Unpublish Example Data

If you are installing Joomla! 1.6 for the first time, I recommend you also install the example data. Take your time and explore the website and how it all comes together. The example data show you how the website looks with content and comes with short explanations of the example content and modules. To get a brief overview, read the 50 pages behind the menu item "Using Joomla!".

Now that you have seen enough, you would probably love to configure your website according to your needs and wishes.

How to get an empty Joomla! ?

To get an empty version, you can:

1. Install a fresh Joomla! 1.6 without example data:
   Create a new folder in your local web directory (/htdocs) and install the new Joomla!. Now you have two complete Joomla! installations. This approach is very helpful for training purposes.
2. Delete the example data in your administration area.
3. Unpublish the example data. Please watch the video attached, in which I am going to show you how to do that.

If you decide to follow step 2 or 3, you will need to login in the administration area. There you can delete and/or unpublish the example data and menu items.

Menu manager

Go to the Menu Manager in the Top Menu (Menus -> Top), click the check boxes on the left side above the menu items to choose all of them, and then click the icon Unpublish. After you have done this, you will see a red icon on each menu item. (Figure 1)

Figure 1: Menu manager I

If you now go back to your website (refresh it), you will notice that the top menu is no longer visible. Repeat the same procedure with the Main Menu and the About Joomla! menu. Make sure you choose all menu items, except the Home/Frontpage item. This menu item cannot be deleted because you need a frontpage. In the lower area, you may change the number of displayed menu items (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Menu manager II

Article manager

Use the same procedure as described above. Open the article manager and choose all content items to unpublish or delete them.

Cache

To make sure that all data will disappear from you site, you have to clear the entire cache (Site Maintenance -> Clear Cache). Again, choose all content and delete it.

Empty Website

Your Joomla! is now "empty" (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Joomla! without example data