Working with files

Owned by Sarah Cooper
Last updated: Oct 02, 2023
2 min read

Working with files in the WCMS

Files inserted into WCMS pages have a URL of their own and are indexed by search engines and can be bookmarked or shared by site visitors.

Naming files

Files should be given meaningful names and use the recommended URL format (all lowercase letters, no spaces or underscores - use dashes to separate words). 

Note: all URLs default to lowercase formatting regardless of file name formatting.

HTML (web pages) vs. files (PDF, etc.)

Reading HTML online is generally a better experience than reading a file online. The user can choose a font size so the text is easy to read, and the paragraphs are laid out to match the user's preference.

  • Files don't open in the browser on all platforms. On most mobile devices, a PDF needs to be downloaded and opened in a reader (time and data plan implications).

  • Files are more difficult to make accessible than HTML.

  • Files take more time to be updated and, if downloaded by the user, can't be updated at all.

  • People link to HTML pages and share them more frequently than PDFs or other documents.

In general, content should be in the native medium and on a website, that should be HTML whenever possible.
 

Need help converting PDF into HTML?

We have a how-to document to help with Converting PDF documents into HTML.

Replacing a file on your site

If you need to replace a file on your site the easiest way to do so is to replace the current file keeping the same filename and URL.

  1. Name the new file the same as the current version on your site.

  2. Open the File list (Site manager permissions are required) - My workbench, File list tab.

  3. Search for the file.

  4. From the 'On Node' column, right-click on the page title and select 'Open in new tab'.

  5. Select 'New draft' to edit the page that linked to the file.

  6. Remove the file from the 'Upload a file' section.

  7. Return to the File list and delete the file.

  8. Add the new file (Choose file, Upload)
    NOTE: you don't need to insert as the file is already linked to text in the body

  9. Save and Publish the draft.

If the new file has a different name (or was given a different name by the WCMS due to the file being uploaded before the current file was deleted) a Site manager will need to add a redirect for the document.

Not seeing the new file? Try clearing your cache in the WCMS and in your browser.