Overview
This article explains how Access Volcanic's platform functionality works and why it benefits your business. Access Volcanic operates as a multi-tenancy platform where core features are shared across all customers.
This approach lets you focus on content, branding, and using your website effectively while Volcanic handles complex technical aspects like infrastructure, security, and backend processes.
Understanding how platform functionality works helps you make informed decisions about customising your site.
Key benefits
Focus on content and branding while Volcanic manages technical infrastructure and server maintenance.
Benefit automatically from platform improvements, security updates, and new features without requiring individual site updates.
Access stable, tested functionality that serves thousands of recruitment websites reliably.
Avoid costly custom development for core features that work consistently across the platform.
Work confidently within platform capabilities when planning website changes and customisations.
Before you start
Before working with platform functionality, ensure you have:
Admin Area access to your Access Volcanic website.
A clear understanding of what changes you want to make to your site.
Contact details for your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager if you need to discuss platform-level changes.
📌 Note: Platform-level functionality cannot be changed on a per-site basis because changes affect all Access Volcanic customers.
Why Volcanic uses platform-level functionality
Access Volcanic is built as a multi-tenancy platform where core features are maintained centrally and shared across all customers. This architectural approach delivers significant advantages for your business.
Benefits of the platform approach
Access Volcanic's platform approach delivers several key advantages:
Core functionality is maintained centrally by Access Volcanic.
Infrastructure, security, and backend processes are handled at platform level.
When Volcanic improves a feature or fixes an issue, all customers benefit immediately.
No individual site updates are required to receive platform improvements.
This approach frees you from managing complex technical infrastructure:
Focus on creating compelling content for your recruitment business.
Build your brand and engage effectively with candidates.
Leave server maintenance and security patches to Volcanic's team.
Rely on expert management of performance optimization and technical architecture.
How platform-level management works
Because core features are shared across all customers, platform-level functionality works differently from site-specific features:
Platform-level functionality cannot be changed on a per-site basis.
Change requests to core behaviour are reviewed by Product and Engineering teams.
Approved changes are applied across the platform for all customers.
This ensures consistent quality and reliability for everyone.
This platform-level model applies to several areas:
Permalink structures
Job search and job alerts
Registration and authentication flows
Server-level processes
How platform functionality affects your website
Platform functionality manifests most visibly through platform pages and reserved URLs. Understanding how these work helps you plan customisations effectively.
Platform pages
Platform pages are pages where the URL, template, and overall structure are predefined and shared across all customers. These pages deliver core recruitment functionality that thousands of businesses rely on daily.
Platform pages have these characteristics:
Use a reserved URL controlled by the platform.
Use a shared template with consistent structure across sites.
Reserve certain features that can only be managed centrally.
Allow visual and content-level customisation so the page matches your brand.
Common examples of platform pages include:
Homepage or landing page
Blog page
Disciplines page
Job search page
Consultants page
Clients page
User registration page or form
Login page
These pages have fixed characteristics:
Occupy reserved locations on your website.
Are linked directly to platform functionality and routing.
Cannot have their core structure duplicated for other areas of the site.
Platform URLs and permalinks
Platform pages use pre-generated URLs defined by the platform. These URLs are reserved and tightly integrated with core logic and routing.
Common examples include:
Jobs page at /jobs
Blog page at /blog
Clients page at /clients
Consultants page at /consultants
Disciplines pages at /discipline
Why these URLs cannot be changed:
Changing URLs would affect all customers using the same feature.
URL structures are closely tied to platform routing and content display.
Changes could risk breaking key functionality for thousands of websites.
Consistency ensures reliability and allows efficient maintenance and improvements.
For this reason, platform page URLs must remain as generated and cannot be customised per site.
What you can customise
Platform pages are designed to balance shared platform behaviour with local branding and content options. Understanding what you can change helps you make the most of your website.
Content and styling
Depending on your site setup and the specific page, you have several customisation options:
Edit page content via your website's front-end.
Adjust styling to match your brand.
Manage certain elements through the Admin Area.
How content is managed on platform pages:
Some content is pulled dynamically from Admin Area configuration.
Content can be controlled by specific settings.
Some content is partially hardcoded to meet platform requirements.
Additional development work can be requested where supported by the platform.
Platform-managed features
Certain aspects of platform pages are managed centrally to protect stability and ensure consistent quality across all customer sites. This central management is what allows Volcanic to deliver reliable updates and improvements that benefit everyone.
What is centrally managed:
Core template and structure are controlled at platform level.
Some features are locked and cannot be changed on individual sites.
Platform templates cannot be duplicated for use elsewhere on your site.
URLs and routing are predefined and not editable.
Why these standards exist:
Protect platform stability for all customers.
Changes to shared templates or routes would affect all websites using that feature.
Ensure consistent quality and reliability across thousands of sites.
📌 Note: You can often update styling and content on platform pages. However, structural changes to platform page templates are limited to keep the platform stable and predictable for all customers.
Working with platform functionality
Understanding platform functionality helps you plan changes effectively and work within Volcanic's capabilities.
Planning website changes
When planning website customisations, consider whether your desired change affects core platform functionality.
Types of changes:
Content and styling changes can usually be implemented directly.
Structural changes require platform-level review because they impact all customers.
URL modifications require platform-level review because they impact all customers.
Getting support for your changes:
Contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager early in the planning process.
Discuss changes that might affect platform functionality.
They can help determine if your request fits within existing capabilities.
They can guide you through the product-level feature request process if needed.
Making the most of platform benefits
Platform functionality gives you significant advantages that free your team to focus on recruitment excellence.
What platform functionality provides:
Access to tested, reliable features used by thousands of recruitment websites.
New features and improvements roll out automatically.
No work required from your team to receive updates.
Security updates and performance optimisations happen at platform level.
Your site stays protected without manual intervention.
What this means for your team:
Focus on creating compelling job descriptions.
Build strong relationships with candidates.
Optimize your brand presence and candidate experience.
Use Volcanic's tools effectively without technical expertise.
Gain recruitment technology benefits without needing infrastructure specialists.
Best practices
Understand that platform pages, URLs, and core flows are shared features that benefit all customer sites.
Focus on content quality, branding, and candidate experience rather than structural platform changes.
Consider whether a desired change affects shared templates or URLs before submitting a feature request.
Contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager early when planning significant website changes.
Leverage platform benefits by staying current with new features and improvements as they roll out.
FAQs
Q1: Why can't I change the URL structure for platform pages?
Answer: Platform page URLs such as /jobs, /blog, and /clients are shared across all Access Volcanic customers and integrated with core platform routing. Changing these URLs would affect thousands of websites and risk breaking key functionality for all customers.
Q2: Can I duplicate a platform page template for use elsewhere on my site?
Answer: Platform page templates cannot be duplicated because they are shared across the multi-tenancy platform and tightly integrated with core functionality. Custom pages can be created separately for other areas of your site without these restrictions.
Q3: What's the difference between platform pages and custom pages?
Answer: Platform pages use shared templates and reserved URLs that serve core functionality across all customer sites. Custom pages are unique to your site and can be fully customised without platform-level restrictions.
Q4: Can I edit the content on platform pages?
Answer: You can edit the content on platform pages. Depending on your site setup, you can usually edit content and adjust styling on platform pages to match your brand. However, the core template structure and URL remain fixed.
Q5: Why does the blog URL include year and month segments?
Answer: The blog URL structure /blog/year/month is part of the platform's core architecture and supports internal routing and indexing. The year and month segments cannot be removed because this structure is used consistently across all Access Volcanic sites that use the blog system.
Q6: Can I remove the year and month from blog URLs?
Answer: You cannot remove the year and month from blog URLs. The blog URL structure
/blog/year/monthis part of the platform's core architecture and cannot be changed because it supports internal routing and indexing across the platform.
Q7: What should I do if I see server errors on my website?
Answer: Most server errors such as 500, 503, or 403 errors are temporary platform-level issues that resolve quickly, often within 5 minutes. These usually indicate high platform demand rather than a problem specific to your website. If errors persist or occur frequently, contact Access Volcanic Support with details about the error type and timing.
Q8: What are server spikes and how do they affect my website?
Answer: Server spikes occur when demand on the platform is unusually high and traffic exceeds normal operating levels. Errors during server spikes are usually short-lived and can resolve in as little as 5 minutes. Access Volcanic's Product and Engineering teams work continuously to reduce the impact of these events.
Q9: How do I request changes to platform functionality?
Answer: Contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager to discuss your needs. They can help determine if the change requires a product-level feature request that would be reviewed by Access Volcanic's Product and Engineering teams.
Q10: Why does Access Volcanic use a multi-tenancy platform?
Answer: Multi-tenancy allows Access Volcanic to maintain core functionality centrally, ensuring all customers benefit from improvements, security updates, and fixes without requiring individual site updates. This approach lets you focus on recruitment while Volcanic handles technical infrastructure.
Q11: Does platform monitoring require any action from me?
Answer: Access Volcanic's Support and Engineering teams continuously monitor the platform for performance and errors and take immediate action to resolve incidents. This central monitoring maintains platform stability without requiring direct intervention from customers.
Q12: What if I need a feature that isn't currently available?
Answer: Contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager to discuss your requirements. Feature requests are reviewed by Product and Engineering teams, and approved changes are implemented at platform level to benefit all customers.