FixMyStreet Pro deep linking

Your user will most likely be starting their journey of reporting an issue on your own website. That may be a generic report an issue page, but could be a page on a particular type of issue, such as Graffiti or Potholes.

Generic reporting page

On a generic page, you can link directly to the FixMyStreet Pro front page with a normal link, or embed a FixMyStreet Pro search form into the page, taking the user straight to a map page.

Direct link

Your website will have its own way of adding links.

<a href="https://your.fixmystreet.example/">Report a problem</a>

Embedded form

An embedded form should be a normal HTML form whose action is https://your.fixmystreet.example/around and contains a text input with name pc. Ideally it would also have a hidden field called js that is set to 1 if the user has JavaScript enabled (this can speed the response up). If you want to get really fancy and add geolocation to your own site, you can also link to an /around page with parameters latitude and longitude.

<form action="https://your.fixmystreet.example/around">
<label for="pc">Search term:</label>
<input type="text" id="pc" name="pc" value="">
<input type="submit" value="Go">
</form>

Specific category page

On a category page, you can include a direct link or embedded form while also including parameters that will restrict the default map view - and the reporting page reached by clicking the map - to particular categories (including top-level categories and subcategories, if applicable to your installation).

Direct link

To restrict the map and reporting pages to a single category that is neither a top-level category nor subcategory, you need only add a filter_category parameter:

• https://your.fixmystreet.example/?filter_category=Graffiti

If you use subcategories in your installation and you wish to restrict pages to a particular top-level category, you should use a filter_group parameter:

• https://your.fixmystreet.example/?filter_group=Street+Lighting

If you wish to restrict pages to a particular subcategory, you need to provide the top-level category (using filter_group) alongside the subcategory (filter_category):

• https://your.fixmystreet.example/?filter_group=Street+Lighting&filter_category=Flashing+Lamp

Additional notes

Any space should be replaced by a + sign.

To link to multiple categories, separate them with a comma. Note that this will only work for filter_category, not filter_group; additionally, this will prevent a category from being preselected on the reporting page.

• https://your.fixmystreet.example/?filter_category=Graffiti,Flyposting

• https://your.fixmystreet.example/?filter_group=Trees&filter_category=Tree+stumps,Other+tree+issue

If a category itself contains a comma, surround the category with double quotes:

• https://your.fixmystreet.example/?filter_group=Trees&filter_category=”Blocking+TV,+satellite+or+radio+signal”,Other+tree+issue

Please note that if you use the ‘Display name’ feature for categories, you must use original category names, not display names.

Embedded form

Within a web form, specify the filter_category or filter_group as a hidden field for equivalent behaviour to the link.

Using filter_category will restrict the map pins to that category, and automatically use that category when a report is begun; if you use multiple categories, the map is filtered but no category is selected when a report is begun. Using filter_group will restrict the map pins to all subcategories in that category, preselect that category when a report is begun and the user will still need to pick the correct subcategory.

<form action="https://your.fixmystreet.example/around">
<input type="hidden" name="filter_category" value="Graffiti">
<label for="pc">Search term:</label>
<input type="text" id="pc" name="pc" value="">
<input type="submit" value="Go">
</form>

• <input type="hidden" name="filter_group" value="Trees">

• <input type="hidden" name="filter_category" value='Trees,"Cars, bikes, trains"'>