The media library

The media library holds every image, PDF and other file used on the site, in one shared library rather than one per page. It is listed in the sidebar as Media.

Uploading files to the library

1. In the sidebar, select Media.
2. Select Upload. A window headed Upload files opens.
3. Drop the files into the Files field, or select them. Several files can be uploaded at once. Each file can be up to 10 MB unless the developer has changed the limit.
4. Select Upload. Each file becomes its own library item, named after its file name.

Rename the files and write their alt text afterwards, as described in File details.

Uploading from a block field

A file can also be uploaded from a block, without visiting Media:

1. On the page's edit screen, expand the block and find its image or file field.
2. Select Upload, beneath the field. A window headed Upload files opens.
3. Choose the file. A field that holds one image accepts one file; a field that holds several accepts several.
4. Select Upload. The uploaded file is placed in the field immediately.

The file joins the library in the same way as a file uploaded under Media, so it is available to every other page. Write its alt text under Media afterwards.

Choosing an existing file

1. On the page's edit screen, open the block's image or file field to open the picker. The picker shows the library as a grid, newest file first, and can be searched by name and filtered by tag, by kind (Images or PDFs) and by Unused only.
2. Click the picture of the file to choose it. The whole tile is the control, and the chosen tile is outlined.
3. Select Select at the bottom of the picker.

File details

Selecting a file in Media opens its detail panel. A Replace file button sits beneath the picture, and three tabs sit below it:

• Details holds Name, Alt text, the tags, and (for an image) the Focal point. Write alt text for every image that carries meaning: a screen reader announces it in place of the picture, and search engines read it. Leave it blank only for a decorative image.
• File shows the File name, Type, Size, Address, when it was Uploaded and who uploaded it.
• Usage lists the pages that use the file, so the effect of changing or deleting it is known beforehand. The tab carries a count. A file used nowhere reads Nothing uses this file.

Replacing a file

To change a picture everywhere it appears without editing the pages that use it:

1. In Media, select the file.
2. Select Replace file.
3. Choose the replacement in the New file field and confirm.

Every page that uses the file shows the new one. The pages' addresses and layout are unchanged. The file's own address changes, so a browser that cached the old file may need a refresh. Use this to update a logo or a photograph that appears in many places.

Filtering and browsing the library

Files can be given tags, and the library can be filtered by Tags, by Kind (Images, PDFs or Everything else) and by Unused only. Unused only lists files no page uses, which are the files that can be deleted without affecting the site. A file in use carries an IN USE badge. The library opens in the grid view; the List view button switches to a table, and Grid view switches back. The grid suits pictures, and the list suits documents and comparing tags and dates.

The CMS refuses to delete a file that is still in use. It shows the notification Nothing was deleted and names the file, so a page is never left with a missing image.