---
title: Site Settings
description: Configure global settings like site title, logo, and social links.
---

import { Aside, Steps, Tabs, TabItem } from "@astrojs/starlight/components";

Site settings are global configuration values for your site: title, tagline, logo, social links, and display preferences. Administrators manage these through the admin interface, and you access them in your templates.

## Querying Settings

Use `getSiteSettings()` to fetch all site settings:

```astro title="src/layouts/Base.astro"
---
import { getSiteSettings } from "emdash";

const settings = await getSiteSettings();
---

<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <title>{settings.title}</title>
    {settings.favicon && (
      <link rel="icon" href={settings.favicon.url} />
    )}
  </head>
  <body>
    <header>
      {settings.logo ? (
        <img src={settings.logo.url} alt={settings.logo.alt || settings.title} />
      ) : (
        <span class="site-title">{settings.title}</span>
      )}
      {settings.tagline && <p class="tagline">{settings.tagline}</p>}
    </header>
    <slot />
  </body>
</html>
```

## Available Settings

EmDash provides these core settings:

```ts
interface SiteSettings {
	// Identity
	title: string;
	tagline?: string;
	logo?: MediaReference;
	favicon?: MediaReference;

	// URLs
	url?: string;

	// Display
	postsPerPage: number;
	dateFormat: string;
	timezone: string;

	// Social
	social?: {
		twitter?: string;
		github?: string;
		facebook?: string;
		instagram?: string;
		linkedin?: string;
		youtube?: string;
	};
}

interface MediaReference {
	mediaId: string;
	alt?: string;
	url?: string; // Resolved URL (read-only)
}
```

## Fetching Individual Settings

Use `getSiteSetting()` to fetch a single setting by key:

```ts
import { getSiteSetting } from "emdash";

const title = await getSiteSetting("title");
// Returns: "My Site" or undefined

const logo = await getSiteSetting("logo");
// Returns: { mediaId: "...", url: "/_emdash/api/media/file/..." }
```

This is useful when you only need one or two values and want to avoid fetching everything.

## Using Settings in Components

### Site Header

```astro title="src/components/Header.astro"
---
import { getSiteSettings, getMenu } from "emdash";

const settings = await getSiteSettings();
const menu = await getMenu("primary");
---

<header class="header">
  <a href="/" class="logo">
    {settings.logo ? (
      <img
        src={settings.logo.url}
        alt={settings.logo.alt || settings.title}
        width="150"
        height="50"
      />
    ) : (
      <span class="site-name">{settings.title}</span>
    )}
  </a>

  {menu && (
    <nav>
      {menu.items.map(item => (
        <a href={item.url}>{item.label}</a>
      ))}
    </nav>
  )}
</header>
```

### Social Links

```astro title="src/components/SocialLinks.astro"
---
import { getSiteSetting } from "emdash";

const social = await getSiteSetting("social");

const platforms = [
  { key: "twitter", label: "Twitter", baseUrl: "https://twitter.com/" },
  { key: "github", label: "GitHub", baseUrl: "https://github.com/" },
  { key: "facebook", label: "Facebook", baseUrl: "https://facebook.com/" },
  { key: "instagram", label: "Instagram", baseUrl: "https://instagram.com/" },
  { key: "linkedin", label: "LinkedIn", baseUrl: "https://linkedin.com/in/" },
  { key: "youtube", label: "YouTube", baseUrl: "https://youtube.com/@" },
] as const;
---

{social && (
  <div class="social-links">
    {platforms.map(({ key, label, baseUrl }) => (
      social[key] && (
        <a
          href={baseUrl + social[key]}
          rel="noopener noreferrer"
          target="_blank"
          aria-label={label}
        >
          {label}
        </a>
      )
    ))}
  </div>
)}
```

### SEO Meta Tags

```astro title="src/components/SEO.astro"
---
import { getSiteSettings } from "emdash";

interface Props {
  title?: string;
  description?: string;
  image?: string;
}

const settings = await getSiteSettings();
const {
  title,
  description = settings.tagline,
  image,
} = Astro.props;

const documentTitle = title
  ? `${title} | ${settings.title}`
  : settings.title;
const ogTitle = title ?? settings.title;
---

<title>{documentTitle}</title>
{description && <meta name="description" content={description} />}

<!-- Open Graph -->
<meta property="og:title" content={ogTitle} />
{description && <meta property="og:description" content={description} />}
{image && <meta property="og:image" content={image} />}
{settings.url && <meta property="og:url" content={settings.url + Astro.url.pathname} />}

<!-- Twitter -->
{settings.social?.twitter && (
  <meta name="twitter:site" content={settings.social.twitter} />
)}
<meta name="twitter:card" content={image ? "summary_large_image" : "summary"} />
```

## Date Formatting

Use the `dateFormat` and `timezone` settings for consistent date display:

```astro title="src/components/PostDate.astro"
---
import { getSiteSetting } from "emdash";

interface Props {
  date: string;
}

const { date } = Astro.props;
const dateFormat = await getSiteSetting("dateFormat") || "MMMM d, yyyy";
const timezone = await getSiteSetting("timezone") || "UTC";

// Format using Intl.DateTimeFormat or a library like date-fns
const formatted = new Intl.DateTimeFormat("en-US", {
  timeZone: timezone,
  dateStyle: "long",
}).format(new Date(date));
---

<time datetime={date}>{formatted}</time>
```

<Aside>
	The `dateFormat` setting uses a pattern string (e.g., "MMMM d, yyyy"). You may need a library like
	`date-fns` to parse and apply these patterns.
</Aside>

## Admin API

Fetch settings programmatically:

```http
GET /_emdash/api/settings
```

Response:

```json
{
	"title": "My EmDash Site",
	"tagline": "A modern CMS",
	"logo": {
		"mediaId": "med_123",
		"url": "/_emdash/api/media/file/abc123"
	},
	"postsPerPage": 10,
	"dateFormat": "MMMM d, yyyy",
	"timezone": "America/New_York",
	"social": {
		"twitter": "@handle",
		"github": "username"
	}
}
```

Update settings (partial updates supported):

```http
POST /_emdash/api/settings
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "New Site Title",
  "tagline": "Updated tagline"
}
```

Only the provided fields are changed. Omitted fields retain their current values.

## Media References

The `logo` and `favicon` settings store media references. When you read them, EmDash resolves the `url` property automatically:

```ts
const logo = await getSiteSetting("logo");
// {
//   mediaId: "med_123",
//   alt: "Site logo",
//   url: "/_emdash/api/media/file/abc123"
// }
```

When updating via the API, provide only the `mediaId`:

```json
{
	"logo": {
		"mediaId": "med_456",
		"alt": "New logo"
	}
}
```

## API Reference

### `getSiteSettings()`

Fetch all site settings with resolved media URLs.

**Returns:** `Promise<Partial<SiteSettings>>`

Returns a partial object. Unset values are `undefined`.

### `getSiteSetting(key)`

Fetch a single setting by key.

**Parameters:**

- `key` — The setting key (e.g., `"title"`, `"logo"`, `"social"`)

**Returns:** `Promise<SiteSettings[K] | undefined>`

Type-safe: the return type matches the key you request.
