Get Started

Testimonial Fader v8.0 is compatible with Joomla 4, Joomla 5, and Joomla 6.

1. Download TestimonialFader_UNZIP.zip from your purchase email or the JoomlaX store.
2. Extract the package. You will find a ReadMe file and the installer pkg_testimonial_fader_vX.x.zip.
3. In Joomla administrator go to System > Install > Extensions (or Extensions > Manage > Install on older admin layouts).
4. Upload pkg_testimonial_fader_vX.x.zip using Upload Package File.
5. On success, all three extensions are installed:
   • com_testimonial_fader (Component)
   • mod_testimonial_fader (Showcase Module)
   • mod_testimonial_fader_form (Ajax Form Module)
6. Configure global options at Components > Testimonial Fader > Options (reCAPTCHA keys and admin email) before publishing forms.

What each part does

• Showcase Module: Animated slider or static grid on any module position. Four layouts: Card, Minimal, Bubble, Classic.
• Ajax Form Module: Standalone submission form for sidebars, footers, or landing pages.
• Component menu page: Full testimonials archive with optional form, pagination, Grid/Flex/Masonry layouts.

All three share the same testimonial database. Approve once in admin, display anywhere.

After installation, create module instances at Content > Site Modules (or Extensions > Modules).

1. Click New and choose either Testimonial Fader (showcase) or Testimonial Fader Ajax Form (submission form).
2. Configure the module-specific tabs described in this documentation.
3. Set Status to Published.
4. Assign a Position supported by your template (e.g. sidebar, footer, banner).
5. Set Menu Assignment to the pages where the module should appear.

Standard Joomla module options

• Title: Module heading shown on the front end. Set Show Title to Hide if you do not want it visible.
• Position: Template module position where output renders.
• Status: Must be Published for front-end display.
• Access: Restrict visibility by user group if needed.
• Ordering: Controls order when multiple modules share the same position.
• Menu Assignment: Show on all pages, no pages, or selected menu items only. Joomla menu assignment guide

Embed inside an article

Use the module ID in article content:

{loadmoduleid 123} (replace 123 with your module ID from the modules list)

Or by name: {loadmodule mod_testimonial_fader}

Open the Testimonial Fader showcase module. Parameters are grouped under General Settings, Card & Appearance, Typography & Colors, Testimonials, and Advanced.

General Settings tab

• Layout Template: Visual preset for the module output.
  • default (Card): Modern card with quote icon, text, author, and dot pager.
  • minimal: Typography-focused. No card background or shadow.
  • bubble: Rounded card with speech-bubble tail above the author.
  • classic: Flat layout inspired by the original Testimonial Fader.
• Display Mode:
  • Slider (fade / slide): One testimonial at a time with transitions and optional auto-play.
  • Grid (static, no animation): All testimonials in a responsive column layout. No slider JavaScript runs.
• Grid Columns (Desktop): 1, 2, 3, or 4 columns. Visible when Display Mode = Grid. Default: 3.
• Grid Columns (Tablet): 1, 2, or 3 columns. Visible when Display Mode = Grid. Default: 2.
• Grid Columns (Mobile): 1 or 2 columns. Visible when Display Mode = Grid. Default: 1.
• Grid Gap: Space between grid items. CSS value, e.g. 24px. Visible when Display Mode = Grid.
• Module Max Width: Maximum width of the module wrapper. Examples: 100%, 920px, 600px. Default: 100%.
• Slide Min Height: Minimum height per slide in slider mode. Examples: auto, 120px, 200px. Visible when Display Mode = Slider.

Animation (Slider mode only)

• Transition Speed (ms): Duration of the transition animation in milliseconds. Default: 750.
• Transition Effect: Fade, Slide, Slide Up, Zoom, Flip, Blur, or Rotate.
• Slide Duration (ms): Time each slide stays visible before auto-advancing. Default: 4000.
• Auto Play: Yes = slider cycles automatically. No = manual navigation only.
• Pause on Hover: Yes = auto-play pauses when the visitor hovers over the slider.
• Swipe on Touch Devices: Yes = visitors can swipe left/right on phones and tablets.

Card & Appearance tab

Controls the card shell and dot navigation (slider mode).

• Card Background Color: Background of each testimonial card. Supports RGBA transparency. Default: white.
• Card Border Color: Border color around the card. Default: light accent tint.
• Card Border Width: CSS border width, e.g. 1px or 0 for none.
• Card Border Radius: Corner rounding, e.g. 16px.
• Card Padding: Inner spacing inside the card, e.g. 28px 32px.
• Card Shadow: Preset drop shadow intensity: None, Soft, Medium, or Strong.

Navigation (Slider mode only)

• Show Dot Pager: Yes = dot indicators below the slider. No = hide pager (visitors can still swipe if enabled).
• Pager Style: Round (circles) or Pill (elongated active dot). Visible when dot pager is shown.
• Pager Background Color: Color of inactive dots. Supports RGBA.
• Pager Active Color: Color of the currently active dot.

Tip: Minimal layout ignores most card styling because it has no card background. Bubble and Classic layouts use card settings where applicable.

Typography & Colors tab

Fonts

• Font Source: User Defined (inherit site/template font) or Google Fonts.
• Font Family: When Google Fonts is selected, enter the font name as used by Google Fonts, e.g. Open+Sans or Roboto. Get names from fonts.google.com.

Testimonial text

• Testimonial Alignment: Left, Center, or Right.
• Author Alignment: Left, Center, or Right (independent of testimonial text).
• Testimonial Font Size: Numeric pixel size without unit, e.g. 16 = 16px. Default: 16.
• Line Height: Unitless multiplier, e.g. 1.65.
• Font Style: Normal or Italic.
• Testimonial Color: Body text color.
• Testimonial Font Weight: Normal, 500, 600, or Bold.

Author

• Show Author: Show or Hide the author name below the quote.
• Author Color: Visible when author is shown.
• Author Font Size: Pixel size without unit, e.g. 15. Visible when author is shown.
• Author Font Weight: Normal, 600, or 700. Visible when author is shown.

Quote icon

• Show Quote Icon: Show or Hide decorative quote SVG.
• Quote Icon Style: Style 1 through Style 10. Visible when quote is shown.
• Quote Color: Icon fill color. Supports RGBA. Visible when quote is shown.
• Quote Scale: Percentage of base icon size, e.g. 160 = 160%. Typical range 90 to 280. Visible when quote is shown.

Read More colors (when Read More is Popup or Link)

• Read More Color: Text/link color.
• Read More Hover Color: Color on mouse hover.
• Read More Style: Text link or Pill button.
• Read More Background Color: Pill background. Visible when style = Pill.
• Read More Background Hover Color: Pill hover background. Visible when style = Pill.

Testimonials tab

• Maximum Slides: Limit how many testimonials load. 0 = no limit (show all matching source). Any positive number caps the count.
• Source:
  • Component: Load published testimonials from the database (Components > Testimonial Fader).
  • Module (Manual Slides): Use slides entered in the Slides subform below. Ignores unpublished DB rows.

Slide Order (Source = Component)

• Manual sort (admin ordering): Uses drag-and-drop order from backend testimonial list.
• ID ascending: Oldest submissions first.
• ID descending: Newest submissions first.
• Name ascending (A-Z): Alphabetical by author name.
• Name descending (Z-A): Reverse alphabetical.
• Random: Shuffled order on each page load.

Slide Order (Source = Module, Slider mode)

• Sequential: Plays slides in the order listed in the subform.
• Random: Shuffles manual slides on each page load.

Read More

• Full text: Always show the complete testimonial. No truncation.
• Popup: Truncate after N characters; clicking Read More opens a popup dialog with full text.
• Link to URL: Truncate after N characters; Read More links to a custom URL.
• Number of Characters: Character limit before truncation. Default: 180. Applies to Popup and Link modes.
• Read More Link: Full URL when mode = Link to URL, e.g. index.php?Itemid=123 or https://example.com/reviews.
• Read More Text: Custom link/button label. Leave empty for default "Read more".
• Open In: New Window (_blank) or Same Window (_self). Applies to Link mode only.

Manual Slides subform (Source = Module)

Click Add to create a slide. Each slide has:

• Author: Display name shown below the quote (required).
• Testimonial: Quote body text. HTML is filtered; plain text recommended.

Reorder slides using drag handles in the subform. Delete unwanted slides with the remove button.

Advanced tab (Showcase Module)

• Module Class Suffix: Extra CSS class appended to the module wrapper, e.g. my-custom-fader. Use for template-specific styling: .my-custom-fader .jx-tf { ... }
• Extra CSS: Raw CSS rules injected in a <style> block scoped to this module instance. Use for overrides not covered by color pickers. Example:
  #fader-123 .jx-tf__text { letter-spacing: 0.02em; }
  Replace 123 with your module ID (visible in the module edit URL as id=123).

Common showcase setups

• Homepage hero slider: Card layout, Slider mode, Fade effect, Auto Play Yes, Source = Component, Order = Random.
• Sidebar mini fader: Minimal layout, width 100%, Slide Min Height auto, show 3 slides max.
• Testimonial wall: Grid mode, 3 desktop / 2 tablet / 1 mobile columns, no animation.
• Curated quotes: Source = Module, add 3-5 hand-picked slides, no database dependency.

The Testimonial Fader Ajax Form module submits testimonials without a page reload. reCAPTCHA keys must be set in Components > Testimonial Fader > Options.

General Settings

• Form Width: CSS width, e.g. 100% or 400px. Default: 100%.
• Name Field: Required or Optional.
• Email Field: Required or Optional.
• Show Name Field: Show or Hide the name input entirely.
• Show Email Field: Show or Hide the email input entirely.
• Show reCAPTCHA: Show or Hide captcha widget. Keys come from component options. Hide only on trusted internal sites.
• Intro Text Above Form: Optional HTML or plain text displayed above the form fields.

Form Labels tab

Leave any field empty to use the component default language string. Override per module instance:

• Name Label
• Email Label
• Testimonial Label
• Submit Button Label
• Submitting Label: Shown on the button while Ajax request is in progress.
• Character Count Suffix: Text after the number, e.g. "characters remaining".

Validation Messages tab

Override default error strings. Use %s placeholder where noted for min/max length messages.

• Name Required
• Name Too Short (use %s for minimum length)
• Email Required
• Email Invalid
• Testimonial Required
• Testimonial Too Short (use %s)
• Testimonial Too Long (use %s)
• Captcha Error
• Duplicate Submission
• Rate Limit: Shown when visitor submits too quickly.

Styling Options (Ajax Form Module)

Form container

• Form Background Color, Border Radius, Border Thickness, Border Color, Padding, Margin, Shadow (None/Soft/Medium/Strong)
• Field Gap: Vertical space between fields, e.g. 18px.

Inputs

• Input Background Color, Input Text Color, Input Border Color, Input Border Width, Input Border Radius, Input Padding
• Input Focus Color: Border/outline color when field is focused.
• Testimonial Textarea Height: e.g. 140px.

Submit button

• Button Background Color, Button Text Color, Button Hover Background Color, Button Border Radius, Button Width (auto or 100%)
• Button Alignment: Left, Center, Right, or Full width.
• Button Font Size, Button Padding, Button Font Weight

Labels and messages

• Label Color, Label Font Weight, Character Count Color
• Field Error Color: Inline validation errors under fields.
• Success Message Color, Error Message Color: Banner after submit.
• Font Family, Label Font Size, Input Font Size: Optional CSS overrides.

Security & Submission tab

• Honeypot Field: Hidden field that catches bots. Recommended: On.
• Rate Limit (seconds): Minimum seconds between submissions from same IP. Default: 60. Set 0 to disable.
• Duplicate Check: Off, Same email + testimonial text, or Same email only.
• Auto Publish: Pending review (default) or Published immediately.
• Send Email on Localhost: Enable admin notification emails when testing on localhost. Default: No.

Advanced tab (Ajax Form Module)

• Minimum Name Length: Default 2 characters.
• Minimum Testimonial Length: Default 10 characters.
• Testimonials Max Length: Maximum characters allowed. Default: 1000.
• Character Count Text: Show or Hide live counter while typing.
• Hide Success Message (seconds): Auto-hide success banner after N seconds. 0 = stay visible. Default: 8.
• Module Class Suffix, Extra CSS: Same purpose as showcase module.

Global settings at Components > Testimonial Fader > Options (gear icon top-right).

Email Settings

• Email Address: Admin notification recipient(s). Multiple addresses separated by commas, e.g. admin@site.com, sales@site.com
• Email Subject: Subject line for new submission alerts, e.g. New Testimonial Submission.

ReCAPTCHA Settings

Register keys at google.com/recaptcha for your domain.

• ReCAPTCHA Version: Version 2 (checkbox interaction) or Version 3 (invisible, score-based).
• ReCAPTCHA Site Key: Public key used on the front-end form.
• ReCAPTCHA Private Key: Secret key used server-side for verification.

Language Settings

Default front-end strings when module/menu overrides are empty:

• Name, Email, Write Testimonials, Submit, Characters Remaining
• You must enter your name, You have entered an invalid name
• You must enter your email, You have entered an invalid email
• Thank you for submitting your testimonial (success message)
• Something went wrong while submission (generic error)

Override any string site-wide via System > Language > Overrides for finer multilingual control.

Permissions

Joomla ACL rules for who can configure, manage, create, edit, and delete testimonials.

Backend testimonial management

Components > Testimonial Fader > Testimonials

• Add, edit, publish, unpublish, trash, and delete testimonials.
• Drag rows to set manual display order (used when order = Manual sort).
• Search by name or email. Filter by published state.
• New front-end submissions appear as unpublished/pending until you publish them (unless Auto Publish is enabled on the form).

Create a testimonials page: Menus > [Your Menu] > New > Menu Item Type: Testimonial Fader > Form and List Testimonials.

The Options tab contains all layout, form, pagination, and styling parameters below.

Form Settings fieldset

• Show or Hide Form: Show = submission form on this page. Hide = list only.
• Form Position: Top (above list) or Bottom (below list). Visible when form is shown.
• Form Width: e.g. 100% or 600px.
• Form Class: Custom CSS class on the form element for theme hooks.
• Testimonials Max Length: Maximum characters in the textarea. Default: 1000.
• Character Count Text: Show or Hide character counter while typing.
• Form Margin, Form Padding: Outer spacing of the form box.
• Form Input Padding, Form Input Margin, Form Input Border Radius, Form Input Border Color: Legacy input spacing (still supported alongside advanced styling below).
• Submit Button Color, Submit Button Hover Color, Submit Button Text Color, Submit Button Text Hover Color: Quick button color overrides.

Form Display Type

• Toggle: Button reveals/hides the form inline on the page.
• Modal: Button opens the form in a centered popup overlay.
• Fixed: Form always visible (no button needed).

Toggle / Modal button settings (when Display Type = Toggle or Modal)

• Button Text: Default "Add Testimonial". Supports HTML if filter allows.
• Button Align: Left, Center, or Right.
• Button Background Color, Button Hover Color, Button Text Color, Button Hover Text Color, Button Border Radius

Modal settings (when Display Type = Modal)

• Modal Width: e.g. 520px or 90%
• Modal Padding, Modal Border Radius

Advanced Form Styling (same fields as Ajax Form Module)

• Form Background Color, Border Radius, Border Width, Border Color, Shadow, Field Gap
• Input Background Color, Input Text Color, Input Border Width, Input Focus Color, Textarea Height
• Label Color, Label Font Weight, Character Count Color, Field Error Color, Success/Error Message Colors
• Form Font Family, Label Font Size, Input Font Size
• Submit Button Border Radius, Width, Alignment, Padding, Font Size, Font Weight

Form Behavior fieldset (menu item, when form is shown)

• Name Field: Required or Optional.
• Email Field: Required or Optional.
• Show Name Field, Show Email Field: Show or Hide.
• Show reCAPTCHA: Uses keys from component options.
• Intro Text Above Form: HTML/text above fields on this menu page only.

Form Labels fieldset

Same overrides as Ajax Form Module: Name Label, Email Label, Testimonial Label, Submit Button Label, Submitting Label, Character Count Suffix. Empty = component default.

Form Validation fieldset

Name Required, Name Too Short (%s), Email Required, Email Invalid, Testimonial Required, Testimonial Too Short (%s), Testimonial Too Long (%s), Captcha Error, Duplicate Submission, Rate Limit.

Form Security fieldset

• Honeypot Field: On/Off.
• Rate Limit (seconds): 0-3600. Default 60.
• Duplicate Check: Off, Same email + testimonial text, Same email.
• Auto Publish: Pending review or Published.
• Send Email on Localhost: Yes/No.

Form Advanced fieldset

• Minimum Name Length (default 2)
• Minimum Testimonial Length (default 10)
• Hide Success Message (seconds) (0 = never auto-hide)
• Extra CSS: Custom CSS for the form on this menu item.

Styling fieldset (testimonial list on menu page)

• Display Testimonials: Show or Hide the list (useful for form-only pages).

Layout Settings

• Layout Type: Grid (equal columns), Flex (wrapping rows), or Masonry (staggered heights).
• Number of Columns (Desktop): 1 to 4.
• Tablet Columns: 1 to 4.
• Mobile Columns: 1 or 2.
• Gap: Space between blocks, e.g. 20px.

Testimonial block styling

• Testimonial Background Color, Testimonial Text Color
• Testimonial Quote Color: Quote icon color.
• Show Quote Icon: Show or Hide.
• Quote Icon Style: Style 1 through Style 10.
• Quote Icon Scale: Percentage, e.g. 160. Range typically 90-280.
• Testimonial Font Size, Font Style (Italic/Normal), Line Height, Padding, Border Radius

Author Settings

• Author Font Size, Author Text Color
• Show Author: Show or Hide author name on list items.

Testimonial Block Settings

• Testimonial Block Padding: Outer padding around each item in the list flow.
• Testimonial Block Margin: Margin between blocks.

Read More (list items)

• Read More mode: Full text, Popup, or Link to URL.
• Number of Characters, Read More Link, Read More Text, Open In (new/same window)
• Read More Color, Read More Hover Color, Read More Style (Text/Pill)
• Read More Background Color, Read More Background Hover Color (Pill style)
• List Extra CSS: Custom CSS scoped to the component list wrapper on this menu item.

Pagination fieldset

• Show Pagination: Hide or Show page numbers below the list.
• AJAX Pagination: Enable = load pages without full site reload. Disable = traditional Joomla page navigation. Visible when pagination is shown.
• Pagination Limit: Testimonials per page. Required when pagination is on. Default: 5.
• Pagination Style: Round or Square buttons.
• Pagination Box: Box (background container) or None.
• Pagination Box Color, Pagination Box Border Radius: When Box = Box.
• Pagination Alignment: Center, Left, or Right.
• Pagination Background Color: Default button background.
• Pagination Hover Color: Hover state background.
• Pagination Active Color: Current page button background.
• Pagination Text Color: Number/text color on buttons.
• Order Testimonials by: ID Descending, ID Ascending, Order Descending, Order Ascending, or Random.

Content fieldset

• Top Content: WYSIWYG editor content rendered above the form and testimonial list. Use for page title, intro paragraph, or hero text.

Example menu configurations

• Full testimonials page: Form shown (Toggle, Top), List shown, Grid 3 columns, Pagination 10 per page, AJAX on.
• Submit only: Form shown (Fixed), Display Testimonials = Hide.
• Archive only: Show or Hide Form = Hide, Masonry layout, Pagination on.

Frequently asked questions

Why don't my submissions appear on the site?
New submissions are saved as unpublished by default. Go to Components > Testimonial Fader and publish them. Or enable Auto Publish on the form module/menu item.

Why does reCAPTCHA show an error?
Add Site Key and Secret Key in Component Options. Ensure the key type (v2 vs v3) matches your ReCAPTCHA Version setting. Domain in Google console must match your site URL.

Module shows "There are no testimonials available"
No published testimonials exist, or Maximum Slides / source filters exclude them. Publish testimonials in admin or switch Source to Manual Slides.

Quote scale or colors not changing?
Clear Joomla cache (System > Clear Cache). Hard-refresh the browser (Ctrl+F5). Check Extra CSS is not overriding variables.

Form submits but no admin email?
Verify Email Address in Component Options. Check spam folder. On localhost enable Send Email on Localhost or test on a live server with mail configured.

Slider not animating?
Confirm Display Mode = Slider (not Grid). Ensure Auto Play = Yes or click pager dots. Check for JavaScript conflicts with other extensions.

Can I use different forms on different pages?
Yes. Each Ajax Form Module instance or menu item has its own styling, labels, and security settings. reCAPTCHA keys are shared from component options.

How do I translate strings?
Use Component Options defaults, per-module Label overrides, menu item overrides, or Joomla Language Overrides for full multilingual sites.

What is the difference between showcase module and component list?
Showcase module = slider or grid widget for highlights. Component page = full archive with pagination and optional embedded form. Both can show read-more popups and quote icons.

Support

Documentation: joomlax.com/documentation/testimonial-fader
Support: support.joomlax.com