Frequently Asked Questions

For responses to "How do I...?" questions and other support issues, visit our Help feature.

What is the difference between the Regular and Pro editions?

The Regular edition includes all the features necessary to create and publish a website, along with some additional capabilities such as the ability to modify the design. The Pro edition is designed for users who want to be able to customize a site to a greater degree. The Pro edition adds the ability to manage raw HTML in several contexts: as pages and pagelets; by editing the HTML behind a page's editable text elements; via the Code Injection panel; and in the ability to view and validate the HTML source for your elements.


The Pro edition also includes a Google Inspector that integrates Google Webmaster tools (Google account required), including Sitemaps and Analytics, assistance with required site verification, automatic sitemap generation during publishing (including notifying Google of changes), and the automatic injection of Analytics tracking code into all site pages.

If I buy the Regular edition, can I upgrade to Pro later?

Yes. Use the license key you received with your purchase of the Regular edition as a coupon code when you purchase a Pro edition license. You will only be charged the difference in cost.

Can I try Sandvox before purchasing a license?

Yes. When you download Sandvox you receive a demo version of the Regular edition free of charge. This will allow you to build a site and test Sandvox's features. You might also want to watch our screencast introduction, a short (~ 15-minute) film that covers the basics of creating a website in Sandvox.

Where can I publish my Sandvox website?

Sandvox will publish websites to your own Mac (if it is reachable by the Internet), Apple's MobileMe service, or to almost any web host that supports transfer of files via FTP, SFTP, or WebDAV.  (We can recommend a few; see the host setup panel from within the application.)


Sandvox does not make use of any special features that web hosts may offer (such as PHP, databases, blogging systems, etc.)


Most well-known hosting services are fine for use by Sandvox, as long as they allow the upload of  HTML files, graphic files of types GIF, JPEG, and PNG, plus any other file types (such as PDFs) that you may wish to make available for download.  We have encountered a few web hosts that place undue restrictions on file uploads, so you may want to check with the host you wish to use.

What if I'm not happy with Sandvox after I've purchased it?

We encourage to you download the software and test it before purchasing a license. Once you purchase a license you may contact us within 60 days for a full refund if you're not satisfied with it. We'd appreciate knowing what you didn't like or why Sandvox didn't meet your needs, but otherwise this is a no-questions-asked refund.

Can I use Sandvox to create multiple Websites?

Yes, you can create as many websites as your imagination and time permit, with one condition. Although Sandvox does not limit the number of sites you can create, the terms of our license specify that such sites should be your own, to be maintained by you. If you design websites for others you can also use Sandvox to do so, but the person or organization for whom the site has been designed should purchase their own license if they are going to be maintaining that site.

I lost my license code. Can you send it to me again?

Sure. Submit a request via our license code retrieval system.

How do I create my own design, or change one of the Sandvox designs?

If you are familiar with CSS you can create your own design, or you can make adjustments to an existing design: See our Designer's Guide for specific information. For users who want to make slight adjustments, several designs (version 1.2 and higher) feature swappable banner images. More information on how to access design files is available in our Help page on modifying designs.

Do you have examples of websites built with Sandvox?

The site you're currently viewing was built entirely with the Sandvox Pro Edition. We've also started to spotlight sites developed by customers: Visit our new (and growing) Site Gallery, which features links and information about sites that have made particularly good use of Sandvox's features.

Can I use Sandvox to create a blog? How?

Sandvox can help you create and publish a blog, either as a standalone site or as part of a larger site. Any collection of pages—text, photo, or others—can form the basis of a weblog. What's important is how the collection is indexed. Using the Page Inspector, set the Collection Type to Weblog or Photo Weblog. As a shortcut, you can add a preconfigured Weblog collection from the Collections item in the toolbar. For more information, see our Help page on Blogging with Sandvox.

I've started a blog using Sandvox. Can I share it with others via an RSS feed?

Any collection, such as the home page or a blog, can automatically generate an RSS feed. Check Generate RSS Feed in the Page/Collections Inspector. (You may need to click on the disclosure triangle next to Collections to see more options.) Pre-configured weblog collection types automatically generate RSS. For more information, see our Help page on RSS Feeds.

How do I publish a podcast or videocast using Sandvox?

A podcast is simply a weblog with attached sound (or video) files. You will have to record your podcast using digital recording software such as WireTap Pro or Audio Hijack. Just drag the sound files into a website collection and publish your site. The URL for your feed will be the same as your site or collection, but ending in "index.xml." Subscribe to that in iTunes with the "Subscribe to Podcast" menu. For more information, see our Help page on Podcasting and Videocasting.

Does Sandvox support e-commerce and dynamic content?

Sandvox generates static content, but e-commerce and dynamic content are available by using the custom HTML pages and pagelets in the Pro edition. You can put server-side scripting like PHP into your custom HTML pages and pagelets if you're familiar with these constructs and if your internet service provider supports them. Additionally, you can inject code into certain spots in the page output, which is useful for setting cookies or authentication.

How can I make sure my site is found by search engines such as Google?

Sandvox automatically structures pages so search engines will index your content appropriately. You can add keywords to your pages to improve this process, and you should [notify Google] of your website. Our Pro edition includes an Inspector feature for integrating Google Webmaster Tools.

Are pages that Sandvox generates accessible to the disabled? Are they Section 508 compliant?

We have attempted to make our page structure and templates as accessible as possible. However, your content also needs to contribute to this; for example, be sure to give names to your images.

What are the various ways I can purchase Sandvox?

Licenses to Sandvox can be purchased online via credit card or eCheck, using an encrypted Web connection. We use PayPal to process payments, but no PayPal acccount is needed.


You can also pay with PayPal using their "e-check" system which does a bank transfer, or you can put money into your PayPal account and then transfer the money from the PayPal account to pay us.

 

For customers for whom PayPal simply won't work, we also accept payment via Kagi. Kagi accepts various forms of payment, including check. Please note that payment via Kagi is not tied directly to our automated licensing system at this time: it may take up to 48 hours from the time of purchase to receive your license code. 


For large orders from a US-based company and some government customers we will also accept a purchase order.

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