Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation

Adding and using files in the Media Library

Main content start

You can add txt, rtf, doc, docx, ppt, pptx, xls, xlsx, and pdf files under 5 Mb to your media library on Stanford Sites. All other files shared from your website should be hosted on a Google Shared Drive or other document management system.

Does it have to be a file?

If you are providing information to your site visitors, consider making it a web page. It will be easier to make it accessible, and it will be more friendly for mobile users. Use a file when it is a resource like a template or form.

Add a file to your media library

  1. After selecting File, you will be redirected to the Add File page:
Screenshot illustrating Adding a File
  1. Enter the name of your file in the corresponding text field.
  2. Select Choose File under the Image title. A popup will appear and you can select the file you would like to upload.
  3. Click Save.

Best practices

  • You should include the file extension (.doc, .pdf) in your filename
  • You should not have spaces in your file name
  • Files should all have unique names, even if the file type is different

Linking to your file

Once your file is in your media library, you can link to it, just as you would another page on your site.  

Example of the link tool in a text area showing matching site content first and the files.

It is recommended that you use a text area, either in a Text Area Paragraph or Card Paragraph to provide a link to your file. The link tool will display content pages first and the any files that match your search terms, making it very easy to link to a PDF or other document.

The link fields provided by Cards Paragraphs, Banner Paragraphs and other paragraph types do not support this functionality. To link directly to a document using one of those fields, you would need to go to the Media Library and edit the media item to obtain the direct link, and then paste that into the field. 

Check file permissions

Your site files are public. If your document is sensitive and restricted to Stanford or specific viewers, you must store the document on Google Drive or another secure location, not on your site. It is your responsibility to ensure that file permissions are correctly managed. 

How to manage permissions on Google Drive.

Related Topics