Phase 1: Mattermost branding and ‘free edition’ label
For free users, the proposal is to place the Mattermost logo in the header next to a FREE EDITION label.
The goal here is to make it clear to all users that they are on the free plan and to make way for future work that more clearly differentiates Enterprise from free.
Login page
On the login page, the Mattermost logo would be enforced and cannot be removed. Next to that, a FREE EDITION label displays.
For servers with Enterprise or Professional licenses, the FREE EDITION label will not show. The Mattermost logo will show unless replaced with custom branding.
If a custom site name is configured, that will display below the Mattermost logo.
Global header
Once logged in, the Mattermost logo and FREE EDITION label displays in the global header bar.
For servers with Enterprise or Professional licenses, the FREE EDITION label and the Mattermost logo label will not show.
Product menu
In the product menu, we can also show the FREE EDITION label with a short descriptor. In Team Edition, no call to action will display, but in E0, we will display a call to action to start a trial. If they've already completed a trial, we will hide the trial button.
Phase 2: Add custom logo and theme capabilities to Enterprise (simplified)
In phase 2, we will leave the existing custom login page features in the free editions, but will need to re-organize some settings. We will also add additional tools for custom branding in Enterprise edition.
Custom logo settings NEW
A few new settings for a custom logo allows enterprise customers to add their own brand identity to the application by uploading custom logos that will be visible in the login page and application header.
By default, this group of settings is disabled, but can be enabled via the toggle switch in the section header.
Once enabled, the following fields are revealed:
Logo for light backgrounds
Logo for dark backgrounds
Favicon.
Before the images have been uploaded, a Choose image button displays.
Once images have been uploaded, a small image preview displays along with a Change button and a Delete button.
How the logos display to end users
When custom logos are configured, they will display in the login page header and the main application global header.
Custom branding in the global header
Below is how the ‘App header logo’ image will appear. This should be either an SVG or transparent PNG.
Custom favicon
Admins can customize the icon that displays in the browser tab when their server is viewed in a web browser.
Group and rename existing login customization features
The current Site Name, Site Description, Custom Brand Image, and Custom Brand Text settings will be regrouped into an isolated section. These will remain available in all editions. The following fields will be renamed:
Site Name → no change
Site Description → Login form title
Custom Brand Image → Login page custom image
Custom Brand Text → Login page custom text
Group existing link customizations
The existing link customization settings will also be grouped in to a section. No other changes proposed to these settings.
Custom branding features
Phase 3: Offer more robust custom branding for Enterprise (WIP)
To provide even greater value to our Enterprise customers, we’re also looking at more robust controls for custom branding and theming to help differentiate Enterprise from Free editions.
Enhanced custom branding tools
Once an enterprise license (or trial) is activated, the custom branding tools will be available.
Enable custom branding
When custom branding is disabled, the other options within are hidden.
In this case, the Mattermost logo, site name and fonts will be the default branding elements that display (without the FREE EDITION label if it’s an enterprise license).
Once custom branding is enabled, the rest of the options will display.
Site name
Used to customize the name shown in the title bar of a browser window.
Custom fonts (TBD)
Custom brand themes
Enterprise admins can also create one or more default themes to be available for users in the system. In addition, they can enforce which themes are provided to their user base.
By default, all preset Mattermost themes are set as available themes, but that can be changed for admins to select which themes they wish to offer.
For creating custom brand themes, the proposal here is to offer a simplified set of base colors that we can automatically build the themes from. Advanced settings would offer full control (similar to current custom theming ability with JSON support).
NOTE: custom themes will still be available for free users/servers. This enterprise feature provides admins with the ability to create and enforce specific themes for their whole server.
Settings for custom brand themes
Custom branded login page
We currently offer custom branding on the login page, but this proposal adds additional elements. Below is an example of the control Enterprise customers could have over the login page.
Settings for login page customization
Admins would have control over the title, subtitle, logo, colors and background. We could even offer custom CSS for more specific control.
