Documents and document folders
Documents is under Content in the left-hand menu. It holds files members download and records of forms hosted elsewhere. It's also where the PDFs behind your Forms & Contracts library live — see Forms & Contracts library.
There is no draft. As soon as you click Save, the document record is live.
Adding a document
- Click Documents in the left-hand menu.
- Click Create New.
- Choose the Type — Internal or External (see below).
- Fill in the Title.
- Attach the file, or paste the link.
- Choose a Folder, if you use them.
- Set Members Only and Shows In Library in the sidebar.
- Click Save.
The two types
Type is the first choice, and it changes what you fill in next.
| Type | Use it for | What you fill in |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | A file people download, uploaded through Media | Document — choose or upload the file |
| External | A form or page hosted elsewhere | External Form URL — the full web address |
Pick Internal and an upload picker appears. Pick External and you get a URL box instead — use it for anything the file isn't yours to host, like a state form on another website.
The sidebar settings
Members Only
Ticked, the document is only visible to signed-in members. Unticked, anyone can find and download it.
Shows In Library
Ticked, the document appears in the document library on the website, where people browse.
Unticked, it does not appear in the library — it still exists and still works, but the only way to reach it is a direct link you place yourself, such as on a page or in the menu. Untick this for something you want available but not listed, like a form only relevant to one committee — or a PDF that only exists to sit behind a Forms & Contracts entry.
Folders
Document Folders groups documents into a browsable structure, and folders can nest inside other folders. Create the folder first, in Document Folders under Content, then choose it on the document's Folder field.
Each folder also has its own Members Only tick box, independent of the documents inside it.
Replacing a file
To publish a newer version of something, edit the existing document and replace the file. Anyone who has linked to it, or bookmarked it, keeps working.
Creating a second document instead leaves both versions live, and people will find the old one.
Deleting
Deleting is permanent, and any link to that document stops working — including a Forms & Contracts version that pointed at it. Before deleting, check whether unticking Shows In Library does what you actually want instead — that removes it from the library while keeping existing links alive.
If a document doesn't appear
- Did you click Save?
- Is Shows In Library ticked? If not, that's the setting doing its job.
- Is Members Only ticked? Sign out and look again — you may only be seeing it because you're signed in.
- For an External document, is the URL right? Paste it into a browser and check it opens.
Related
- Images and files
- Forms & Contracts library
- Categories