Add a document

Prepare your document

You should never upload multiple versions of the same document to the Media library. This creates confusion when searching for the correct version of your document because it's not possible to see in the media library which documents are in use or where they're embedded. Search the media library for your document before starting the upload process.

As a general rule, you shouldn't be embedding documents onto a webpage unless the document's content is also published as html, or the document's only purpose is to be printed out for display, such as an advertising poster.

Check your document is accessible

If you need to embed a document onto a webpage, it must also be accessible. Word documents and PDFs should have the following attributes applied:

• heading styles and formatting
• properties applied to data tables (indicating which row is the header row)
• alt text for informative images
• descriptive hyperlinks (not 'Click here')
• a tagged table of contents, if applicable.

Read our accessibility requirements guide for more information on creating accessible documents.

Check the document metadata

Metadata is information about the document that is used in searches and as a way of identifying owners and content. As a minimum, you need to complete the following fields:

• Document title (all document types)
• Company (All Word/Excel/PowerPoint docs) or Author (PDF only)

In Word, Excel and PowerPoint, go to File > Info > Show all properties to access these fields. For PDFs you’ll need Adobe Acrobat to edit and add metadata to PDFs.

Name your document

There are 2 different naming conventions to keep in mind:

1. The file name of the document (what it is saved as on your computer)
2. The document title (what you name the document when you upload it to the Media Library).

Any documents you'd like to upload to the CMS Media Library need to have a file name without any spaces. Instead, use hyphens (not underscores) to join words so the file name is as easy to read as possible (e.g. "Safe-and-strong:-a-victorian-gender-equality-strategy.doc").

When you upload this document, you should then use spaces for the document title (e.g. "Safe and strong: A Victorian gender equality strategy").

If the document is an annual document, include the year should be at the end of the document (e.g. "Safe and strong: A Victorian gender equality strategy 2017").

Version numbers should not be used. A new version of a document should be saved over the top of the old version, to ensure any links to this document remain up to date and the media library doesn't get clogged with out-of-date, superseded files.

Add a new document and embed on a page

The Media browser icon allows you to add a document to a webpage. It automatically inserts the appropriate icon and file size.

1. In the Basic text component, place your cursor where you'd like your document to appear.
2. Click the word Media in the formatting ribbon to launch the Media Library.
3. Click on the Add document tab, then Choose file and browse your computer for your document.
4. Add the document's title in the Name field – see our naming convention rules above.
5. Click Select media.
6. Choose Display as > Embedded and Align > None.
7. Select Display last update date to have a "last updated" date display underneath the embedded document.
8. Click Embed.

Update an existing document in the Media library

1. Hover over the Content tab in the menu bar of the CMS, and click on the Media option in the dropdown menu.
2. Search for your document using the Media name field and other filters.
3. When you've found your document, click Edit.
4. Remove the current document by clicking the Remove button.
5. Replace the old document with the new version by clicking Choose file. Make sure your document file name is appropriate and using hyphens between words, e.g. "DPC-organisation-chart.PDF". (Note: You should include any version numbers or dates in the actual document itself, such as the header or footer, and not as part of the document file name.)
6. Scroll down and click Save.

Check where a document is attached

Search for your document in the CMS Media Library, click on it, and then click on the Usage tab to see a list of pages where this document has been embedded.