Changes to File URLs

The way files, particularly documents, are handled in Web Express are undergoing some huge changes.

In the old version of Web Express, we used a file content type to allow users to attach, upload, and link to a file. While all of this functionality will still exist, the urls to uploaded files will be changing and links to files will need to be updated in order not to result in a 404 error.

In the new version of Web Express, all files will be managed in the new media library. A file can still be linked to via a new url: www.colorado.edu/YOUR-SITE-URL/media/MEDIA-ID-NUMBER

Sites will need to update the links to these files in the site's content.

Re-linking Files

All files and documents from your site were migrated into the new media library and named with the document's file name. For example, if your document was 2024file.pdf, you can find it in the media library with the name 2024file.pdf.

Here's how you can re-link those documents:

1. Locate the file you are re-linking by navigating to Manage > Content > Media > Media Library
2. Find the name of the document in the media library
3. Navigate to the content where the link to file is
4. Edit the content - if the link is in the body field you can do this by clicking the edit link. If it's in a block on a basic page, click the layout link.

5. Select the link to the file in the editor and click the edit link button.

   

6. Delete the existing url and start typing the name of the file you located earlier. It should pop up in the list under the Media section.

   

7. Select the file, click the green checkmark, then click the save button.
8. Your file has been re-linked.

Adding a redirect to a file (optional)

If there are links on other websites linking to your files, you can create a redirect from that previous file url to the new file url.