Division of Student Affairs

The Online Editor Tool: Edit: MainContent

Uploading PDF Documents

Most of the web content you read on the Student Affairs Web site is produced using Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML. But in addition to HTML, sometimes you'll need to link to documents, forms and other user presentations.

When it comes to uploading documents, we generally follow a basic rule of thumb: Any time you have a document that was saved in Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint, it needs to be converted to a PDF document. In order to convert a document, you must have Adobe Acrobat installed on your desktop. This program is different than Adobe Reader, which is the application you use to read PDF documents. Adobe Acrobat allows you to build PDFs by converting documents and compressing them for the web.

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat installed on your desktop, and you need to have a document converted, please e-mail IT support for assistance.

So why do we go to the trouble of converting these documents? PDFs have become the standard for the web. Some users don't have the software programs needed to read a file, and many grow impatient waiting for large files to download.

Most web users prefer reading the finer points of your document right on a web-based page, yet PowerPoint presentations and Word documents don't always present information in an easy-to-read format. If you limit your content to an online page or two, you make it easier on the user. You not only eliminate redundancy, you only provide key information your users need to know.

Instructions for Use

The Upload Document Tool is similar to the Upload Picture Tool with a few minor variations. Here are the instructions you'll need to follow when uploading a document to your site:

1. Login to the Editing Tool
2. Under "Editing Tools," choose "Upload: Document"
3. On the new page that appears, you will see an option for "Upload:" in the middle of the page. Click on the "Select" button that appears in light gray. Navigate to the drive/folder where your document is stored and click "Open." Your filename will now appear next to the Select button.
4. Type the same filename (or a different filename) next to the "Filename" text field. Do not type the .pdf extension, or the tool won't recognize your file. Make sure that filename isn't used elsewhere on your site, or you might accidentally overwrite another document by that name.
5. Click Upload Document to complete this task. If you receive an error that says the filename is not valid, double-check your file size. Our online editing tool will not accept a file that is larger than 1MB. You will need to have a web administrator upload the file for you if the file is too large.

Adding Your Uploaded Document to a Page on Your Site

Now that you followed the instructions above, you're ready to add your document to a web page. You'll need to go back to the Editing Tools menu on the left-hand side of your web page, and click Edit: Main Content to open your page.

Using Internet Explorer, locate the page on your site where you want to add your document. With the page in front of you, follow these instructions:

1. Login to the Editing Tool. Click on "Edit: Main Content."
2. With your mouse, highlight the text where you want to add a link to your document.
3. In the second row of tools, select the Document Manager tool. (It's the icon that looks like a document with a paperclip attached.) If you followed the instructions above for "Using the Upload Document Tool," your file will automatically appear in the left-hand side of your window.
4. Click on the image filename, located on the left-hand side of your window. Notice that the filename now appears in the Document File: address window. You will not be permitted to browse to another location, so make sure you followed the instructions for "Using the Upload Picture Tool" above.
5. Click Insert. Notice the text you just highlighted is now hyperlinked. Click on Save Changes to complete your task. Test your changes by clicking on the new link.