Core Docs - Digital Publishing - Content Channel View Block

Rock Version: v20.0
Last Modified: 2026-07-09 4:30 PM

Now that you understand how to create content channels and items, the next step is adding them to your external website. The main block you will use to format channel content is the Content Channel View block. Adding this block to a page zone will allow you to configure the settings listed below.

Channel Item Configuration Settings

To open these settings, select the ti ti-edit icon on the Content Channel View block. The settings are grouped into the sections below.

Basic Channel Configuration

Content Channel - Selects the content channel that feeds the block. Every item shown comes from this channel.

Item Statuses - Limits the list to items in the statuses you choose. Defaults to Approved, so drafts and denied posts stay hidden. Add Pending Approval or Denied when staff need to preview them.

Lava Template - Formats how items render on the page. Rock ships templates such as AdList.lava; if you build your own, start with {% for item in Items %} to loop through items. See the Rock Lava documentation for more.

General

Items Per Page - Sets how many items are handed to the Lava template per page. Defaults to 5. Enter 0 for no limit.

Detail Page - Names the page a reader opens for a single post, passed to your template as a merge field so you can link to it.

Item Cache Duration - Caches the items pulled from the database for the seconds you enter, easing load. Defaults to 3600 (one hour). Use 0 to turn item caching off.

Output Cache Duration - Caches the rendered output for the seconds you set. Defaults to 0 (off). Only cache output that never changes by person, since a cached page could show the wrong name.

Cache Tags - Groups cached content under tags so you can expire it together. Empty by default. Learn more in the Cache Tags article.

Filters & Sorting

Filter - Narrows the list by any attribute or property of the item, much like Data View filters. Choose whether items must match all or any of the conditions you add.

Context Filter Attribute - Matches an item attribute against the page's context so only relevant items appear. Pick the attribute, confirm items have a value for it, and define the entity type in the block properties first.

Personalization - Decides how personalization segments and request filters affect the list. Ignore skips them, Prioritize moves matching items to the top in sort order, and Filter shows only items matching the current person. Defaults to Ignore. See the Personalization guide.

Order Items By - Sets the fields and sort direction used to order the list.

Social Sharing

Meta Description Attribute - Picks the attribute used for the page meta description when the page is shared on social media.

Meta Image Attribute - Sets the page's og:image and image_src tags from an image attribute on the channel.

Advanced

Set Page Title - Sets the page title from the channel content. Shows the channel name by default, or the item's title when the URL includes an item id such as Item=1.

Merge Content - Compiles Lava found inside your content and attributes, so posts can render dynamically for the person reading them.

Enable Tag List - Lets you display and filter items by organizational tags in your Lava template, and adds a ?Tag=tagname URL filter. Tags work alongside your other filters, not in place of them.

Enable Archive Summary - Opens older or expired content through an ArchiveSummary Lava collection that groups items by month and year from their start dates.

Enable Query/Route Parameter Filtering - Lets the block pick an item from a query string or route value other than the default Item parameter, such as ?Title=Car Show or a series/{slug} route. You can also filter by Month and Year.

But Wait... There’s More

The settings above provide a ton of capabilities when adding dynamic data to a page. This block can also respond to specific query string parameters to alter its behavior. Let’s look at each of them:

Rock also supports passing in multiple values for Defined Value attributes that have 'Allow Multiple' enabled. In that case, the value you want in the query string parameter will be the GUID of the Defined Value you're looking for. Multiple values (i.e., multiple GUIDs) can be separated by a comma in the query string. This will return any items that have at least one of the provided values.

Showing a Single Item on a Page

The same block that lists your posts can also feature just one. When a URL identifies a single item, by its id or its slug, the Content Channel View block switches into item mode and renders that one item on its own page. That's how you get a clean, shareable address like /sermons/moneywise instead of a long query string, which is perfect for an individual blog post, sermon or event.

Channel Configuration Settings

To open these settings, select the ti ti-edit icon on the Content Channel View block. These settings apply when the block is showing a single item, and are grouped into the sections below.

Basic Channel Item Configuration

Content Channel - Locks the block to a single channel so two items that share a title, say a Moneywise sermon series and a Moneywise blog post, never get mixed up. Set this in almost every case, especially when your slugs aren't unique across channels.

Lava Template - Formats the single item. Out of the box it shows the title and content, but with the Item object you can lay out the whole page, pull in any property or attribute and link off to other pages. Even {{ Item.Title }} and {{ Item.Content }} are enough to get started.

Visitor Settings

Log Item Interaction - Writes an interaction record each time someone views the item, so views can be tracked and reported on.

Workflow Type - Launches a workflow whenever someone views the item, handy for follow-up or notifications. The workflow receives the Person who viewed it when they're logged in, and if it has a Content Channel Item attribute keyed ContentChannelItem, Rock fills that in automatically so you can act on exactly which item they saw.

Social Media

Meta Description Attribute - Picks the item attribute used for the page's meta description, the summary people see when the page is shared.

Facebook Title Attribute - Sets a different headline for Facebook shares when the item's own title isn't punchy enough there. Maps to og:title.

Facebook Description Attribute - Overrides the meta description for Facebook shares. Maps to og:description.

Facebook Image Attribute - Sets the image Facebook shows in the share preview. Useful when your author supplies a wide, Facebook-friendly image in its own attribute. Maps to og:image.

Open Graph Object Type - Sets the og:type for the shared page, such as article.

Twitter Title Attribute - Sets a different headline for shares on Twitter/X, so you can tailor the wording per network.

Twitter Description Attribute - Overrides the meta description for Twitter/X shares.

Twitter Image Attribute - Sets a separate share image for Twitter/X, in case you want a different crop than the Facebook one.

Twitter Card Type - Chooses the Twitter/X card layout, for example a large summary image.

Advanced

Custom Query Parameter - Names the URL parameter the block uses to find the item, or leave it blank to use whatever the first parameter is. Rock reads a number as an item id, text as a slug and a GUID as an item's GUID. Set it to sermon, for example, and a URL like ?sermon=moneywise (or a page route of sermon/{slug}) loads that item. Most of the time you'll leave this blank and rely on a clean route such as /sermons/moneywise, the SEO-friendly URL this block is built for.

Detail Page - Sets the page used to view a content item, passed to your Lava so your template can link to it.

Display Most Recent - Falls back to the newest item in the channel when the URL doesn’t identify a specific one, so the page always has something to show.

Set Page Title - Sets the page and browser title from the item being shown, rather than the page’s own title.

Merge Content - Compiles any Lava found inside the item’s content and attributes, so a single post can render dynamically for the person reading it.

Output Cache Duration - Caches the rendered output for the seconds you enter, speeding up repeat visits. Defaults to 0 (off). Only cache output you aren't personalizing, or a visitor could see the wrong name.

Item Cache Duration - Caches the resolved item for the seconds you enter. Defaults to 3600 (one hour). Use 0 to disable.

Cache Tags - Groups cached content under tags so you can expire it together. Empty by default.

Tips and Tricks

Below are some tips and tricks to help you maximize your usage of dynamic data: