Drupal

Drupal
Content Sections

Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS). It's used by millions of people and organizations around the globe to build and maintain their websites. Drupal has great standard features, like easy content authoring, reliable performance, and excellent security.

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Accessing Drupal

Accessing Drupal
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Learn to:

Sign into your website

Add and manage users

Change your password

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Add a New User

Add a New User
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On the Administration bar hover over People then select Add User. 

Add the new user's email address, user name and temporary password (the user can change these when they log in for the first time)

Set your user's Role

Select whether you want to notify the user that their new account was created.

Select "Create new account" to finish

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Signing In

Signing In
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Sign into your site by adding "/user" to the end of the site URL.

For Example: https://testwebsite.com/user

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Content

Content
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When you are logged into the site you can access your site's content by navigating to the Content Page using the control Bar. 

control bar

Under Content on the Control bar you can view scheduled content, add content, view your files in the site and the file browser, you can manage your Home Action Buttons, and manage "people" in the site.

content tab

On the Content page you can find all of the content you have in your site in a sortable/filterable table.  

Content page

Collin Haines

Adding Content

Adding Content
Content Sections

add contentOnce signed into your website, you can add content by navigating to to Content > Add Content.  There you will find a list of Content Types to choose from.

A Content Type is a pre-defined collection of fields which relate to each other by an informational context.  A developer can add new Content Types to collect specific information for display.

Standard content types on your site include:

  • Agendas and Minutes
  • Calendar Events
  • Home Action Items
  • Home Features
  • News
  • Pages
  • Site Alerts
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Agendas and Minutes

Agendas and Minutes
Content Sections

agendas and minutes pageAgendas and Minutes can be easily added you your site by navigating to Content > Add Content > Agendas and Minutes.  You will simply fill out the form and the site will format the Agendas and Minutes posts for you. 

 

Fill out the following fields to add Agendas and Minutes:

When creating new Agendas and Minutes, you will start with the Meeting Title. 

Next, you can add the meeting date using the date picker. 

Organize Agendas and Minutes by selecting a Council/Committee.  Selecting a Council or Committee will allow you to filter your posts.

minutes fileYou can add an Agenda file directly to your post using the file browser. Open the File Browser and select your agenda file, or upload the file if you have not already added it to the site. 

Learn more about the File Browser.

Adding Minutes files are the same as adding Agenda files; Open the File Browser and select your agenda file, or upload the file if you have not already added it to the site.

meeting video field

Drupal also allows you to add a meeting video to your Agendas and Minutes.; just type or paste in the video URL into the Meeting Video URL box.  We recommend storing your videos on YouTube and linking them here using the video URL.

Meeting notes can be added at the bottom of the page using the standard text editor. 

 

At the top right side of the page you can choose to promote your post to the Home Page.

Be sure to save as published if you wish to make your post live! 

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Calendar Events

Calendar Events
Content Sections

Under Content > Add Content you can Find Calendar Events

You can create a Calendar Event and publish it right away, or set it as a draft if you are not ready for it to be live on your website.  Drafts can be found on the Content Page

Once you fill out the required fields, the website will format your event and show it on the calendar.

calendar event

To Set up a Calendar Event, you will need to give it a title. 

Next, you'll need to set up when the even is taking place. You will need to set the event date(s) and time, duration of the event, and if the event repeats and when it repeats. 

calendar event title

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

calendar event

 

You can give your Calendar event a Feature Image when you create the event.  

 

Calendar events can have Categories to help keep your calendar organized.  You can also have several instances of the calendar in different areas of your site. Each instance of the calendar can be filtered with a different category, allowing you to show different information and events in the different areas of your site. 

 

Give your Event a Location Name and Location Address so people know where your event will take place.

 

 

 

You can give your event a description in the text editor.  

event text editor

 

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Creating a Page

Creating a Page
Content Sections

To create a new page you will need to be logged into the site as a user.

One you are logged in, you should navigate to Content at the top of the page, then Add Content, then Page.

add page

You will then be directed to a blank page.  Here you can:

- give the page a title

- add a feature image

- add content in the Text Editor

- set up the menu settings/where the page will show. 

You also have the ability to add more Content Sections. Learn more about Content Sections.

create a page view

At the top of your page you will see the option to Save as: Draft or Published.  Your Page needs to be saved as Published to be seen by the public. Saving the page as a draft is useful if you need to get the page started, but it is not ready to been seen by the public. You can save the page as a draft and access it later on the Content page

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Adding Images

Adding Images
Content Sections

To add an image to your page you should select the image icon in the WYSIWYG editor.

add image button

From there you will see the below Pop-up box to select your image.  Select File Browser to search for, or upload your image to the site.  

insert image pop up

To remain ADA Compliant, remember to fill out the Alternative Text box with a simple image description.

In the Insert Image pop-up box you can select how to align the image on the page.  The site will automatically align any text based on how you align the image. 

You can also choose to add a caption to the image.

 To access the Insert Image pop-up box after you've added your image to the site you can double click the image, or elect the image then the image icon in the text editing bar. 

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Adding Videos

Adding Videos
Content Sections

add videoAdd a video to your page by selecting the Video icon from the text editor.

The Video Embed box will pop up for you to fill out.

Insert the link to the video: It is recommended to store your videos on another platform, such as YouTube, and link them on your website.

Autoplay: this option will automatically start your video when a visitor comes to the page it is located.

Responsive Video: this option will automatically adjust the video to the size of a user's screen. 

Don't forget to save! 

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Adding and Editing Links

Adding and Editing Links
Content Sections

add link boxThe first button in the text editor is the Link button.  You can link internal pages, external websites, and documents using Links. 

Link icon

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you select the Link button you will open the "Add Link" dialogue box. 

 

External Links:

Highlight the text you want to turn into a link and select the Link icon. Paste or type in the link URL in the Add Link dialogue box. 

 

searching internal link

Internal links:

If the page you want to link to exists in your website, you can just search the page name in the Add Link dialogue box. 

Highlight the text you want to turn into a link and select the Link icon. Start typing the name of the content you want to link in the bar and your website will show you any content with that name. Select the item you want from the list and click save. 

 

Documents (File Browser)

You can link files by linking from the File browser.  Highlight the text you want to turn into a link and select the Link icon.  Select "Open File Browser" and navigate to the file you with you link.  Select the file by clicking on it then clicking Select at the top of the File Browser Window, then Save in the Add Link Dialogue box. 

Learn more about the File Browser.

 

Edit Links

To Edit an existing link, place your cursor on the link and select the link icon, or double click the link. This will open the Edit Link Dialogue box where you can edit the link or open the File Browser to select a new document to link.

You can unlink an item by placing your cursor on the link and selection the Unlink Icon, next to the Link icon.

 

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Content Sections

Content Sections
Content Sections

Drupal offers the ability to use Content Sections on pages to help organize and structure your content. The drop down menu can be found below the text editor on a page. You can add as many Content Sections to your page, as needed.

add content section button

Reorganize your content sections on the page by dragging and dropping your sections to move them above or below other sections. 

Delete a content section by selecting the ellipses in the top right corner of the section and selecting Remove. You will then need to select to Confirm Removal to fully remove the section. 

 

Simple

A Simple Content Section is the standard text editor present when you create a new page.  

Accordion

Accordion Content Sections allow you to create expandable/collapsible content. 

To Add an Accordion Section start by navigating to the bottom of your page and selecting "Add Accordion" form the Content Section drop-down list. You will be prompted to complete the below for.  For each Accordion section, you can choose to leave the section collapsed or set it to be expanded by default.

Next, fill out the Accordion Section Title.

Add your Accordion Section Body - here you will see a similar drop-down list to the Content Section List, but with slightly different choices. You can choose to format your Accordion Section Body as Simple, Image, Google Map, or Columns (Equal, Three Uneven, Two Uneven).  Once your body section is added, you can insert the desired content.  

accordion section

You can add multiple Body Sections to one Accordion Sections. You can also add as many Accordion sections as needed by selecting Add Accordion Section.   

Carousel

Carousel Content Sections allow you to add rotating content

Columns

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Text Editing

Text Editing
Content Sections

Below is the standard text editor used in Drupal. 

Text Editor

The features available to you, from left to right are:

 

  • Link - add a like to your page
  • Unlink - remove a link from your page
  • Image - add an image to your page
  • Video - add  a video to your page
  • Bold - make your text bold
  • Italic - italicize your text
  • Left Align - align your text to the left of the page
  • Center Align - align your text to the center of the page
  • Right Align - align your text to the right of the page
  • Insert Horizontal Line - add a horizontal line to the page to break up text 
  • Block Quote - insert a large quote to your page
  • Paragraph Format - change your text to a range of heading formats or to normal paragraph format
  • Formatting Styles - this feature is usually locked to help keep you site consistent 
  • Numbered List - add and remove numbered lists
  • Bulleted List - add and remove bulleted lists
  • Table - add a table to your page
  • Undo - undo your last edit
  • Redo - redo your action
  • Maximize - maximize the text editor
  • Remove Formatting - remove the formatting from the text on your page
  • Source
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Editing an Existing Page

Editing an Existing Page
Content Sections

To edit an exiting page, you must first be logged in.

Once you are logged in, navigate to the page you wish to edit. There you will find a few tabs at the top of the page; Edit, Delete Content, and Revisions.  Select Edit to make changes to your page. 

You can also find the page you would like to edit by searching for it on the Content page

edit page button

At the top of the page you can alter the state of your page to Published, Unpublished, or Archived, you can preview your page, and you can save your page. 

Save button

Once you have finished editing your page, remember to save.  The save button is at the top of the page.

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Home Action Items

Home Action Items
Content Sections

info on home action items

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Home Feature

Home Feature
Content Sections

home feature info

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News

News
Content Sections

Add News to your website by navigating to Content >Add Content > News

To add News you will fill out a simple form, set up scheduling options, and decide to promote the post to the home page, if applicable. 

 

  • Start creating your news post by giving the post a Title. 
  • Give your post a feature image by selecting a photo from the File Browser.
  • Give your News post a category to help sort and filter posts.
    • News Categories can be managed under Structure > Taxonomy > News Category
  • Add the body to your news post next.  
    • The body is added using the standard text editor, so you can include links, images, and more to your news post.
News Page
News Scheduling Panel

 

Next, you can set scheduling options for your News post:

  • On the right side of the page open the Scheduling Options drop down
  • Set your "Publish on" Date and Time to schedule when the post will be live to the public
  • Set your "Unpublish on" Date and Time to schedule when the post will no longer be live to the public
    • you can leave one or both of these sections blank of you do not wish to specify a publish or unpublish date/time
  • Set your Publish state and Unpublish state, if applicable

Next you can choose to promote your news post on the home page

  • On the right side of the page open the Promotion Options drop down
  • Select Promoted to front page 

Finally, remember to Save and set your post as a Draft or Published!

Promotion options

 

Kylie Diegmiller

Site Alerts

Site Alerts
Content Sections

Multiple site alerts can be posted to a website. If more than one site alert content is added, then it will be displayed as a carousel (for header placement site alert content).

To add a Site Alert to the website, start by navigating to Content -> Add Content -> Site Alert.  On the page that opens, populate the following information:

  • Title – A message that will be displayed on the site alert section:
  • Severity – Choose from the available options. 
    • Information – green site alert background;
    • Warning – orange site alert background; 
    • Danger – red site alert background.
  • Placement – Header or pop-up. A header will be displayed at the top of the website’s page. A pop-up will be displayed as a pop-up window.
  • Override Link – If you would like the site alert to link to a specific page on the website or an external site, then start typing a page name and the drop down will show available pages on the website or enter an external page URL. This page will open when users click on the site alert title. The override links field is optional and if no content is added to the field then the site alert will display content posted into a body field if it’s populated.
  • Body – information that will be displayed when users click on the site alert title. This field is optional.
  • Display Pages – list of pages for which the site alert will be displayed. One or more pages can be added. If no page is selected, then the site alert will be displayed on all website's pages.
  • Scheduling options – displayed on the right side of the site alert add/edit view page to publish and unpublish the content.

More information can be found on the site alert page under the input fields. 

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Files

Files
Content Sections

Under Content > Files you will find a list of the files on your website.

Files

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Scheduled Content

Scheduled Content
Content Sections

info on "Scheduled" option in the Content drop down

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Notifications

Notifications
Content Sections

Your website can have email and text notifications feature enabled. By default, the notifications can be sent from the News and Site Alert content types. Additional content types can have notifications added if desired.

The email and text notifications can be sent when news or site alerts are added to the website or from the existing news and site alerts content. Email and text notifications can be sent at the same time or separately.

Victoria Boyko

Sending Email Notifications

Sending Email Notifications
Content Sections

To send email notifications start creating news or site alert content or find existing news or site alert you would like to send a notification from.

While on the content edit page, find the notification section that is located on the right-hand side of the page called Notification System:

Notification System

 

Expand the Notification System section and select notification or notifications you would like to send. The options are Send Email and Send Text Message.

Notification Options

 

For this example, we select Send Email to send an email notification:

Send Email Option

 

Once the Send Email is selected, additional options are displayed:

Send Email Options

  • Email Topic – The drop-down field selection is required. Choose the topic you would like to send the notification for. Subscribers that are subscribed to this topic will receive email notification.
  • Subject – The field is required. Enter the subject of the email notification. The subject will be displayed in the email subject line of the notification.
  • Body – The field is automatically populated from the news or the site alert body field when it’s filled out. The notification Body field can be manually added or updated as well.

 

The following screenshot is an example of the completed email notification before it’s sent:

Send email before sending email

 

The information displayed under the Send Email section will be sent in the email notification.

To send email notification make sure the content state is set to Published. Only published content notifications will be send out. The content state option is located on the top right of the screen next to the Save button.

Page state published

To save the page content and send the email notification click on the Save button at the top right.

 

After the content is saved the website page will display information about the notification:

Email status message

 

To view the email notifications that were sent out navigate to Content -> Notifications -> Email. The Email Notifications page will display the sent or pending email notifications:  

Pending and sent email notifications

The email notifications can be filtered by the email subject and the notification topic.

Victoria Boyko

Sending Text Notifications

Sending Text Notifications
Content Sections

To send text notifications start creating news or site alert content or find existing news or site alert you would like to send a text notification from.

While on the content edit page, find the notification section that is located on the right-hand side of the page called Notification System:

Notification System when sending text messages

Select Send Text Message check box to send a text notification.

Send Text Message option

Once the Send Text Messages option is selected, additional options are displayed under the Notification System section.

Send Text Messages section

  • Text Topic – The drop-down field selection is required. Choose the topic you would like to send the notification for. Subscribers that are subscribed to this topic will receive text notification.
  • Content – The field is required. Enter a brief message for the text notification. This field content is sent in the text notification.

Note that the text message notification will also include a link to the page from where the notification is sent from.

The following is an example of the screen of the filled out text notification:

Send text message screen

To send text message notification make sure the content state is set to Published. Only published content notifications will be send out. The content state option is located on the top right of the screen next to the Save button.

Page published state

To save the page content and send the text message notification, click on the Save button at the top right.

After the content is saved the website page will display information about the prepared notification:

Text status message

To view the text notifications that were sent out or pending notifications, navigate to Content -> Notifications -> Texts. The Text Notifications page will display the sent or prepared for sending text notifications: 

Pending or sent text notifications

The text notifications can be filtered by the message text and the notification topic.

Victoria Boyko

Viewing and Updating the List of Subscribers

Viewing and Updating the List of Subscribers
Content Sections

To view the list of subscribers, navigate to Content -> Notifications -> Subscribers. The list displays the following fields:  

  • Email address – email address of the subscriber
  • Phone number – phone number of the subscriber
  • Validated - Identified if the subscriber confirmed the subscription
  • Last Updated – Date when the subscription was last updated

The Notification Subscribers page allows operations like edit, validate, or invalidate the subscription. Each field except for Operations can be sorted in ascending or descending order.

After subscribers sign up for notifications they receive a confirmation email to confirm the subscription. After the subscription is confirmed, the page will display Yes in the Validated field column. Those subscribers that don’t have their email validated will have displayed No in the Validated column.

If the subscription is not validated, the website administrators can resent the verification email to the subscriber. To do it, choose the subscriber you want send the validation email for, click on the arrow on the Edit button, and click on the Send Verification Email link.

Subscribers send verification email

Validating the subscriptions manually by clicking on the Validate link on the Edit button is not recommended.

Victoria Boyko

Viewing and Updating the List of Notification Topics

Viewing and Updating the List of Notification Topics
Content Sections

To view the list of notification topics, navigate to Content -> Notifications -> Topics.

The page displays the list of topics that can be filtered by entering values into the Label field and clicking on the Apply button. The topics can be sorted by clicking on the Label column name.

Notification Topics

To add a new notification topic, click on the Add Topic button on the top portion of the page. From the Add Notification Topic page enter the new topic name and click on the Save button.

To change an existing topic name, click on the Edit button for the notification you want to change, change the topic name, and click on the Save button.  

Victoria Boyko

Real Time Reports

Real Time Reports
Content Sections

Real Time Reports are available to you at any time through your website. To access them you must be logged in to your site, then you can find them in the top Navigation.  These reports show you items that could be affecting your site's health or ADA Compliance.

Kylie Diegmiller

Alt Tags

Alt Tags
Content Sections

Alt Tags report tableYou can access your Alt Tags report under Real Time Reports > Alt Tags

This page shows you a filterable/sortable table of any instances in the website where images are missing Alt Tags. 

Fix your alt tags by:

  • Select the "title" on the Alt Tag report page
    • this will send you to the page where you are missing the Alt Tag
  • Navigate to the image that is missing the Alt Tag
  • Select Edit to edit the page
  • Select the image then the image icon in the text editor bar, or double click the image
  • Add your Alt Text and Save
    • Don't forget to save the page!

 

What Are Alt Tags?

Alt Tags ("alt text", "alt description", or "alternative text") are snippets of HTML code that is used for the following:

  1. Visually impaired users relying on screen readers will read an alt tag to describe an image.
  2. The alt text displays in the event the image cannot load.
  3. Search engine crawlers also rely on alt text to improve the image's indexing.

Ensuring all images have some descriptive alt text is the best way to keep your website accessible.

Kylie Diegmiller

Blank Pages

Blank Pages
Content Sections

Pages that are considered blank may annoy the user and hinder your search engine rankings.

Access the Blank Page Report by navigating to Real Time Reports > Blank Pages

This page shows you a filterable/sortable table of any instances in the website where pages are considered blank. 

You can fix blank pages in a few different ways, depending on what you need:

  1. Delete the blank page if you do not need it
  2. Add Content to the page and save if you'd like it to be live
  3. Unpublish the page if you'd like to use it late for content

 

Kylie Diegmiller

Broken Links

Broken Links
Content Sections

Having links that send a user to a 404 Not Found or unreachable site hinders the credibility of your website.

You can access your Broken Links report under Real Time Reports > Broken Links

This page shows you a filterable/sortable table of any instances in the website where there is a Broken Link. 

Fix Broken Links by:

  • Select the "Title" on the Broken Links report page
    • this will send you to the page with the broken link
  • Select Edit to edit the page
  • Navigate to the broken link and select the link then the link icon in the text editor bar, or double click the link
  • Type or paste in the correct link and save
    • Don't forget to save the page!
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Click Here Report

Click Here Report
Content Sections

Having links state "click here", "read more", or "visit website" is not only considered bad practice; it gives no concrete description of what information is behind the link.

Ensuring that links have a detailed and concise phrase improves SEO and usability.

You can access your Click Here report under Real Time Reports > Click Here

This page shows you a filterable/sortable table of any instances in the website where there is a "click here" link. 

Fix "Click Here" Links by:

  • Select the "Title" on the Click Here report page
    • this will send you to the page with the "click here" link
  • Select Edit to edit the page
  • Navigate to the click here link and edit the text displaying the link 
    • Tip: try to make the link text text say what the link actually is
      • Example: instead of, "Click here to watch our webinar." try, "Watch our webinar."
  • Verify that the link is still correct and working
  • Don't forget to save the page!
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Limited Pages

Limited Pages
Content Sections

Limited Pages Report info

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No Menu Content Report

No Menu Content Report
Content Sections

menu settingsPages that can be placed in the menu but are not within will confuse users who arrive to the page from other sources (search engines, third-party websites, etc).

Consider placing the page within the menu or archiving it.

You can access your No Menu Content report under Real Time Reports > No Menu Content

This page shows you a filterable/sortable table of any instances in the website where there is a page not in the menu. 

Fix No Menu Content pages by:

  • Select the "Title" on the No Menu Content report page
    • this will send you to the page that is not in the menu
  • Select Edit to edit the page
  • On the Right side of the page you can edit the Menu settings to make sure your page is in the menu
    • Make sure "Provide a menu link" is selected
    • Select the parent page from the Parent drop down
  • Don't forget to save the page!


 

Kylie Diegmiller

Orphaned Files

Orphaned Files
Content Sections

Any file that is located on the server but not utilized within content is considered orphaned. Orphaned files may contain outdated data, which can still be picked up by search engines. Consider deleting the file if its no longer relevant to keep.

After a short time period (by default, a week) any orphaned files will be automatically deleted based off the "Discovered as Orphan" column.

 

Kylie Diegmiller

Stale Pages

Stale Pages
Content Sections

Ensuring pages have been updated recently improves the credibility of your site and authenticity of the content placed on the page. If the content is no longer relevant or necessary, consider archiving the page.

To access your Stale Pages Report navigate to Real Time Reports >Stale Pages.

This page shows you a filterable/sortable table of any instances in the website where there is a stale page. 

Fix Stale Pages by:

  • Select the "Title" on the Stale Pages report page
    • this will send you to the Stale Page
  • Select Edit to edit the page
  • From here you can:
    • Unpublish the page
    • Archive the page
    • Edit the page
  • Don't forget to save the page when you are finished!
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Structure

Structure
Content Sections

Under the Structure tab you have direct access to make modifications to the main menu and to manage your site taxonomy (categories, Councils, Committees, etc.)

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