---
title: "Bentomatics"
canonical: "https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751562/Bentomatics"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (toc)
## What is Bentomatic?
Bentomatic is a standalone Bento page that is created just like any other Bento page but can be packaged, assigned permissions, and distributed to other Bento sites. Additionally, Bentomatic pages that were built by other stations or producers can be included on your Bento site, if permissions have been assigned to you. That means you can add content to your website with very little effort and the content that you create can potentially be shared with a wider audience.
All Bento [components](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751450/Component+Library) can be used to build a Bentomatic page.
There are four different things you can do with Bentomatic:
1. **Create** a Bentomatic page
2. **Save **a Bentomatic page to the Bentomatic library
3. **Add** a Bentomatic page to your Bento site
4. **Customize** Bentomatic variables
## Some Bentomatic facts
- **Changes transfer. **When a Bentomatic is modified, the changes surface wherever the Bentomatic component surfaces. That means if you make a change to your Bentomatic and another station has implemented your Bentomatic on their site, the change displays on their site as well.
- **Can be customized.** Additional content can be added to the page that holds the Bentomatic component without affecting the Bentomatic content.
- **Use your components. **Any Bento [component](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751450/Component+Library) can be used with Bentomatic.
- **Go ahead and share. **Bentomatic pages can be shared with any Bento site.
- **Sharing is unlimited. **Bentomatic pages can be distributed to an unlimited number of destinations; there is no limit to the number of times a Bentomatic page can be shared.
- **Get creative.** The [embed component](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751472/Embed) can be used to add custom code.
- **Can add to a variety of layouts.** A Bentomatic can be added to 1 column, 2 column, 2/3-1/3 column, and 3 column [page block layouts](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751444/How+to+Create+a+Page#How-to-select-a-block-layout).
- **Publish before sharing. **A Bentomatic page must be published in order to be shared with other sites.
- **Affects block functionality.** Adding a Bentomatic to a block on your page disables the copy and cut features on that block. The rest of the blocks on the page are unaffected.
> ✅ ### A real life scenario
> ✅
> ✅ ***Thanksgiving is fast approaching!*** You need content for your site and the PBS Food team has built a Bento page containing all kinds of great Thanksgiving Day recipes. The PBS Food team has saved the page as a Bentomatic component called** *****PBS Thanksgiving Recipes***. Your station wants to share this with your audience so you create a page on your site and add the *PBS Thanksgiving Recipes* content simply by adding the Bentomatic component.
> ✅
> ✅ All of the content from the *PBS Thanksgiving Recipes* Bentomatic page appears on your Bento site, along with any other unique content that you have added to the page. All of your site's branding (e.g.: header, footer, right rail, etc) is retained and displays on the page.
> ✅
> ✅ ***Congratulations! *** You have just added content to your site with just a few simple clicks.
## How to create a Bentomatic
Creating a Bentomatic page often means that you are creating content that you want to share with other sites. This section demonstrates how to create a Bentomatic page that can be shared with other Bento sites.
- From your main pages menu, [create a new page](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751444/How+to+Create+a+Page) to hold your Bentomatic (Figure 1).
Figure 1
All page available page layouts display.
- Click the **layout **you want to use (Figure 2.1).
- Click **Create **(Figure 2).
Figure 2
- In the Page Title textbox, type a **title** for your new page (Figure 3.1). The Pathname field auto-populates and we recommend you do not change it.
- The Pathname URL auto-populates as you type the page title (Figure 3.2). We recommend you do not change this.
- Click **Bentomatic Settings** to expand the Bentomatic menu (Figure 3.3).
Figure 3
- Click the **toggle **next to Make Bentomatic so that it displays **ON**, indicating the page is now an active Bentomatic (Figure 4).
Figure 4
- In the Title textbox, type the **title of your Bentomatic** (Figure 5.1). This is the title that people search for when they want to add your Bentomatic to their site.
- ***By default, your Bentomatic is available to all Bento sites*** (Figure 5.2)***.***
- To restrict your Bentomatic to specific sites, in the *Shared With* section, begin typing the **name of the site** with which you want to share it (Figure 5.3). When the name of the site displays, click it (Figure 5.4). You can search for and select an unlimited number of sites.
- When finished, click **Save** (Figure 5.5).
> ℹ️ In this example we are making our Bentomatic available to all sites.
Figure 5
- The Bentomatic has been saved and displays in your list of pages. Click the **page title** to open the settings for this page (Figure 6)
Figure 6
- Click the **toggles** next to Header, Footer, and Rail so that they display **ON** if you want these elements to display on your page (Figure 6.1). [Learn more about headers and footers](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751484/Headers+and+Footers) | [Learn more about the rail](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751560/Rail)
- Even though you are including the header and footer on your site, when the Bentomatic is included in another site, it will inherit the header and footer of the site on which it's implemented.
- In the body of the page, being adding content (Figure 6.2). You can use almost [any component](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751450/Component+Library) in your Bentomatic.
- After you have included all content, click **Save** to save/publish the page and click **Preview **in the upper right side of the screen to preview the page in a browser (Figure 7).
> ❌ **Your Bentomatic must be published in order for it to be available to other sites.**
Figure 7
## How to add a Bentomatic to your site
> 📝 If you add a Bentomatic to a block on your site, the copy/cut feature on the block is unavailable. All other blocks on the page are unaffected.
Be sure you are on a site with which the Bentomatic component has been shared (Figure 2.1). If you need to request access to the Bentomatic you want to use, [please file a ticket](http://digitalsupport.pbs.org/support/tickets/new).
This section demonstrates how to add a Bentomatic to your site.
- From your main pages menu, **[create a new page](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751444/How+to+Create+a+Page)** to hold the Bentomatic (Figure 1).
Figure 1
- Click the **page layout **you want to use (Figure 2.1).
- Click **Create **(Figure 2.2).
Figure 2
- In the Page Title textbox, type a **title** for your new page (Figure 3.1). The Pathname field auto-populates and we recommend you do not change it.
- Click the **toggles** next to Header, Footer, and Rail so they display **ON** if you want these elements to display on your page (Figure 3.2). [Learn more about headers and footers](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751484/Headers+and+Footers) | [Learn more about the rail](https://docs.pbs.org/space/B3/4751560/Rail)
- When finished, click **Save** (Figure 3.3).
Figure 3
Click** Add Block **to begin adding the Bentomatic (Figure 4).
Figure 4
- Click the **plus sign** to surface the component menu (Figure 5.1).
- In the More section, click **bentomatic** (Figure 5.2).
> ⚠️ **Your site has to be given permission to use Bentomatic components. If you cannot find the Bentomatic component you want to use, check if the Bentomatic component is assigned to your site. ****To request access to a Bentomatic, ****[please file a ticket](http://digitalsupport.pbs.org/support/tickets/new)****.**
Figure 5
- Click the **Bentomatic Consumer box** (Figure 4.1).
- On the left side of the page, in the Source textbox, begin typing the** name of the Bentomatic** that you want to add to your page (Figure 4.2). This is the title that was added in Figure 3.1 above in the *How to Create a Bentomatic* section.
- When the title of the Bentomatic appears, click the **title** (Figure 4.3).
> ⚠️ **If the Bentomatic you are looking for doesn't appear, you either do not have access to it or it has not been published. You can ****[file a ticket](http://digitalsupport.pbs.org/support/tickets/new)**** to inquire.**
Figure 6
- After you have added or modified any content on the page, save or publish the page and click **Preview **in the upper right side of the screen to preview the page in a browser (Figure 7).
> ⚠️ **You do not have to use a Bentomatic page in its exact original form.** You can modify ***all custom components*** in the Bentomatic page to include content that is relevant to your specific station or site. These changes can be made through the Bentomatic component that you have added to a page on your site.
Figure 7
## Bentomatic iFrame code
Watch a demo
Bentomatics can be shared on any external (i.e.: not Bento) website using the iFrame code that can be found on shared Bentomatic source pages. Two things must be true in the *Bentomatic Settings* section in order for a Bentomatic to be shared using iFrame code:
1. The *Make Bentomatic* toggle must display ON
2. The Bentomatic must be shared with ALL SITES
### How to implement iFrame code
- From the Bentomatic source page, click **Bentomatic Settings** to expand the section (Figure 1).
Figure 1
- Make sure the Make Bentomatic toggle displays ON (Figure 2.1).
- Make sure the Bentomatic is shared with ALL SITES (Figure 2.2).
Figure 2
- Click **Get iframe Code** (Figure 3).
Figure 3
- The code displays (Figure 4.1).
- Click** Copy Iframe Code** to copy the code to the clipboard (Figure 4.2).
- Click **Cancel **to back out of the iFrame code popup (Figure 4.3).
Figure 4
## Creating reusable content
You can create reusable content that can easily be customized by the consumer. This is done by assigning variables to text and images. [Learn more](https://pbs-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/B3/pages/4751564)
## Bentomatic FAQ
#### Can a Bentomatic be added to a Bentomatic page?
If a page is already a Bentomatic page, a Bentomatic cannot be added to it. You can, however, add a Bentomatic to a non-Bentomatic page*** that is in Draft mode*** and then make the page a Bentomatic before publishing the page.
#### Can I add content between items on a Bentomatic page?
No. You can add content above and below the Bentomatic component but you cannot insert content between items that are contained within the Bentomatic component. You can rearrange items within a Bentomatic page but the original items cannot be separated by other custom content.
#### Can I change the Google Analytics code in a Bentomatic component?
No. You should not modify the Google Analytics component that comes with the Bentomatic page. You should already have your own code in the Explorer Google Analytics in the First in Head section.
#### Can all Bentomatic pages be customized?
No. Not all Bentomatic pages can be customized. The SPI team will send emails out informing you which can be edited and which cannot.
#### Can I rearrange items within a Bentomatic page?
Yes. Content in components can be rearranged inside the Bentomatic page.
#### Can I create national Bentomatic pages to be shared?
Yes. [Contact your SPI representative](http://digitalsupport.pbs.org/support/tickets/new) to discuss.