CMS Orientation

Once you've logged in, this guide will help you understand the CMS dashboard and how to navigate to your content.

Finding Your Content (Pages & Folders)

When you first log in, you will see a preview of the APSU webpage you logged in from.

To navigate the CMS file structure, click the "Content" dropdown at the top of the screen and select "Pages." This will take you to the file list, which is structured like a folder tree on your computer.

Sections: These are the "folders" that house your pages.
Breadcrumbs: To see where you are, check the breadcrumb links above the file list (e.g., Home > CoSTEM > Science on Tap). You can click any name in the breadcrumb to go to that section.
Main Root: Click the house symbol to go to the "main root" of the APSU website, where you can see all top-level sections.

Understanding Your Files

Inside a section, you will see several different files. Here is what they do:

_nav.inc: This file controls the left-side navigation links for its section. It is a simple bulleted list of hyperlinks that you can edit to add, delete, or reorder the links.
_props.pcf: This is the properties file for the section. It controls the breadcrumb text. If this needs to be changed, please email your request to webupdate@apsu.edu.
index.pcf: This is the main landing page for the section (e.g., the index.pcf file in the /mathematics/ section is what people see when they go to apsu.edu/mathematics).
Other .pcf files: These are all the other individual webpages within the section.
Other files (.jpg, .png, .pdf): These are images and documents that have been uploaded into the CMS.

How to Search for a Page (Filter Bar)

In the top-right corner of the file list, you will find the Filter Bar. As you type, it will filter the list of files and sections in your current view.

Important: The filter only searches filenames. It does not search the content or headings on your pages.
You must spell the filename correctly for it to appear.

Pro Tip: If you aren't sure what your section or page is called in the CMS, look at the URL of the live webpage.

Example: apsu.edu/mathematics

apsu.edu is the "house" symbol (main root).
/mathematics is the name of the section you can find in the root.

Your Dashboard (Cards & Quick Links)

You can access your personal dashboard at any time by clicking "Dashboard" in the top-left of the screen and selecting "My Dashboard."

At the top, you'll see a blue box with Recently Visited Pages for quick access. Below that are several Cards with helpful information. You can drag and drop these to reorder them.

Common cards include:

Inbox: Houses your messages and notifications from the CMS.
My Checked-Out Content: A list of all pages and files you currently have checked out.
Activity: Shows recent activity inside the CMS (e.g., pages published).
Workflow: Shows any changes assigned to you for review (this is unused by most editors).

A Note on Checked-Out Content

When a file is "checked out," it is locked. Only the person who checked it out can edit it.
Always check your pages back in when you are finished.
You can quickly check a file back in from the "My Checked-Out Content" card by clicking the light bulb icon next to its name.

The /_training Sandbox

Every user has access to a special "sandbox" section called _training. You can find this in the main root (house symbol) of the CMS.

These pages are for you to test ideas, practice new skills, and get used to editing without worrying about "messing up" your live department pages.