dotCMS
Frequently Asked Questions
Basic dotCMS Questions
- What do I manage on our website? What do professional communicators manage?
- How do I get access to dotCMS?
- How do I navigate dotCMS?
- I’m in dotCMS. What am I looking at? (Intro)
- How do I see and change if at item is published, unpublished or archived?
- What are relationships in dotCMS?
Basic Page Management
- How do I add files and images to a web page?
- How do I find and delete files?
- How do I make changes to a page?
- How do I add a new page?
Accessing Events
Updating Person Profiles
County-Specific Questions
- How do I update hours of operation on the county webpage?
- I am trying to change the content on a 4-H page and receive the error: "Unfortunately this has caused a problem. Please try again."
- How do I add a county report to my website?
If you have additional questions about using dotCMS, please email msuewebsite@anr.msu.edu. If you need captions or transcripts for any of the following videos, please email Anne Baker at amb@msu.edu.
Basic dotCMS questions
What do I manage on our website? What do professional communicators manage?
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Extension staff |
Professional communicators |
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When in doubt, email msuewebsite@anr.msu.edu |
How do I get access to dotCMS?
Every MSU Extension employee should already have access to dotCMS and be able to log in using his or her ANR ID and password. If it does not allow you to log in, first ensure you are using the correct password. If it still fails, email msuewebsite@anr.msu.edu. Log into dotCMS at https://www.canr.msu.edu/dotAdmin/ .
I’m in dotCMS. What am I looking at? (Intro of navigation preview and content)
A brief explanation of the dotCMS interface, navigation preview within the system, and understanding the most important elements -- pages and individual entries that make up those pages.
How do I navigate dotCMS? Understanding the Pages and Content sections
Watch an overview of the difference between using the Pages Browser and the Content Search in dotCMS. If you're looking to update content, it's always best to find it via the Content Search.
How do I see and change if at item is published, unpublished or archived?
This video explains how to understand the status of a file or entry -- is it unpublished, published or archived?
What are relationships in dotCMS?
Relationships relate a piece of content in dotCMS to another piece. This is how we connect people, articles and documents to various topic, program and county sites. Most MSU Extension employees will not have access all the sites that make up the CANR web network. If you see a relationship that is missing or should be removed from a record, contact your primary communicator or msuewebsite@anr.msu.edu. The video below explains more.
Basic Page Management
How do I make changes to a page?
How to access and edit a page using the navigation preview screen. Note: You will not be able to update existing person records, events or digital documents using the navigation preview screen. You should access those entries via a content search.
How do I add files and images to a webpage?
Adding files and images is one of the most common tasks within dotCMS. This walkthrough explains the process and the interface.
How do I find and delete files?
Frustrated when you see an outdated file in the site search? This video explains how to delete files you've uploaded to your local site. If you are finding files that should be archived and they are not housed in your local site, you can send a request to your primary communicator or msuewebsite@anr.msu.edu.
You can work with your communications contact to have a new page placed on your site. Often, that means that a blank container that can be filled with content. To add a page, first, contact your institute's primary communicator or msuewebsite@anr.msu.edu to have them add the new page. After they have added it, you can go into the page in dotCMS to add content and make changes, as we show in the video below.
Updating Person Profiles
Staff records are housed in the county site that they are based and can be updated by people within that county. This video explains how to update personal contact, job title and other information associated with your person record.
How do I add or change a staff photo?
This video explains how to upload a new staff photo or replace an existing staff photo on a person record.
Accessing events in dotCMS
Most MSU Extension staff will add an event using the Event Submission Form. If you need to update information on an existing event, you can go into dotCMS and make changes. To learn to use the form, please visit event submission form website, which also has an instructional video. After you have submitted the event via the form, the video below will provide you with guidance on modifying it in dotCMS.
County-specific questions
How do I update hours of operation on the county web page?
An explanation of where to find information related to your local MSU Extension county office.
I am trying to change the content on a 4-H page and receive the error: "Unfortunately this has caused a problem. Please try again."
You will sometimes receive an error message because some content is housed outside of your local site. This video explains more.
How do I add a county report to my website?
You do not post/upload your own county reports. ANR Communications uploads County Annual Reports and creates a series of article entries that make up that report. If you have a question about the status of a submitted county annual report, email ANR Communications at anrcommunications@msu.edu.