Creating a New Basic Page

What is a Basic Page?

A Basic Page is the content type that you should use for most webpages.

If you're not sure that a Basic Page is right for your needs, consult What Type of Content Do I Need?

Note: Only users with the "Content Creator" permission will be able to create a new Basic Page. If you do not have this permission and need to create a new Basic Page, contact Communications at website@colgate.edu. 

Creating a New Page

1. Log in to Drupal.
2. Click "Workbench" on your Drupal toolbar (at the top of the page), then choose "Create Content" (see illustration for location of buttons).
3. Click "Basic page." This will take you to the Basic Page editor.
4. Enter a Title in the "Title" field. This will appear:
   • As the primary title at the top of the page when it is published (unless overridden by the "Hero Title," as described below)
   • In the browser's tab
   • In search results when users search for your page.
5. Add a Hero Image if you wish. This image will be the background to your page's title. Note that you do not need to add a hero image to every page.
   • You may choose to browse images that have already been uploaded to the Colgate site with "Browse Media", or you may add your own photo with "Add media." 
   • If you wish to have a different title displayed on the page than what you entered in the "Title" field, you can enter it into the "Hero Title" field. Note that the Hero Title will only display if you have added a Hero Image.
6. Click "Edit Summary" to add a Summary for your page. The Summary is used by search engines as a blurb about the page following the title in a search result. For more on search engine optimization, check out Metadata and Search Engine Optimization.
7. The Campus Services and Resources Sidebar allows you to easily link to pages in the Campus Services and Resources section of the site. See Adding Campus Services and Resources Links.
8. Add your content:
   • The “Body” field is best for lead-in text and other content near the top of your page.
   • Use the Sections below to separate your content (See The Structure of a Drupal Page for ideas on how to structure your content). If you're not sure how to format your content or what you're able to add to your page, see Using the Text Editor and What Can I Add To My Page?
9. On the toolbar on the right side of the page, click “Menu Options” and check the box for "Provide a Menu Link." The Menu Link determines where your page will live in the website hierarchy and how it will appear in the navigation menus.
   • If you'd like your page to appear in the navigation with a different title than the one you entered in the “Title” field, enter that in the “Menu Link Title” field.
   • To select where your page will live in the site's menus and hierarchy, use the “Parent Item” drop-down menu.
   • Choose <Main Navigation>, then in each successive drop-down menu select the appropriate page title to create the path to where you would like your content to live. Note that the last page you select will be the "parent" of your new page (see illustration for an example).
   • If you're not sure about where your new Basic Page should live:
   1. Check the Site Map Communications provided you with during the web content renovation process.
   2. Check the navigation sidebar of an existing page under your department or office
   3. Ask for help from the Communications office at website@colgate.edu
10. The "Weight" field determines the order that items in the same menu appear in. For more information, see Changing the Order of Menu Items
11. The “Access Groups” field on the bottom of the page determines which website users will have access to edit this page. Note that this does not affect anyone's ability to see the public version of your page. Select the group(s) that reflects you and your coworkers who will be editing the page, but please be as specific and limited as possible. Being precise with Access Groups helps us keep everyone's Workbench neat and tidy. See Access Groups for more information.
12. If you are finished working on your Basic Page, you have the following options in the “Save As” drop-down menu at the bottom of the page:
    • Needs Review: Send the page for review and publication. See Publishing Content for more information.
    • Draft: Save the page as a draft without sending for approval or publication. See Saving Content as a Draft for more information.
13. Click "Save", and you're done!