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Navigation is a site-wide element that appears on every page. While navigation is automatically generated as you build your site, configuration options are available to arrange your navigation and create external links.

Reminder: Each time you modify the navigation, you will need to perform a full-site publish.

1. Drap and Drop 

Changing the order of items in the navigation can be accomplished with a simple drag and drop maneuver.

Select the parent folder in the Asset Tree of the items you wish to rearrange; this is often the site’s base folder.

In the workspace, click on the column heading Order so that the items are in ascending chronological order.

Drag and drop the items into the desired order; the item in the first position will be the first in the navigation.

2. Move Tools

Assets can be moved up or down using tools provided. 

Follow the first two steps of the Drag and Drop method above. Then, select a single asset’s checkbox in the workspace.  

Use the tools that appear near the top to move the asset. From left to right, they appear as Move to top, Move up one position, move down one position and move to bottom. 

Top Navigation

Top Navigation is the horizontal menu that is visible on every page. While editing a folder, the setting for Navigation Area must be set to Primary for it to appear in the Top Navigation. Follow the steps below to rearrange the items.

Select your site's base folder (i.e, the top-most folder containing your site name) in the asset tree. Then, use one of the methods above to rearrange the items into positions 1-10.

Side Navigation

Side Navigation is the slide-out menu that contains Primary (upper) and Secondary (lower) areas. Follow the steps below to move items into a specific area.

• Primary - Items in the Top Navigation are also placed in the Primary area; additional items (beyond the Top Navigation's 10 item limit) can also be added.
• Secondary - Items can be manually placed in the Secondary area by editing the folder and for the setting Navigation Area select Secondary.

Use one of the methods above to rearrange the items into position.

External Link

You may add an external link (i.e., a link to another site) to any area of your navigation.

1. Select the folder in the asset tree where you want to add the external link
2. Click Add Content > External Link
3. Complete the required information
   1. Link Name - Enter the system name for the page (displayed in the asset tree); follow the requirements provided in the interface
   2. Placement Folder - This will reflect the selected folder; click on folder to change if necessary
   3. Title - Enter the user-friendly name displayed in the navigation
   4. Open in - Specify whether the link should open in the Current Window or a New Window
   5. Navigation Area - Specify whether the link should be placed in the Primary/Top or Secondary navigation
   6. Link Settings - Enter the full URL of the Link including https://
4. Click Save & Preview or ⋮ Submit
5. Use one of the methods above to rearrange the external link into position.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why aren't my pages appearing in the navigation?
A: Is the item set to be included in the navigation? For a Folder, edit the folder and ensure Include in Navigation is set to Yes. For a Page, edit the page and ensure Hide from Navigation is set to No.

Does the folder have an index page? Index pages are required for a folder to be included in the navigation. The main page within a folder should always contain the system/page name of index (all lowercase).

Is indexing turned on? Indexing is another method of including items in the navigation and is enabled by default but may have been disabled. For a folder, edit the folder and click on the Properties tab; ensure Include when indexing is enabled. For a page, edit the page and click on the Configure tab; ensure Include when indexing is enabled.

Q: Items have been rearranged to positions 1-10, but it's not appearing in the Top Navigation. What should I do?
A: Check the settings mentioned above to ensure navigation is fully enabled; if so, edit the folder and ensure that the Navigation Area is set to Primary.

Q: How can I move a page to the Secondary area of the Side Navigation?
A: To be part of the Secondary (lower) area of the Side Navigation, pages must be contained within a folder. To do this, create a new folder and for Navigation Area, select Secondary. Move the page into the folder, rename the system/page name to index (all lowercase). Finally, rearrange the navigation using the drap and drop method.

Q: How do I disable a page/folder from appearing in the navigation?
A: For pages, edit the page and change the setting Hide from Navigation to Yes. For folders, edit the folder and change the setting Include in Navigation to No.

If the item should not be included anywhere on the site, you will also want to disable indexing. For a folder, edit the folder and click on the Properties tab; disable Include when indexing. For a page, edit the page and click on the Configure tab; disable Include when indexing.

Q: Can I turn the breadcrumbs off?
A: Turning off breadcrumbs is possible but only recommended for stand-alone pages (i.e., a page that does not need to be accessed through the site's navigation, such as a landing page for an email blast). Turning off breadcrumbs will also disable a page from appearing in the navigation. To do this, edit the page and click on the Configure tab. Then, disable Include when indexing. 

Q: Why is the navigation different from page to page on my live site?
A: If you're seeing discrepancies in the navigation of your live site, perform a full-site publish, then refresh the pages in your browser when the publish is complete. Since the navigation is a site-wide element, any changes made to it will require every page to be republished.

Q: Does the navigation text wrap?
A: Yes, it will accommodate the entire page Title; if you prefer to display a shortened version of the page Title in the navigation, specify this in the page's Display Name under its Metadata tab.

Q: When does the Side Navigation appear?
A: The Side Navigation appears when you visit a section of a website that contains subpages within it, and they are visible in navigation. For example, a Resources section that contains multiple subpages within it for different audiences, such as Faculty, Staff and Students. Whether you are on the index page of the section, or on one of its subpages, the Side Navigation will appear.

The display of the Side Navigation is automatic and cannot be turned on or off on a page-by-page basis. However, website visitors can always open or close the Side Navigation manually using the Hamburger Menu to open it, or the X to close it.

The Side Navigation is always closed by default on the home page of a site.

Q: I deleted a page from my website, but it still shows in the navigation. When I click the link, it says "File Not Found." How do I fix this?
A: Each time you make a change to a site-wide element, which includes the navigation, a full-site publish is required. Follow the steps below depending on the scenario.

Scenario 1: You deleted the page from the CMS and unpublished it from the website.
Solution: perform a full-site publish to correct the navigation on the live website.

Scenario 2: You unpublished the page from the website but want to keep it in the CMS for archival purposes.
Solution: Disable publishing on the page. Then, disable the page from appearing in the navigation, and perform a site-wide publish to correct the navigation on the live website. 

Folders are used to estabish a site's navigation and keep its content organized. Ideally, each section of a site and its pages are contained within a folder. Folders are also used to store files like images and documents. 

To Create a Folder

1. Select the parent folder in the asset tree where you'd like to create a new folder. 
2. Click Add Content > Folder
3. Complete the required information
   1. Folder Name - Enter the system name for the page (displayed in the asset tree and live URL); follow the requirements provided in the interface. 
   2. Placement Folder - This will reflect the selected folder; click on folder to change if necessary.
   3. Include in Navigation - To include the folder in the navigation, leave at the default Yes; change it to No to prevent it from displaying in the navigation. 
   4. Navigation Area - Select the appropriate area, Primary or Secondary. 
4. Click Submit. 

Working With Folders in the Asset Tree

Clicking on a folder will expand its contents in the asset tree. To select a folder and display its contents in the workspace (panel at the right), click on the arrow that appears when hovering over the folder.

Tabs

While creating or editing a folder, tabs are available at the top of the edit window to configure additional settings.

Metadata Tab

The Metadata tab includes the navigation settings covered above, plus the following:

• Display Name, Title, Summary, Teaser, Keywords, Description, Author - Leave blank; not used or not recommended for folders
• Schedule a Task - Set a Review Date; Note: Start/End Date and Expiration Folder are not currently functional

Properties Tab

The Properties tab includes settings to manage the folder properties.

• Check Spelling - Disregard; this checks spelling for metadata fields which are not used or not recommended for folders
• Include when indexing - Allow the folder and its contents to be included in the navigation and other areas that automatically populate with content, such as a News Index page
• Include when publishing - Allow the folder to be included when publish jobs are performed on the folder or a parent folder
• Include in Stale Content report - Allow the folder's contents to be included when assessing stale content; stale content will appear in the Stale Content widget on the dashboard
• Tags - Leave blank; not used

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When should I create a new folder? 
A: Create a new folder if you want to create a new section on your site that will be included in the navigation like "About Us" or "News". Creating a new folder, rather than making a single stand-alone page, will ensure the section has the flexibility to accommodate additional pages as the site evolves. You should also create a new folder as a storage area for files (e.g., images and documents). The folder shouldn't be part of the site navigation, and it won't include any pages for website visitors. In this scenario, change the setting for Include in Navigation to No.

Q: I created a new folder for a new section on my site, what's next?
A: The next step would be to build your pages within the folder. It's best to start with the main page of the section, and be sure to give it a system/page name of index. Once the folder contains the index page, it will display in the navigation.

Files are the assets used on your site like the images and documents. All files can be uploaded to the Cascade CMS using the same method. 

Upload a File

1. Select the folder in the Asset Tree where you want to upload the file.
2. Click Add Content > File.
3. Skip down to the section Drop file(s) here or choose some from your computer
   1.  Drag and drop file from your computer into the box, OR
   2. Choose and browse to select a file from your computer. Tip: you can select multiple files to upload by holding down shift to select a range of files, or control to select files individually. 
4. Click Save & Preview or ⋮ Submit, or to configure additional options see below.

Additional Options 

• File Name - Automatically populates to match the original file name and enforces best practices (lowercase letters, hyphens instead of spaces); adjust if needed.
• Title - While files do not display in the navigation, Title can be used to automatically populate Alt Text for images; this will ensure consistency throughout the site every time an image is used.
• Hide from Navigation - Disregard, files do not display in the navigation.

Batch Upload Files

An efficient way to batch upload a large number of files is to consolidate them in a zip folder prior to upload.

1. Prepare the files on your computer by organizing them into an appropriate folder structure that will be preserved upon upload to the CMS. If all images can be uploaded to a single folder on your site, like the images folder, creating a folder structure for the zip is not necessary.
2. Select the folder or files to upload and using your computer's zip utility tool, compress the items into a zipped folder:
   
   1. Windows: right-click > Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder
   2. Mac: right-click > Compress Items
3. Return to the CMS and follow the steps provided on this page to Upload a File, selecting the zip folder in Step 3.
4. Upon upload, you will be asked if you would like to extract and save all of the contents into the current directory, select Yes.
5. The files will be extracted and ready to use.

Tabs

While creating or editing a file, tabs are available at the top of the edit window to configure additional settings.

• Content - The settings in the Content tab include the settings covered above for uploading a file; if the file is an image, the Image Editor will be present.
  
  
• Metadata - 
  • Display Name, Summary, Teaser, Keywords, Description, Author - Leave blank; not used or not recommended
  • Schedule a Task - Schedule the initial publish using Start Date or set a Review Date; Note: End Date and Expiration Folder are not currently functional
  • Configure - 
    • Include when indexing - Leave untouched; not used for files
    • Include when publishing - Allow the file to be included when publish jobs are performed on the file or a parent folder
  • Fullscreen - Change the size of the edit window to fullscreen, or revert to original size.
    
    

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What file types are acceptable to use on my site? Is there a size limit?
A: There is a 200 MB file size limit per file. The most popular files that can be used on CMS sites are images (jpg, gif, png, svg) and documents (pdf, docx, xlsx, pptx). 

Q: I need to upload large sized videos but am unable to. What do I do?
A: The 200 MB file size limit is unlikely to accommodate large video files. Instead, use a third-party service like YouTube to host your videos and embed them onto your website. 

Q: I have a large amount of documents I need to make available for download on the web. Is the CMS a good solution?
A: We do not recommend using the CMS as a storage tool for documents. The CMS is a tool for building websites, not a content repository. Instead, use a third-party service like CMU Box to host your documents. 

A WYSIWYG, an acronym for "what you see is what you get," is an open content area for text, images, media and more. It's the most flexible content area in the CMS and you'll find a WYSIWYG editor in many of the elements which comprise page layout. 

Toolbar

The toolbar at the top of the WYSIWYG editor contains options for assembling and editing content. You can fine-tune text and enhance content with images, links, media and tables. Other actions available include undo and redo, alignment, creating bulleted or numbered lists, inserting links, and more. 

Menus

The WYSIWYG menus contain additional options plus keyboard shortcuts when available.

• Edit — Contains options to cut, copy, paste and paste as text. Paste as text removes all formatting/styling of text and converts it to plain text.
• Insert — Contains the insertable objects available in the toolbar, plus options to insert a special character and a horizontal line. 
• Table — Contains the tools to build and modify a table.
• View — Contains options to assist you while you work in the WYSIWYG. Visual aids pertain to tables; when enabled, outlines are displayed to represent table borders. Show blocks displays content regions that are designed as headings and paragraphs. 
• Tools — Contains the option to perform a spellcheck, plus the source code and fullscreen view options available in the toolbar. 
• Formats — Contains the option to apply formatting to content. 

Apply Formats

Pre-defined formats like headings and image styling options are available in the WYSIWYG to apply structure and design to your content. See examples of every format available on the CMS Demo site. 

• Headings — Designating page headings is very important for accessibility and search engine optimization. There are six headings available which should be used to reflect hierarchy of page content. For example, the primary topic of the page should be the first heading and assigned Heading 1; subheadings (Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.) should be properly nested to reflect the sections and sub-sections of the page.
• Inline — The single option of < > code allows code like HTML to be displayed on the page without the CMS trying to render it. It's not likely to be used often, so unless you're teaching your website visitors how to program in code, you may ignore it.
• Blocks — There are two block elements that may come in handy while formatting your content including Paragraph and Blockquote. There may be times when you need to manually create a paragraph out of a selection of text. To insert a block quote, select the desired text, then click Format > Blocks > Blockquote. 
• Custom — Custom styles are available to enhance visual appeal of an element or to adjust its placement or layout. This includes styling to images, links and tables. You can also add a rule above or below a paragraph or heading to display a visual separator, or use the "clear" style to prevent overlapping paragraphs. 

Add Images

Before adding images to your website, take a moment to evaluate whether they are optimized properly for the web. Complete guidance on images is available including size and format specifications, how to modify images and where to get free high-quality images.

To insert an image, follow these steps:

1. Place your cursor where you want to add an image.
2. Click on the Insert/edit image button in the toolbar. The Insert/edit image window will appear.
3. Leave Image Source at Internal. 
4. Choose File to browse and select the image; if the image has not been uploaded to the CMS, the option to upload the image is available in the chooser. Do not browse another site to select an image. 
5. Enter an Image Description for the alt text. 
6. If needed, modify the Dimensions.
7. If applying a style, select the style in the Styling dropdown. Applicable styles: circle, floatleft, floatright
8. Click OK.

Create Links

Links can be added to the content areas of your site using the WYSIWYG and are typically created using text or images. In addition, custom styles can be applied to text links to portray buttons or calls to action.

To insert a link, follow these steps: 

1. Select the text or image in the WYSIWYG to make a link. 
2. Click on the Insert/edit link button in the toolbar. 
3. The Insert Link window will appear. 
4. To add an internal link within your site, click the Link Source chooser and browse your site to select the intended page. Leave target at None unless you're linking to a document like a PDF.
5. To add an external link, insert the link in the Link field, including the https:// Only change the Target to New Window if you're linking to a page outside of the Carnegie Mellon domain.
6. To add an email to link, follow the steps for external linking. When you add a link to the Link field, enter the email address prepended by mailto:
7. To add an anchor link, follow the steps for adding a link, but be sure to fill in the Anchor field with the particular section ID of the area of a page you want to link to. Do not include # before it.
8. Click OK. 

Embed Media

Many third-party media services (YouTube, X, etc.) provide a snippet of code which can be embedded into your content using the WYSIWYG. The media becomes part of your published page which website visitors can view and interact with.

The steps to embed media from most third-party services are the same, however obtaining the embed code is different for each service. First, obtain the embed code, then proceed with the steps to insert it:

1. Place your cursor where you want to add the media. 
2. Click on the Insert/edit media button in the toolbar. 
3. The Insert/edit media window will appear; click on the Embed tab. 
4. Paste the third-party embed code into the space provided. 
5. Click OK.

Build Tables

Tables are used to display tabular data on a page, like a reference chart. Tables can be added to your content using the WYSIWYG. Be sure to use tables for tabular data only. 

To insert a table, follow these steps: 

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert a table. 
2. Click on the Table menu in the toolbar.
3. Hover over the table tool, then hover over the boxes to specify the initial number of columns and rows; click to finalize selection. 
4. Populate table cells with data. 
5. After inserting a table, a number of tools will display near the table for additional adjustments. You can change table properties, insert row before or after, delete rows, insert columns before or after and delete columns. 
6. Right-click in any cell for more options like adding a link or image, or to adjust the number of columns or rows. You can also specify column width, create a header or footer row and merge cells. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: I'm receiving an invalid XML error when I submit a page. How do I fix this?
A: This error typically happens when content is copied and pasted from an external source (usually Microsoft Word) and it retains custom code that the CMS considers to be invalid. A common example of this error is:

Invalid XML: The prefix "o" for element "o:p" is not bound.

This code needs to be removed before the CMS will allow the page to be saved. In Edit mode, view the source code (< > tool) for all WYSIWYG areas and remove all instances of the invalid code, such as:

<o:p></o:p>

It is also a good idea to only paste plain text into a WYSIWYG. Use the Edit > Paste as text option shown above before pasting in content.

Q: Can I modify the formats or create my own custom styles?
A: The formats and custom styles available in the WYSIWYG are pre-defined to conform to the university's branding, so we highly recommend adhering to what is provided. Many of the formats and custom styles are locked down to prevent modifications.

Q: Can I embed my own media instead of using a third-party service?
A: For advanced website managers with coding knowledge, you may use your own embed code if you prefer not to rely on a third-party. However, there is a limitation to what can be embedded; for example, the 200 MB file size limit in the CMS is unlikely to accommodate large files such as videos, so we recommend using a third-party media service whenever possible.

You can place an image almost anywhere on your website, however obtaining and optimizing images can be confusing. Here are some tips to make working with images easier:

• Use 72dpi resolution (i.e., web resolution)
• Use jpg for photos and png for graphics; gif and svg are also acceptable
• Don't include spaces in the filename; use hyphens where appropriate like scotty-dog.jpg
• Follow the size specifications for specific uses (below); image sizes are also provided in the CMS interface while editing a page

Free pre-sized images are available for CMS sites so that you can highlight the best of CMU on every page. 

Upload Images to the CMS

There are a couple of methods to upload images to the CMS. 

• Upload images directly to the CMS using Add Content in the Main Toolbar; follow the steps for uploading a file. 
• While editing a page, options are provided to upload images while configuring various page elements (Hero, Slideshow, Photo Grid, etc.) as well as in the WYSIWYG editor. 

Image Size Specifications

Image resolution should always be 72dpi.  

*Two sizes of the same image are required for this content type.
** All images in a particular photo grid or slideshow must have the same dimensions. 

Image Editor

Tools are available to edit your images in the CMS. Select the image in the asset tree you want to modify and click Edit. Follow the steps for the task needed. 

• Replace — Drag and drop the new image into the box or click Choose to browse and select a new image from your computer.
• Rotate or Flip — Use the appropriate tools to rotate or flip the image; hover over each icon to learn the action. 
• Crop — Drag your cursor over the area you want to crop, then click the crop tool. 
• Resize — Enter new dimensions into the Width or Height fields. Ensure Maintain Aspect Ratio (padlock icon) displays as locked to preserve aspect ratio. 
• Undo — Undo or redo an action. 

Compress Your Images

Images can meet recommended size specifications, but still have a large file size that's not web-friendly. 

To improve load time and minimize bandwidth consumption, images should be compressed before uploading them to Cascade. Luckily, there are web apps available that'll do the work for you. We recommend for jpgs and for pngs.

Keep your site organized by moving assets, changing system names and creating copies.

Move

Moving an asset places it in a different folder in the Asset Tree. The move task should not be mistaken for arranging the navigation. 

Note: When you move an asset, the live URL of it will change. 

1. Select the asset in the Asset Tree. 
2. Click ••• More > Move in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on asset > Move.
3. Click on the current folder and browse to select the New Folder where the asset should be moved.
   
4. Disregard Advanced Unpublish Settings unless you have a need to unpublish from a specific server only (not common).
5. Click Move at the upper right.

Rename

Renaming an asset changes its system name (i.e., the name that appears in the Asset Tree as well as the name displayed in the live URL). The rename task should not be mistaken for changing a Title (navigation label) of an asset.

Note: When you rename an asset, the live URL of it will change.

1. Select the asset in the Asset Tree.
2. Click ••• More > Rename in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on asset > Rename
3. Enter a New Name following the best practices specified in the interface.
   
4. Disregard Advanced Unpublish Settings unless you have a need to unpublish from a specific server only (not common).
5. Click Rename at the upper right.

Copy

Copying an asset will create a duplicate of it. You may specify a new folder to place it in.

Tip: Copying a page can be an efficient method of ensuring consistency across your site. If your site consists of multiple pages using the same layout, consider creating a page template to use as a starting point and copy it when creating new pages.

1. Select the asset in the Asset Tree.
2. Click ••• More > Copy in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on asset > Copy
3. Enter a New Name following the best practices specified in the interface.
   
4. Click on the current folder and browse to select the New Folder where the asset should be copied.
5. Click Copy at the upper right.

Deleting an asset removes it from your site and stores it in the trash for 15 days before being permanently deleted.

Tip: Before deleting an asset, it's a good idea to check for relationships first to ensure nothing is referencing it.

Delete

1. Select the asset in the Asset Tree.
2. Click ••• More > Delete in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on asset > Delete.
3. If the asset is still in use (i.e, linked to from a page) a warning will display, like:

1 asset(s) are still using this asset. Deleting it may cause broken links. More details.

Click on the More details link to see relationships. Determine whether to proceed with deletion or remove the links to the asset before deletion

4. Disregard Advanced Unpublish Settings unless you have a need to unpublish from a specific server only (not common).

5. Click Delete at the upper right. 

Restore

Assets can be restored to their original location within 15 days of being deleted.

1. Click on Trash at the top of the asset tree.
2. Deleted items are listed in the workspace; enable the check box(es) next to the asset(s) to be restored.
3. Use the tools at the top to perform an action. The undo button will restore the item to its original location, and the trash can button will permanently delete the item. 

The process of making edits in the CMS includes the option to preview edits in a smaller window in real time, or to defer the preview until after you complete your edits. 

After completing your edits, you have the option to preview your draft in full screen as it would appear live, or to bypass the preview when making quick edits, and directly submit. 

Note: Submitting/saving a page in the CMS does not update the live version of the page on your website; a separate step to publish is required to push your updates live. 

Drafts

Drafts are pages that are works in progress and can be stored in the CMS for an indefinite period of time. A draft will not interfere with the current version of a page until a final submit is committed, at which point the draft becomes the current version.

• Saving — The CMS automatically saves a draft of your page as you make edits, and will store the draft until actions are taken to either submit or discard it. As you edit your page, look for the Draft saved message at the upper right to confirm your last edit has been saved in the draft.
• Editing — If a page contains a draft version you created, you will be shown the draft by default when previewing the page. Click on Edit to continue to edit the draft. If the page was edited and submitted by another individual while you worked on a draft, a message will appear when previewing your draft. 
• Finding Your Draft — All of your page drafts can be accessed by clicking My Content > Drafts in the Main Toolbar, or on the Dashboard in the My Content widget under Drafts. Click on a draft and proceed with edits. 

Preview a Draft

1. When you're ready to view your page, click Preview Draft at the upper right. 
2. A draft of the page will display. Review the page and proceed with one of the following: 
   1. If no further edits are needed, click Submit; add comments (optional) then click Submit or Check Content & Submit to perform a spell check before the final submit. 
   2. If additional edits are needed, click Edit in the Action Toolbar and proceed with edits. 
   3. To discard your edits and revert the page back prior to your edits, click Discard in the Action Toolbar. 

Submit a Draft

1. When you're ready to save your page, click the kabob menu at the upper right which will bypass a preview of the draft. 
2. Add additional comments (optional) and click Submit or Check Content & Submit to perform a spell check before the final submit. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I review another person's draft before they submit it?
A: Unfortunately no, you can only view your own drafts. However, with proper coordination they may submit the page and you may review the updated version in the CMS before it is published. You may also use the versions feature to compare the current version with the previous version.

Q: How will I know if another person has a page draft saved? I don't want to override their changes. 
A: The CMS cannot combine drafts or consolidate edits made by multiple people, so keeping an eye out for potential conflicts is very important. If you edit a page that another person has a draft of, a warning will appear. Communicate with the person to coordinate the edits.

Q: I'm receiving an Invalid XML error when I submit a page. How do I fix this?
A: This is usually caused by copying and pasting content that contains invalid code into a WYSIWYG. 

Q: I created a new page. Why can't I edit it while previewing?
A: The option to edit while previewing is only available on previously submitted pages. After you submit your changes to a page for the first time, you will have the option to edit while previewing.

The CMS records the history of an asset and provides tools to view audits and manage versions.

The audit tool provides a list of actions performed on an asset since its creation. Use the audit tool to see who modified an asset, when it was modified and what action was taken.

1. Select the asset in the asset tree. 
2. Click ••• More > Audits in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on asset > Audits
3. Apply filters by Start/End Date and Audit Type (optional)
   
4. Review the audit list which includes User, Time, Action and Information

Manage Versions

The CMS stores up to 50 saved versions of an asset. Options are available to restore, delete and compare versions.

1. Select the asset in the asset tree.
2. Click ••• More > Versions in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on asset > Versions
3. Under Past Versions, click on a version to view it
   
4. While viewing a version, click ••• More to perform additional tasks
   
   1. Restore this version - Make this version the current version
   2. Delete this version - Delete the version from the CMS
   3. Compare with current - Compare the version with the current
   4. View current version - View the current version
   5. View newer version - View the next version created
   6. View older version - View the previous version created

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I permanently save a previous page version for archival purposes?
A: To permanently save a page version for archival purposes, we recommend saving it to your computer. While the CMS does not contain tools to export or save content externally, you may use the Firefox browser to save an HTML file of the page version. 

Q: If I restore a previous version, do I lose all subsequent versions created after it?
A: No, all subsequent versions will still be preserved; when a previous version gets restored, it gets duplicated to become the current version. This action does not erase other versions regardless of when they were created.

Q: What do the colors mean when I'm comparing versions?
A: Pink highlight with a strikethrough represents content that has been removed. Green highlight represents content that has been added. Purple highlight represents changes to markup, like italic and bold, or linking text.

A relationship is when one asset references another (i.e., an image used on a page, a page that links to another page). Finding relationships is imporant as actions performed on one asset (like deleting or renaming it) may have an impact on others.

Find Relationships

1. Select the asset in the asset tree.
2. Click ••• More > Relationships in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on asset > Relationships
3. If relationships exist, review the list which includes Asset, Last Modified, Owned By and Relation

What's now?
Finding relationships is a safety check that may require further action; see the FAQs below for guidance on when to check for relationships and what further actions may be required.

Actions

Actions are available for the relationship assets. 

Perform an action using the tools provided at the top of the list. Enable the cloud button checkbox next to a relationship and publish. Click Publish All to publish all relationships. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When should I check for relationships?
A: Check for relationships when you want to know if an action you plan to perform will impact other assets. While you can check for relationships manually, the CMS has some measures in place to warn you:

In the example above, the More details link provides a list of relationships that will be affected. Relationships will be affected when you perform the following tasks:

• Delete an asset - Before deleting the asset, check relationships and remove any references manually (i.e., remove the image, unlink the page); publish the updated pages
• Move an asset - After moving an asset (i.e., placing it in a different folder in the asset tree), check relationships and publish all to prevent broken links on your live site
• Rename an asset - After renaming an asset (i.e., changing its system name displayed in the asset tree), check relationships and publish all to prevent broken links on your live site

Q: When should I publish relationships?
A: When you move and rename assets, the CMS will automatically update the relationships to reference the new location or name, however it will not publish the updated relationships to your staging or live sites. Use the actions above to publish the related assets, or perform a full-site publish if the change you made affects a site-wide element like the navigation.

The CMS has limited ability to check for broken links, however a combination of the link checking methods below will help ensure your links are fully functional. 

Internal Links

Internal links are links contained within your site, like one page linking to another. An internal link check is automatically performed during publish. 

1. Publish a page or folder — publishing a folder will perform a link check on all pages within it — and wait for the publish job to complete. 
2. View notifications by clicking on your Profile at the upper right of the Main Toolbar, then Notifications. OR, on the Dashboard in the Notifications widget. 
3. If broken link(s) were found, it will display completed (1 issues(s)) in the subject line; select to view the notification. 
4. Scroll to the Broken Links section to find the broken link(s). 

External Links

External links are links that take website visitors to another site. The CMS does not have the ability to check external links, however third-party tools are available for checking all links on your live site:

An orphan is an asset that exists on a live website but has no corresponding counterpart in the CMS. An orphan is created when an asset is deleted, moved or renamed in the CMS without being unpublished at the same time. Having orphans on your site poses a risk as it provides outdated content to search engines and website visitors.

Request an Orphan Request

It's recommended that you request an orphan report regularly. The CMS team will compare your live site to the site in the CMS and look for discrepanices. If orphans are identified, you will be sent a list of them for review. With your approval, the CMS team will then remove the orphans. If there is urgency in removing an ophan, you can do this manually; see steps provided in next box.

Prevent Orphans

By default, whenever you perform an action that would affect site structure or modify live URLs, like deleting, moving or renaming an asset, the CMS will automatically unpublish the affected asset at the same time. In special circumstances you may select a specific destination in which to unpublish an asset from, but this is not common.

Manually Remove an Orphan

1. Determine the URL of the Orphan — Determine the URL of the orphan on the live site (e.g., .
   
   
2. Create a Corresponding Asset in the CMS — Create a new asset in the CMS that corresponds to the URL structure of the orphan exactly (i.e., create it where the orphan used to exist in the CMS); for system name, match the asset name in the URL, like orphan-page (do not include the .html extension). Content can be minimal to meet the required fields needed to save the page.
   
   
3. Unpublish — Unpublish the new asset you created; this will remove the orphan from the website.
   
   
4. Confirm Orphan Removal — Visit the URL of the orphan and refresh the page; you should receive a File Not Found message; proceed to delete the new asset you created in the CMS.

Important Note: If the orphan contains content that should be saved for archival purposes, copy it from the browser and save it on your computer before unpublishing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I found an orphan file. Can I remove it manually using the steps provided?
A: Yes, however for Step 2: Create a Corresponding Asset in the CMS, upload the same type of file (jpg, pdf, etc.) and rename it to match the orphan's file name exactly including the appropriate file extension.

Q: I received an orphan report. Can I pick and choose which ones to remove?
A: No, it's an all-or-nothing removal process. If you want to keep an orphan page, you'll need to manually recreate it in the CMS by building it from scratch and copying and pasting the content from the orphan. Once an orphan has a corresponding counterpart in the CMS, it is no longer an orphan.

Checking out an asset places a lock on it so it cannot be edited by others. Locks are typically used temporarily to prevent accidental overrides when multiple website managers are working on a site.

Check-out/Lock an Asset

1. Select the asset in the asset tree. 
2. Click ••• More > Check-out/Lock in the Action Toolbar, OR Right-click on the asset > Check-out/Lock
3. The asset will be locked and a preview of the Working Copy (i.e., the copy that is only editable by you) will display; proceed to make edits by clicking Edit in the Action Toolbar.

Note: If you exit the Working Copy and return later to make further edits, select the Working Copy from the dropdown at the upper left of the preview; proceed with edits.

Check-in/Unlock an Asset

A locked asset will display additional options in the Action Toolbar during preview:

• Commit changes - Submit your the edits made to the Working Copy AND unlock the asset
• Break Lock - Break the lock without submitting your edits; all edits to the Working Copy will be discarded

Finding Locked Assets

All of your locked assets can be accessed by clicking My Content > Locked Assets in the Main Toolbar, or on the Dashboard in the My Content widget under Locks.

Click on a locked asset and proceed with edits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I locked an asset and another website manager is requesting access to make edits. What do I do?
A: If you want to give another manager access, you have three options:

1. If you made edits to the asset, click Commit changes to submit your edits; the asset will then be unlocked and include your edits
   
2. If you did not make edits or want to discard your edits, click Break Lock; the asset will be unlocked and remain unedited
3. If you want to keep the asset locked but reassign it to the other website manager (any edits you made will be discarded), look for the lock message on the preview. 

Click Reassign lock to another user and select the user from the Choose User menu.

Q: Should I lock an asset every time I need to make an edit?
A: The Check-out/Lock function should be used sparingly for edits that are more involved or take more time than regular edits. The CMS has safety measures in place to notify you if another website manager is working on a draft version of an asset you edit.

Q: Somone locked an asset, but the person is no longer here. What should I do?
A: The risk of using the Check-out/Lock function is that if the person responsible leaves, the asset will remain uneditable by others. If this happens, contact it-help@cmu.edu to request the lock be broken.

Using Widgets

Widgets are the tools provided on the dashboard that facilitate management of content, keep you abreast on tasks and alert you to notifications. The dashboard layout is customizable so you can pick and choose which widgets to use and how to arrange them.

• Add widget — The Welcome widget contains an Add Widget button; click on it for a list of widgets. Please note that not all widgets on the list are functional. 
• Configure widget — Some widgets can be configured with additional settings; when hovering over these widgets, an edit icon will appear. 
• Rearrange widgets — Simply drag and drop widgets into place. 
• Remove widget — Click on the "X" at the upper right when hovering over the widget. 

Widget Types

• Welcome — View unread notifications, reset the dashboard, and add widgets to your dashboard. 
• Stale Content — Keep content fresh by monitoring assets that haven't been updated within a set time period. 
• My Upcoming Tasks — This is your "to do" list in the CMS. Create tasks for yourself and/or delegate to other website managers. 
• My Content — Quickly access assets like starred, recent, owned content, drafts, workflows and locks. 
• My Sites — View sites you've recently visited and click on them to switch sites. 
• Content to Review — Review dates can be set on assets to ensure content is always up-to-date. 
• Notifications — This will show your most recent notifications, including publish reports, mentions and tasks. 
• New Content — Create new assets directly from the dashboard by clicking on any of the asset types displayed. 
• Non-Functioning Widgets — Analytics and Link Checker are two non-functional widgets. 

Manage Tasks

A task is an action item to be performed in the CMS, like replacing an image, publishing an asset, proofreading content or selecting news articles for a Hero rotator. The My Upcoming Tasks widget provides a method of setting tasks and collaborating on them with others.

Tip: For a more detailed review of your tasks, select Tasks in the User Menu. You will have options to view tasks assigned to you, created by you, those that you are participating in and those that have been completed. You can also search for tasks and add new ones.

Username Mentions

Mentioning another user in comment fields using the @username feature allows you to send them a notification to alert them of the comment; simply enter @username (use Andrew ID in place of username) and a list of users will be provided to select from. The mention will appear in the user's Notifications widget and they will also receive an email.

Use the system menus, settings and tools provided in the CMS to help streamline your CMS duties. Links are provided if additional instructions are available.

System Menus & Settings

• User Menu — The User Menu is located in the Main Toolbar near the right and is represented by your first initial or a personalized photo. Access Starred assets, a History of your most viewed assets, Notifications and tasks. 
• Hamburger Menu — The Hamburger Menu is located in the Main Toolbar at the right and is represented by three horizontal lines. Access Help & Support, the Publish Queue and Reports like the Content Up Review and Stale Content. 
• Context Menu — Right-clicking on an asset in the asset tree opens the Context Menu with available actions. See the asset's Name, star the asset, view the asset live on the site, edit, publish and more. 
• Action Toolbar — The Action Toolbar appears below the Main Toolbar at the right when an asset is selected. From here, you can edit, publish, comment and star the asset. Other options include previewing the assets on a full screen. 

Tools

• Chooser — The Chooser tool slides into the CMS interface from the right and provides a method of selecting an asset. Whether it be adding an image to a page, linking to another page or moving an asset to a new folder, the Chooser tool is used to complete the task.
• Batch Actions — Actions can be performed on multiple assets using the batch tools provided. In the asset tree, select the folder which contains the assets; the contents of the folder will display in the workspace. Use the checkboxes to select the assets, or use the Select All tool to select all assets on the current page. From here, perform batch actions using the tools above the assets including publish and unpublish, copy, move and delete. 

After requesting a new site and completing the approval process, you will be provided with a generic "out of the box" site as shown in the example. Your task will be to take the starter site and make it your own, meaning repurposing the basic elements provided, then building up to complete your site.

New to the CMS?

2. Select the new site in the Site Selector in the Main Toolbar. 
3. Click on the index page in the Asset Tree to view the home page of the site. 
4. Follow the steps below to complete your site from start to finish. 

Steps to Take on A Starter Site

Step 1: Configure Basic Site Information 

The Setup Block in the base level of the site contains the content displayed in the header and footer regions throughout the site, including basic information about your department or group like its official name, parent organization, contact information and social media. After configuring the Setup Block, the information will automatically display on every page, including new ones you create. 

Step 2: Repurpose the Starter Assets 

New sites are provisioned with "starter" assets (e.g., generic pages, folders, images) to establish a basic site structure; these assets should be repurposed to accommodate your content. Follow the steps below:

1. Rename Assets — Assets will need to be renamed to be relevant. There are two types of names you will need to change: System Name and Page Title. 
2. Replace Content — All "placeholder" content including text and images should be replaced with your actual content. 

Step 3: Complete Your Content Outline

After the starter assets have been repurposed, you will likely need to create additional assets to accommodate the rest of your content. Follow the guidance below:

1. Create a new folder for every main topic of your content outline.
2. Create new pages within the folders. 
3. Upload images and documents. 
4. Arrange the navigation. 

Step 4: Publish Site to Staging

The staging server is available to all CMS sites for the purpose of reviewing the site on a test environment. You may publish your site to the staging server at any time during development, and share the URL with other reviewers to request feedback. It is also highly advisable that you review the site in its entirety on the staging server before requesting a site launch.

Step 5: Launch Your Site

Ready to launch your site? Initiate the site launch process here.

Categories provide the ability to be selective about what to include on pages and feeds that are auto-populated with content. Dropdown menus can also be provided for website visitors to filter content by category. Category functionality is available on all of the special page types.

Here's how it works: 

Step 1: Add Categories

1. Edit the categories block. Categories are groups as follows (existing categories are displayed if previously added)
   1. Site Categories
      1. Categories-1
      2. Categories-2
   2. Course
      1. Concentrations
      2. Degrees
2. Add a new category by entering the term in the appropriate box; use semicolons to separate multiple categories (e.g., Entrepreneurship;Robots;Pittsburgh Campus).
3. After categories have been added to Categories-1 and Categories-2, you will have the option to specify a custom Dropdown Label. These labels will display on the special index page types if the dropdown is added. If not specified, Category 1 and Category 2 will be used as the labels respectively. Examples of custom dropdown labels: Areas of Expertise, Topics, Field of Study.
4. Submit to save; new categories will be available to use on your pages within five minutes.

Step 2: Tag Pages 

When creating or editing a Bio, News Article or Course page, there will be a section for selecting Page Categories. 

1. Enable the categories you want to tag the page with: 
   1. General CMU Categories commonly used across the university's websites. 
   2. Four custom site categories specified in the categories block (Categories-1, Categories-2, Concentrations, Degrees)
2. Click in the appropriate box to Select one or more values to tag the page; remove a category from being selected by clicking on it and pressing delete. 
3. Finish editing the page and submit to save. 

Step 3: Apply Filters (optional) 

When creating or editing a Bio Index, News Index, Course Index page or RSS feed, there will be a section for Filters; filters can be applied so that only pages tagged with specific categories are displayed.

1. Enable the filters you want to apply to the page: 
   1. General CMU Categories commonly used across the university's websites
   2. Four custom site categories specified in the categories block (Categories-1, Categories-2, Concentrations, Degrees) 
2. Click in the appropriate box to Select one or more values to filter the contents of the page; remove a category from being selected by clicking on it and pressing delete. 
3. Finish editing the page and submit to save, or enable dropdowns (next step). 

Step 4: Enable Dropdowns (optional) 

When creating or editing a Bio Index, News Index or Course Index page, there will be a section for Dropdowns. Dropdown menus allow category filtering by website visitors, such as filtering by a course number or a professor's name.

1. Enable the dropdowns you want to add to the page: 
   1. General CMU Categories commonly used across the university's websites. 
   2. Four custom site categories specified in the categories block (Categories-1, Categories-2, Concentrations, Degrees)
   3. Bio Index page includes a dropdown for Last Name
   4. Course Index page includes dropdown for Semesters and Required/Elective
2. Finish editing the page and submit to save.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to have filters applied in order to use the dropdowns?
A: No, dropdowns can be used regardless if a filter has been applied. If a dropdown is enabled but no pages have been tagged with its respective categories, the dropdown will not display.

Q: Do I need to add categories to the categories block to use filtering and dropdown functionality?
A: No, you can use the general CMU Categories for filtering and dropdowns if the categories are sufficient; the categories block is for specifying custom categories not available in the general CMU Categories.

Q: I don't have the custom dropdown label fields in my site's categories block. What do I do?
A: In order for the custom dropdown label fields to appear for Categories 1 & 2, you have to submit the categories block with terms in these fields first, then edit the categories block again; the custom dropdown label fields should then be available.

Q: I'm not seeing all of my categories listed in the dropdowns. What do I do?
A: The CMS is smart enough to not include a category in a dropdown if no pages are tagged with it. Once a category is used on a page, it will then be listed in the dropdown. In addition, be sure that all relevant pages are published when using categories (see next topic).

Q: What do I need to publish when I use categories?
A: Like the setup block, you will never need to publish the categories block. If a new category has been added to the categories block and is then tagged on a page, you will need to publish the page and any special index page types or RSS feeds that feature the page. If a category is no longer in use by any pages but still appears in a dropdown on your live site, publish the page containing the dropdown.

Q: How do I delete categories from my site?
A: Unfortunately, you won't be able to delete categories from the categories block, however the CMS team can do this for you. Submit a request to it-help@cmu.edu.  

All sites contain sample pages in the _sample-pages folder in the asset tree. Sample pages serve as real-time examples of the different page types available. Sample pages are useful for a variety of purposes: use as a tool for understanding page layout, take an in-action look at how special page types work together and use as a starting point for building new pages. 

Like what you see? Copy it! If a sample page contains a layout you would like to duplicate, copy it to an appropriate location on your site and modify it as needed.

Create Your Own Page Templates

Perhaps your department has set guidelines that dictate content layout or design elements. Or maybe you have been tasked with creating multiple pages that are very similar, but you don't want to have to start from scratch each time. Here's where creating your own page templates can make your life a little less stressful. Not only will you be making your workflow faster and more efficient, you can ensure consistency and accuracy is maintained throughout your site, especially when multiple people will be working on it.

1. Create a new folder with a relevant name, like _page-templates (Tip: prepending the folder name with an underscore will ensure it will be sorted near the top of the Asset Tree for easy access). 
   1. For the setting Include in Navigation, set it to No. 
   2. Under the Properties tab, disable the settings for Include when indexing and Include when publishing. 
2. Create your page templates in the folder using placeholder content. 
3. When needed, copy a page template to an appropriate location on your site and modify system name, Page Title and content. 
4. When page is complete, ensure the settings under the Configure tab for Include when indexing and Include when publishing are enabled. 
5. Arrange the navigation to ensure the page is in the correct spot. 
6. Publish the page; if the new page was aded to the navigation, you will also need to perform a full-site publish. 

A site-wide script is a snippet of code that is to be included on every page of a site. The most popular site-wide script is Google Analytics. Follow the steps below to add a site-wide script to your site.

Important! You will need a Google user account to create a Google Analytics account. When creating a Google Analytics account, be sure to add more than one account-level administrator. Accounts should not be shared for security purposes. Any users with admin privileges should enable 2-factor authentication for secure login to their Google account.

Step 1: Create a Block

Blocks should be kept in a _blocks folder at the base level of a site. If your site does not have a _blocks folder, create one before proceeding (change folder settings to disable navigation and disable publishing).

1. Select the _blocks folder in the asset tree, then click Add Content > Block
2. For Block Type, select Text. Then click Choose at the upper right. 
3. Enter a relevant Text Block Name (e.g., google-analytics, site-scripts); follow the requirements provided in the interface. 
4. Scroll to Block Content and paste the script into the text editor; see important note regarding Google Analytics above. 
5. Submit to save. 

Step 2: Edit the Setup Block and Choose the Script Block

1. Select the Setup Block in the Asset Tree and then click Edit. 
2. Scroll to the last setting for Additional Code; select Yes to enable. 
3. Expand the Code section; two script locations are available, In Head (i.e., within the <head> HTML tag) and Before Closing Body (i.e., just before the </body> HTML tag); select the appropriate location based on script instructions. 
4. Choose Block by browsing and selecting the block in the _blocks folder. 
5. Submit to save. 

Step 3: Publish Full Site

You will never need to publish any blocks (script or Setup), however you will need to perform a full-site publish to add the script to the published version of every page. Moving forward, all new pages will automatically include the script when published.

Google Analytics Code

Check your Google Analytics code. Newer code is missing the async="true" value which is required in the CMS. Find async in the code and include ="true" as in this example:

<script async="true" src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-xxxxxxxxx-x"></script>

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: There is already a block used in the setup, should I create another one for my script?
A: If the existing block uses the same location where your script needs to go (i.e., either in the head or body HTML tag), you do not need to create another block; simply amend the existing block by pasting in the new script below any existing code (be careful not to modify any existing code).

If the existing block does not use the same location where your script needs to go, create a new block. In the setup, click the + sign near Additional Code to add a second block, then browse to choose the new block.

Note: Each site-wide script location (head and body HTML tags) should only contain one block each; additional scripts should be added to these blocks directly.

Q: I added a third-party tracking script and it broke my site. What do I do? 
A: If after adding a script you receive an error when previewing a page, the script is likely not compatible with the CMS. This can sometimes be fixed by making minor modifications to the code, however any changes to third-party scripts should always be run by the third-party to ensure functionality. 

Q: Can I add a script to one page rather than to the entire site?
A: Yes, this is possible. Complete Step 1 as instructed above. For Step 2, instead of editing the Setup Block, edit the page where you want to add the script. Click the Configure tab, then Choose Block for the appropriate location: Additional Optional - Head Tags or Additional Optional - Script Tags. Do not modify any other settings on page; submit to save. Publish the page. 

Web forms are used to collect information from website visitors, like a survey, an application or simply a contact method. Several web form options are available to incorporate on your site.

Important: Web forms should only be used to collect non-sensitive information. That means, no social security numbers or credit card numbers please!

Mail-To Forms

MailTo forms use a script to send submissions from an HTML form you create to a Carnegie Mellon email address. To use MailTo forms, you must have an intermediate or advanced level of HTML authoring.

Learn More About Mail To Forms

Google Forms

A Google form collects data into a spreadsheet. Create the form using Google's form tools then embed the form onto your site. Use your university Google account for this service rather than a personal Google account.

Wufoo

Create web forms using the Wufoo form designer (create a CMU Wufoo theme), then embed the form or link to it from your site. A limited number of forms are free, or you may subscribe to the service for a cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do you create a CMU Wufoo theme?
A: Go to the Themes tab in Wufoo. Select Create New from the Theme dropdown. Select Logo > Your Logo in properties. Set the height to 37 and paste in the URL to CMU's wordmark. Select Advanced and paste in the URL to CMU's custom WuFoo Stylesheet. To embed your form, use this link. To link to the form, use this link. Save the theme. Go back to the Forms tab, find your form and select your new theme from the dropdown. 

Parts or all of a Cascade site can have access restricted if it contains content that should be viewed by select website visitors only. This is accomplished using an .htaccess file which is placed within a specified folder; the folder becomes restricted to only those specified in the .htaccess file.

Site owners and managers are not exempt from .htaccess file restrictions. Be sure to include the site owners and managers so that they may access the protected pages.

This restriction method requires a website visitor to have an Andrew ID to gain access to a restricted area. Other services are available to provide restricted information to those without an Andrew ID such as CMU Box or G Suite.

Important: Review ISO's Guidelines for Data Classification and ensure that you never include information classified as Restricted or Private on a CMS site.

Create the .htaccess File

1. Select the folder in the asset tree you want to restrict
2. Click Add Content > File
3. For File Name enter .htaccess; leave all other settings at the default or leave blank
4. Submit to save
5. Click Edit to edit the .htaccess file
   
6. Scroll to the text editor and copy and paste the appropriate snippet of code from below. There are three options:

Option 1: Allow access to anyone with an Andrew ID

AuthType Shibboleth
<limit POST GET OPTIONS>
ShibRequireSession On
ShibApplicationId default
ShibExportAssertion On
ShibRequestSetting redirectToSSL 443
require shib-user ~ ^.+@andrew.cmu.edu$
</limit>

Option 2: Allow access to only select Andrew IDs

AuthType Shibboleth
<limit POST GET OPTIONS>
ShibRequireSession On
ShibApplicationId default
ShibExportAssertion On
ShibRequestSetting redirectToSSL 443
require shib-user ~ ^juser1@andrew.cmu.edu$
require shib-user ~ ^juser2@andrew.cmu.edu$
require shib-user ~ ^juser3@andrew.cmu.edu$ 
</limit>

When copying and pasting the example above, replace all instances of juser@andrew.cmu.edu with the individuals' actual Andrew email address (all lowercase, use full @andrew.cmu.edu).

Tip: You may add comments between entries. Begin each comment on a new line and start it with a hashtag (#). Comments can be useful for referencing the person's full name as shown in the example below, or to divide individuals into groups to keep your list organized.

# Joe User
require shib-user ~ ^juser1@andrew.cmu.edu$
# Jane User
require shib-user ~ ^juser2@andrew.cmu.edu$
# Jesse User
require shib-user ~ ^juser3@andrew.cmu.edu$

IMPORTANT: Other email variations such as @cmu.edu, @department.cmu.edu and external email addresses will not work; it must be formatted as juser@andrew.cmu.edu

The .htaccess file should include the Andrew email addresses of the project sponsor and lead, as well as the site managers.

Option 3: Allow access to a group using Grouper

Grouper is a role-based provisioning service where university populations are defined based on attributes such as affiliation, department, class-level and school college name. When Grouper is used in conjunction with an htaccess file, privileges are automatically applied when individuals are added to or removed from a group.

Using Grouper

Submit a request to it-help@cmu.edu stating that you want to use Grouper to restrict access on your CMS site and provide details on the group you wish to restrict access to (if you already have a Grouper group established that can be used for this purpose, please specify this). You will be provided with a group name; this is needed when creating the htaccess file.

Follow the steps above for creating the .htaccess file and paste the following snippet of code for step 6; replace group-name with the group name provided to you.

AuthType Shibboleth
<limit POST GET OPTIONS>
ShibRequireSession On
ShibApplicationId default
ShibExportAssertion On
ShibRequestSetting redirectToSSL 443
require shib-attr member cn=apps:web:cms:group-name:users,ou=groups,dc=cmu,dc=edu
</limit>

Continue with the steps below.

Note: You can specify both a Grouper group and list individuals manually in your htaccess file; see tip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add individual users to an .htaccess file in addition to a Grouper group? 

Yes, you may include both a group and list of individuals. Follow the example below.

AuthType Shibboleth
<limit POST GET OPTIONS>
ShibRequireSession On
ShibApplicationId default
ShibExportAssertion On
ShibRequestSetting redirectToSSL 443
require shib-attr member cn=apps:web:cms:group-name:users,ou=groups,dc=cmu,dc=edu
require shib-user ~ ^juser1@andrew.cmu.edu$
require shib-user ~ ^juser2@andrew.cmu.edu$
require shib-user ~ ^juser3@andrew.cmu.edu$ 
</limit>

I want to use Grouper but want control over the members of the group. Is this possible?

Yes. While a group can be defined based on official university attributes (e.g., affiliation, student class level, school college name) custom groups can be created for unique circumstances (e.g., staff members in your office). When requesting a group, Computing Services will work with you to determine the appropriate type of group needed and what level of management is expected from you.

 I manage a custom Grouper group. Where can I find instructions?

See How to Use Grouper.

Web analytics, the measurement and analysis of website visitor data, is key to understanding how website visitors use your site. It can help identify the most important information that people are looking for, and determine areas of your website that need improvement. A successful website caters to the needs of its visitors, and web analytics is a powerful tool to identify those home run opportunities.

All CMS Sites Include Google Analytics. However, you must request Analytics access from your Andrew account first. Once you have access, don't worry about setting anything up — we've taken care of that for you! Quickly see how well your site is performing with a snapshot, or dive into the details to better understand your site visitors.

Get Started

1. for your Andrew account and specify the CMS site(s) you would like analytics for.
2. .
3. In the platform’s header region, click on the dropdown menu that contains the subproperty followed by "360" (example: University Communications & Marketing 360). Navigate to your site within your GA4 subproperty. 
4. Navigate to a report you want to view (pages and screens, user acquisition, etc.) and select the FILTER button at the top of your report. This opens a Conditions menu on the right, which allows you to modify and filter to your site.
5. Select a Dimension value from the dropdown menu. To drill down to a specific site within your subproperty, select: Dimension, Match Type, and Value. To see the changes, click Apply.  

Google Analytics Reports

Within Google Analytics, reports are powerful tools that you can use to quickly gather information about site performance, discover how your site is performing in real-time or get more granular about your data. Whatever your data needs, make sure to leverage Google Analytics to make your websites more helpful and effective for your audience.

For our CMS users, we provide the premium version of this platform, Analytics 360, which gathers and processes more data.

Overview Reports

• Reports Snapshot — The Reports snapshot provides you with a quick overview of all of your reports, and includes site traffic, page views and most common device types. Use reports snapshots to get a quick gauge of your site's performance.
• Realtime Report — The Realtime report lets you see how your site has been performing within the last 30 minutes, allowing you to witness activity as it happens. Monitor your site traffic live after an email or social media post with realtime reports. 

Life Cycle Reports

• Acquisition Reports — Find how both new and existing users come to your site with Acquisition reports. For example, users can arrive at your site in different ways, including direct link, email, social media or searching. Use these reports to ensure your content makes sense, no matter how people access your site. 
  
• Engagement Reports — Find what site visitors do while they're on your site with Engagement reports. You can see forms of interaction, pages visited and time spent on pages. Determine how people are interacting with your site with engagement reports. 
• Retention Reports — Retention reports tell you how long a site visitor engages with your site each day after their first visit. Discover how your audience engages over time with retention reports.

User Reports

• User Attributes — User attributes reports tell you more about your site visitors, including locational information like geographic region and city. Ensure your content is optimized for your audience with user attributes reports. 
  
• Tech — Tech reports help you to identify the technology that people use to access your site, including browsers, operating systems and device types. Make sure that your site accommodates your site visitors with Tech reports.

Get More Help

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What do I need to know about Google Analytics 4?
A: Google Analytics 4 is the latest generation of Google's standard analytics platform, previously called Universal Analytics. When you access your analytics, you should see new subproperties. If you don't see your new subproperties let us know at it-help@cmu.edu. To learn more about Google Analytics 4, visit for self-paced training.

Q: What's the difference between Google Analytics 4 and Google Analytics 360?
A: Google Analytics 4 is latest generation of Google's standard analytics platform, and is offered for free. Google Analytics 360 is the paid version, and has higher limits for the data captured.

Q: I have set up my own Google Analytics using my personal Google account. Do I need to remove it?
A: No, you may continue to use your own installation of Google Analytics, however we recommend transferring the analytics from your personal Google account to your Andrew account. 

Q: I prefer to install Google Analytics using my own tracking code and have full management of the account settings. Is this allowed?
A: Yes, if the Google Analytics provided with your CMS site doesn't fully meet your needs, you may install your own Google Analytics tracking. Follow the steps provided for How to Use Google Analytics.

Q: What are the benefits of using the Google Analytics provided with my site versus installing it on my own? Can I use both?
A: Yes, you can use both! There are some of the major differences between the two options that can help you decide if installing your own tracking is the best fit for your web analytics needs. Historical data's default is your site's analytics will be recorded from the site launch date onward. For existing sites, data will go as far back as late in December 2020. User Permissions' default is that you'll be provided with

Q: Why am I seeing large spikes in my organic traffic?
A: These spikes may be from a variety of causes, but the two most common reasons for CMU sites are that a timely event triggers large volumes of keyword searches (for example, an event announcement in May will trigger a spike in searches around that event in May compared to other months), or it's due to backend processes on the email provider side, traffic from Gmail often shows up as organic. Since a large portion of the university currently uses Gmail, clicks on links in mass emails to the CMU community may sometimes show up as google/organic as the source/medium.