Site Page

Content Type for Basic Webpages

Summary

The Site Page is the simplest and most common content type. It can accommocate a variety of paragraph components and is best used for diving into a specific topic. Site Pages offer unique navigation features, such as a the right rail menu on the right side of the page, and the On This Page feature. 

Audience

  • Editors can edit existing Site Pages but not publish them. 
  • Publishers can edit and publish existing Site Pages. 
  • Web Managers create new Site Pages, and edit and publish existing Site Pages. 

Learn more about Platform User Roles and Permissions. 

How To

  • 1

    Create a New Site Page

    New Content Types are created using the Content menu in your toolbar. To create a new Site Page, navigate to: Content > Add Content > Site Page.

    A user has navigated to Content, Add Content, and Site Page in the user interface.

    Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

    • Title (*) - Enter the page name here. Include important keywords in the title to improve the search results. The optimal title length is less than 60 characters, including spaces.

    Main Image

    On Site Pages, if a Main Image is added, it appears at the top of the page. The page's Title is overlaid on top of the image with a colored rectangle between the text and image. The rectangle is added to ensure that there is enough visual contrast so that the text is readable. Learn about Color Contrast for Digital Accessibility. 

    Example of a Site Page Title over the Site Page Main Image
    Dimensions and Resolution

    The ideal dimensions for a Site Page Main Image are 2880px wide x 1254px high. The recommended minimum resolution is double the desktop view size for clearer, better-looking images on high resolution screens. Download an image to use as a template. 

    Note: Do not put important content in the bottom left corner of the image. The platform places a colored square containing the Page Title on top of the image in this corner and will obscure content. 

    Alternative Text

    All meaningful images must have descriptive alternative text (alt text) to be accessible for visitors with low or no vision. If the image does not convey meaningful information and is purely decorative, check the box for Decorative Image and leave the Alternative Text field empty. This allows screen reading software to skip over the image. Learn more about Alternative Text. 

    Use the add media button to add a main image to the site page.
    Above: Before selecting Add media and choosing a Main Image. 
    • Main Image - Select the Add Media button to add a Main Image.
    • The Media Library opens. Select the desired image, or upload a new image and select it.
    • Select Insert Selected.
    • A thumbnail of the image you selected now appears. 
    A thumbnail image of the selected media library item appears
    Above: After selecting Add media and choosing a Main Image, a thumbnail of the chosen image appears. 

    Summary

    • Summary - Briefly describe the contents of the Site Page. The Summary appears in search engine results with the link. Provide a Summary to enhance Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Note: When left blank, the Summary field uses an excerpt from the Page Content as the summary.
    Providing a summary of your content improves Search Engine Optimization or S.E.O. and helps visitors decide if they want to follow the link.
  • 2

    Page Content

    Bands

    As of 1/10/2025, Landing Pages use bands but Site Pages do not. A platform improvement to Site Pages is scheduled for January 23, 2025. This improvement to Site Pages will allow up to two columns of page content. From that date forward, Site Pages will function more similarly to enhanced Landing Pages and will prompt you to select whether you want one or two columns before you can begin adding Paragraph Components. 

    Paragraph Components

    Page content is added with paragraph components. These pre-designed modules allow you to insert different types of content and place them in the order you want on your page.

    In the Page Content section:

    • Select the Add Component button, indicated by a blue square containing a white plus sign. 
    A cursor hovers over the Add Component button in the Page Content section.
    2024 Site Page Paragraph Options
    • A dialogue box appears, prompting you to Choose a Component from the following options:
      • Article Card
      • Callout
      • Contact
      • CTA Card
      • Heading Title
      • iFrame
      • N.C. Map
      • Quick Links
      • Statistic Card
      • Tabs/Accordion
      • Text 
      • Video Card
      • View Embed
      • Webform Embed
    • Select the desired paragraph component and provide the appropriate content. 
    • Repeat these steps as needed to add the desired content to the page. 

     

  • 3

    Date of Last Update and On This Page Jump Links

    At the bottom of the Page Content section there are two checkboxes for additional information you can add to the page:

    • Display Date of Last Update
    • On This Page Jump Links 
    Optional checkboxes for Display Date of Last Update and On This Page Jump Links

     

    Date of Last Update

    • Unchecked by default, the date of the last modification does not appear for the public viewing your page.  
    • When checked, text is added to the very bottom of your page for the public to see, stating "This page was last modified on MM/DD/YYYY." 
    The very bottom of a Site Page displays documents, related content, and the date the page was last modified.
    Example of a Site Page with the "Display Date of Last Update" checkbox enabled.

     

    On This Page Jump Links

    • Unchecked by default, jump links are not automatically added to your page. 
    • When checked, a menu is added at the top of your Page Content that reads "On This Page." Any text that you have formatted as Heading 2 automatically appears as a jump link in this menu. 
      • The platform automatically creates anchors for your H2 content and links to them from the menu. 
      • These links allow visitors to "jump" down to the content they are interested in. This is particularly useful for long pages. 
      • Note: When you also add Documents and/or Related Content, these sections are automatically styled with Heading 2 markup, so they also appear in the "On This Page" menu. 
    On this page jump links and the headings to which they jump upon selection are highlighted.
    Example: A Site Page containing Heading Level 2 text that has been added to the "On This Page" menu. Note that other heading levels, such as the H3 heading pictured, are not added to the menu. 
  • 4

    Related Information

    Documents

    All online public documents should meet digital accessibility requirements. Learn about Accessible PDFs and Documents. 

    • To upload a Document, select Add Media. Repeat this process to add as many documents as you need.
      • You may upload an unlimited number of files.
      • The maximum size for each file is 256 MB.
      • The allowed file types include: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .csv, .txt, .rtf, .zip, .ppt, .pptx, .xml, .kmz, and .mp3.
      • Learn about uploading files here.
    • Remove - Select the Remove button, indicated by an "X' within a circle on top of the document, to remove that document.
    • Rearrange multiple media items by dragging and dropping them into the desired order, or by adjusting their Row Weights. To bring an item closer to the top, assign it a lower number.  
    Select Add media to attach documents to a content type.

    Related Content

    Provide related links, if desired.

    • URL - Enter a web address.
      • Links within your website - Start typing the Title of the content to which you want to link and select it from the search results. You can also enter an internal path, such as /node/add. 
      • External links - Paste the URL if it points to a website other than your own. 
    • Link Text - Enter text for the link.
    • Select Add Another Item to post additional links.
    • Select Remove Item to delete a link.

    Learn about creating meaningful links. 

    Related Content links pointing to internal and external URLs.
    Above: The first link points to an external website so the URL path is pasted into the URL field. The second link points to a page on the same website, so the search feature is used to select the desired content. 

     

    Site Page Terms

    Content Types can be tagged with taxonomy terms to help visitors filter for the content that interests them. Web Managers can add new terms to the vocabulary, while other user roles may apply those terms to their content. 

    Site Page Terms can be selected from a drop-down menu.
    In the example above, the Neuse River term is selected from the menu. 
    • Site Page Terms are taxonomy terms that can be applied to a Site Page. You may or may not see Site Page Terms listed in your drop-down menu. The options are specific to your Division or Office and differ from the examples provided.
      • Web Managers can add new terms to a vocabulary by navigating to Structure > Taxonomy and selecting the desired vocabulary.
      • Other user roles may apply the terms to their content. If you are unsure which taxonomy terms to apply, ask your Web Manager.
  • 5

    Save

    Save often as you work on your content to avoid losing work due to timing out or navigating away from the page.

    • Editors may only save as "Draft" or "Needs Review."
    • Publishers and Web Manager may also save as "Published."

    Current State: Displays the current status of the Content Type and whether or not it is available to the public.

    Change to: The state you want the content to be in the next time you select the Save button.

    • Draft - All new content types are in Draft State by default. This state allows you to continually edit and save your work before it is made available to the public.
    • Needs Review - Editors may save as Needs Review when they are finished working and want a Publisher or Web Manager to publish the content.
    • Published - This content is available to the public. Only a Publisher or Web Manager can choose this state.
    • Unpublished - This content was available to the public at one time, but is not now. Only a Publisher or Web Manager can choose this state.

    Delete: Deleted Content Types cannot be recovered. If you may need this content again in the future, it is best to change the state to Unpublished.

    Change to Save as Published
    Save content as Published to make available to the public. 
  • 6

    Menu Settings and Navigation

    Take care to thoughtfully organize menus and name page Titles as they impact multiple areas on your website and webpage:

    • URL in the address bar of the browser
    • Breadcrumb trail on each page
    • Main Menu and Right Rail
    Page titles and menu placement impact several areas of your website.
    Page Titles and Menu Placement impact the URL you see in the browser window, breadcrumb trails, the Main Menu, and the Right Rail menu.

     

    Menu settings for adding a site page to the main menu
    The path to this page is: Main Menu > Working > For State Employees & Departments> Digital Accessibility > Headings

    Main Menu

    To add the Site Page to the Main Menu:

    • Navigate to the Sidebar Panel as shown on the right.
    • Expand the Menu Settings tab.
    • Check the box to Provide a Menu Link.
    • Enter the Menu Link Title. It should match the Title you provided for the page.
    • The Parent Link is <Main Menu> by default.
    • Select the appropriate menu path from the dropdown. Example: --Working
    • Continue nesting the page into the menu structure under the correct sections, as needed. Example: State Employees & Departments > Digital Accessibility 
    • Menu links are ordered alphabetically by default. To rearrange the link order:
      • Enter a number in the Weight field to assign a weight. Menu links with lower numbers (i.e., lighter weights) float to the top of the list to display before links with higher numbers (i.e., heavier weights.) Weights are relative to one another. 
    • After you "Save as Published," the page is added to the main menu and will also display in the right rail as appropriate. 
    Cautions
    • It is best to add the content to the menu when you initially create it. 
    • If you save the content in the menu, then later move the content within the menu structure, a URL redirect is automatically created. This redirect points traffic going to the old location to the new location. 
    • If you delete a parent, it's children in the menu structure will be promoted upwards in the menu. 
    • Gaps in the menu structure can lead to visitors receiving an error message stating, "The website encountered an unexpected error. Try again later."

    Right Rail

    Site Pages have a navigation menu on the right side of the page called the right rail. On mobile devices, the right rail menu appears at the bottom of the page against a core background color. The right rail menu displays the Site Page in context of its parent and any children. 

    The right rail menu on a site page for Headings nested under Digital Accessibility
    Example of a right rail menu. The page titled "Headings" is a child of the parent page titled "Digital Accessibility." 

    On this Page

    This navigation feature is unique to Site Pages and only applies to text on the same page that is styled with Heading Level 2. See Step 3: Date of Last Update and On This Page Jump Links. 

  • 7

    Publish or Unpublish Content on a Scheduled Date

    Some content types allow you to Publish or Unpublish them on a scheduled date. After creating the content type as outlined above:

    • Change the Save As: status to Unpublished.
    • Navigate to the Content Information Panel > Scheduling Options.
    • Expand Scheduling Options.
    Content Type Information Panel
    Sidebar Panel
    • In the Publish On field, use the Date and Time pickers to choose when the content will be published. 
    • Set the Publish State field to Published.
    • If desired, repeat these steps for the Unpublish On field and Unpublish State.
    • Select the Save button at the bottom of the page.
    The panel for Scheduling Options allows you to set a date and time to either publish or unpublish content.
    Scheduling Options
    Save a content type as Unpublished.