Working with the Joomla plugin shortcode – Checkfront

Learn how to generate and place Joomla shortcodes and how to extend the shortcode using arguments, which are values passed in the code to customize the experience.

Are you new to Joomla? Please read the first article in this series for an introduction to our Joomla integration.

Accessing the features mentioned in this article

Where can I find this feature using the top menu?

Manage > Integrations > Website Integration > Joomla

What more do I need to use this feature?

Admin permissions to manage integrations.
A hosted website with the free Joomla software.
Ability to copy and paste into your website code or have some helpful person do this for you!

Which Checkfront version supports this feature - classic items, classic products, or both?

This feature is available in both our classic items version using classic items (Inventory > Items) and our classic products version using classic products (Inventory > Products). → Learn more about products

Version Support

Currently, our integration supports Joomla versions up to and including 3.8.

If you need support for a higher version, we instead recommend using the Booking Widget to display your Checkfront booking page on your website.

Generating the shortcode

You should have by now selected all the previous options that make the most sense in terms of your requirements. It's now time to generate the shortcode for your website!

Joomla Shortcode Generate

Click the Generate Code button and copy the resulting shortcode to your clipboard. The basic shortcode generated looks like this: [checkfront].

Placing the shortcode

Joomla Default Shortcode

With the shortcode pasted to your clipboard, you can head back to Joomla and locate/create the page/post where you would like to embed the booking portal.

Place the shortcode wherever you want the portal to appear. This may be before, after, or somewhere within your page content.

Using arguments with the shortcode

Joomla Advanced Shortcode

Adding some of the arguments from the list lower down this page controls how the booking portal appears and the information it contains. Above is an example of what this shortcode might look like.

Extending the shortcode

Following is a list of arguments that can be added to the basic [checkfront] shortcode to change the look and behaviour of your booking portal.

Type	Variable	Description
Inventory	`[checkfront item_id="3,8,37"]`	Show specific items or products
	`[checkfront category_id="2,3"]`	Show specific categories
	`[checkfront filter_category_id="3"]`	Limit upcoming events to a specific category
Options	`[checkfront options=tabs]`	Tabs as categories
	`[checkfront options=category_select`	Dropdowns as categories
	`[checkfront options=hidesearch]`	Hide search and calendar
	`[checkfront options=hidedates]`	Hide date picker
	`[checkfront options=tabs,hidesearch,hidedates]`	Together they would look like this
Discount Code	`[checkfront discount_code="insert_code"]`	Include an automatic discount code
Language	`[checkfront lang_id: "en"]`	Set default booking portal language
	`[checkfront locale_id: en_US"]`	Set default customer language. Customers can change this from the menu bar. Supercedes lang_id
Style	`[checkfront style="color: #000000"]`	Font colour
	`[checkfront style="font-family: arial"]`	Font-family
	`[checkfront style="background-color: #873333"]`	Background colour
	`[checkfront style="color: #000000; background-color: #873333; font-family: arial"]`	Font styles combined
Date	`[checkfront date="20141224"]`	Fast forward to a specific date
	`[checkfront end_date="20140131"]`	Add an end date
Tracking ID	`[checkfront tid="promo-page"]`	Tracking ID

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to have multiple shortcodes on the same webpage?

No. You can only have one shortcode per webpage. Add a code block with a generated Booking Widget code if you want multiple integrations on the same webpage.

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