <s> <select> <small> <span> <strike> <strong> <sub> <sup> <table> <td> <textarea> <th> <tr> <tt> <u> <ul> <xmp>
There is also Dreamwidth specific markup. You can use all the HTML tags listed above in comments, apart from the <form> and <input> tags.
You can't use any JavaScript in your entries or comments. This is for security reasons, as malicious JavaScript can be used to do things like gain access to other people's account information.
Dreamwidth has a guide to using the most common HTML. For more information, please see w3schools.
<a> <b> <big> <blockquote> <br> <center> <cite> <code> <dd> <div> <dl> <dt> <em> <font> <form> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <hr> <i> <img> <input> <li> <marquee> <nobr> <ol> <option> <p> <pre> <s> <select> <small> <span> <strike> <strong> <sub> <sup> <table> <td> <textarea> <th> <tr> <tt> <u> <ul> <xmp>
There is also Dreamwidth specific markup. You can use all the HTML tags listed above in comments, apart from the <form> and <input> tags.
You can't use any JavaScript in your entries or comments. This is for security reasons, as malicious JavaScript can be used to do things like gain access to other people's account information.
Dreamwidth has a guide to using the most common HTML. For more information, please see w3schools.
Last Activity: July 1st, 2019 (kaberett)
» How can I use Markdown to format my entries?
Markdown is a simple text formatting option. Currently it only works in entries.
To use Markdown to format your entry, start the entry with
Once you've declared your entry is using Markdown, you can use the full range of Markdown formatting and syntax. You can also refer to someone's account on Dreamwidth by using @username. For instance, @username is the equivalent of <user name=username>, givingusername. You can also link to users on other sites with this syntax.
To use Markdown to format your entry, start the entry with
!markdown on a line by itself.Once you've declared your entry is using Markdown, you can use the full range of Markdown formatting and syntax. You can also refer to someone's account on Dreamwidth by using @username. For instance, @username is the equivalent of <user name=username>, giving
username. You can also link to users on other sites with this syntax.Last Activity: July 1st, 2019 (kaberett)
» How do I post an entry without it showing on my subscribers' reading pages? Why would I do this?
You can do this from the Post an Entry page. The Edit Date link lets you to change the date and will also display a checkbox giving you the option "Don't show on Reading Pages".
An entry that is dated out of order can be assigned a date in the past or future without getting an error message and it won't appear on your subscribers' reading pages.
You might want to use this option when you're posting archived entries so they appear on the right dates. It can also be used to date a post in the future so it stays at the top of your Recent Entries page. You can also use the Sticky Entries feature to do this, although there is a limit to the number of Sticky Entries depending on your account type.
You can also use this option when you're posting multiple entries and don't want to flood your subscribers' reading pages, although you may wish to post one entry that isn't dated out of order to alert your subscribers to the rest of your posts.
This option is not available for community accounts.
If you want to prevent your public entries from being included in Latest Things, you should go to the Admin Console and enter the command "set latest_optout yes".
An entry that is dated out of order can be assigned a date in the past or future without getting an error message and it won't appear on your subscribers' reading pages.
You might want to use this option when you're posting archived entries so they appear on the right dates. It can also be used to date a post in the future so it stays at the top of your Recent Entries page. You can also use the Sticky Entries feature to do this, although there is a limit to the number of Sticky Entries depending on your account type.
You can also use this option when you're posting multiple entries and don't want to flood your subscribers' reading pages, although you may wish to post one entry that isn't dated out of order to alert your subscribers to the rest of your posts.
This option is not available for community accounts.
If you want to prevent your public entries from being included in Latest Things, you should go to the Admin Console and enter the command "set latest_optout yes".
Last Activity: January 9th, 2018 (kaberett)
» How do I create a poll?
Only Paid and Premium Paid accounts can create polls in their journals and in any communities where they have posting access. Free accounts can vote in polls but can only create polls in paid communities. OpenID accounts can vote in polls but cannot create them.
You can create and post a poll using the Poll Creator. Dropdown menus walk you through the options of:
Next, you can choose from five types of question: Radio Buttons, Check Boxes, Drop-Down box, Text box, or Scale. You can mix question types in the same poll.
The poll creator will guide you through the creation of your poll, allow you to preview it, and let you either post it directly to your journal or community. You can also copy the poll code to paste into an entry by hand. If you do this, make sure you're using the HTML editor, not the rich text editor, or else your poll will not be properly posted.
Polls can only be added to entries when they are first posted. You can't create a poll by editing the entry later. Polls can't be edited once they're posted, although the entry they're contained in can be edited normally, as long as you don't remove the <poll-###> tag from the text of the entry.
You can create and post a poll using the Poll Creator. Dropdown menus walk you through the options of:
- where you place the poll: in your own journal or in one of the communities you administer or have posting access to;
- who can view the individual responses to the poll: everyone, only the journal or community's Access List, or just you;
- whether the poll answers will be anonymous: if you choose this, poll responses will appear only as numbered responses, not with usernames attached;
- who can vote in the poll: everyone, or only the journal or community's Access List;
- what you will name it (optional text box).
Next, you can choose from five types of question: Radio Buttons, Check Boxes, Drop-Down box, Text box, or Scale. You can mix question types in the same poll.
- Radio buttons: This question type produces a series of answers with clickable selectors. Only one answer can be selected.
- Check boxes: This question type produces a series of answers with clickable boxes. These questions can have multiple answers. You can set a minimum and maximum number of responses ("at least 2 but no more than 5 answers").
- Dropdown box: This question type produces a dropdown list. Only one answer can be selected.
- Text box: This allows users to type in their own freeform answers. You can specify how much room they have to type, between 1 and 255 characters long.
- Scale: This generates a series of numbers, evenly spaced, for users to pick from. You select the maximum and minimum, and the unit by which the answers will increase. ("On a scale of 1 to 10...") This option calculates some basic statistics about the result: mean, median, and standard deviation.
The poll creator will guide you through the creation of your poll, allow you to preview it, and let you either post it directly to your journal or community. You can also copy the poll code to paste into an entry by hand. If you do this, make sure you're using the HTML editor, not the rich text editor, or else your poll will not be properly posted.
Polls can only be added to entries when they are first posted. You can't create a poll by editing the entry later. Polls can't be edited once they're posted, although the entry they're contained in can be edited normally, as long as you don't remove the <poll-###> tag from the text of the entry.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I close or reopen a poll?
Closing a poll stops anyone else from voting on it. It doesn't delete or hide any votes that have already been cast.
To close a poll, you need to go to the page for the poll and not just the entry where the poll is posted. You can get there by following the "Poll #n" link at the top of the poll. From here, select the option "Close Poll" from the menu at the top of the poll.
If you change your mind, you can reopen the poll by using the "Reopen Poll" option in the same place.
You can only close or reopen a poll that you posted, or one posted to a community that you administer.
To close a poll, you need to go to the page for the poll and not just the entry where the poll is posted. You can get there by following the "Poll #n" link at the top of the poll. From here, select the option "Close Poll" from the menu at the top of the poll.
If you change your mind, you can reopen the poll by using the "Reopen Poll" option in the same place.
You can only close or reopen a poll that you posted, or one posted to a community that you administer.
Last Activity: March 8th, 2013 (denise)
» What is Auto-Formatting?
By default, when you are writing an entry or a comment, Dreamwidth will automatically take any line breaks in your text and replace them with the HTML tag <br>.
In most cases, this is desirable behaviour, and makes the entry appear as you would expect. However, sometimes if you are writing HTML code such as tables or lists this will put in extra line breaks that you don't want.
You can disable this option for a complete entry by selecting the "Disable Auto-Formatting" option for the entry.
If you only want to turn it off for part of an entry or comment, you can use the <raw-code> tag. Anything written between <raw-code> and </raw-code> will not be auto-formatted.
If you're not familiar with HTML, we recommend that you don't use this option.
In most cases, this is desirable behaviour, and makes the entry appear as you would expect. However, sometimes if you are writing HTML code such as tables or lists this will put in extra line breaks that you don't want.
You can disable this option for a complete entry by selecting the "Disable Auto-Formatting" option for the entry.
If you only want to turn it off for part of an entry or comment, you can use the <raw-code> tag. Anything written between <raw-code> and </raw-code> will not be auto-formatted.
If you're not familiar with HTML, we recommend that you don't use this option.
Last Activity: March 8th, 2013 (denise)
» How can I email entries into my journal?
All users can email entries into their journals. To set up your account for email posting, go to Mobile Post Settings. Create a PIN and list the email addresses that should be allowed to send entries to your journal.
Once you've set up email posting, see PIN usage examples for how to address your messages and where to send them.
Once you've set up email posting, see PIN usage examples for how to address your messages and where to send them.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I view entries in my journal by security?
Paid, premium, and seed account holders can view your own entries, as well as entries in communities and other journals that you have been given access to, by security level.
To view only the public entries in your journal:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/public
To view only access-locked entries in your journal:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/access
To view only private entries in your journal:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/private
To view only entries with a custom security group:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/group:groupname
You can also start with the Journal Security Filters page, which shows links to all the options.
To see entries by security level in other journals, replace your username with the username of the journal you'd like to filter. You will only be able to see entries you already have access to see.
To view only the public entries in your journal:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/public
To view only access-locked entries in your journal:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/access
To view only private entries in your journal:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/private
To view only entries with a custom security group:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/security/group:groupname
You can also start with the Journal Security Filters page, which shows links to all the options.
To see entries by security level in other journals, replace your username with the username of the journal you'd like to filter. You will only be able to see entries you already have access to see.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
» How do I add a slug to change the URL of my entry?
By default, entries in your journal will have an automatically generated URL based on the entry number, such as:
icon. Enable the "Entry Link" setting box.
Once you've enabled that setting box, you can now enter a slug for the entry, either at the time of update or by editing the entry later. You'll see a preview of what the entry URL will look like after you enter the slug and navigate away from the field.
The date the entry was originally posted on is part of the URL. For instance, if you post an entry in your journal on 1 January 2013, and the slug you give it is "test", the URL of the entry will be:
Each entry in your journal needs to have a unique slug -- you can't re-use a slug, even if the entry was posted on a different day. If you accidentally enter a slug you've used before, the entry will still be posted, but the site will warn you that you've already used that slug before and the entry will only have the old-style URL.
If you don't enter a slug at the time of posting, the entry will be posted with the old-style URL. The update page does not automatically fill in the title of the entry as the slug.
https://username.dreamwidth.org/12345.htmlIf you want, you can specify a "slug", or short phrase that will appear in the URL. To do this, you must have the New Create Entries Beta enabled. On the Create Entries page, enter Settings Mode by clicking on the
icon. Enable the "Entry Link" setting box.Once you've enabled that setting box, you can now enter a slug for the entry, either at the time of update or by editing the entry later. You'll see a preview of what the entry URL will look like after you enter the slug and navigate away from the field.
The date the entry was originally posted on is part of the URL. For instance, if you post an entry in your journal on 1 January 2013, and the slug you give it is "test", the URL of the entry will be:
https://username.dreamwidth.org/2013/01/01/test.htmlThe date in the URL won't change, even if you edit the entry to change the date afterwards.
Each entry in your journal needs to have a unique slug -- you can't re-use a slug, even if the entry was posted on a different day. If you accidentally enter a slug you've used before, the entry will still be posted, but the site will warn you that you've already used that slug before and the entry will only have the old-style URL.
If you don't enter a slug at the time of posting, the entry will be posted with the old-style URL. The update page does not automatically fill in the title of the entry as the slug.
Last Activity: August 31st, 2015 (kaberett)
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