Documents
Documents is under Content in the left-hand menu. It holds the files members download — forms, minutes, reports, newsletters — and links to forms hosted elsewhere.
There is no draft for documents. As soon as you click Save, the document is live. If you also tick Notify Subscribers, saving starts an email going out. Read that section before you tick it.
Adding a document
- Click Documents in the left-hand menu.
- Click Create New.
- Choose the Type (see below).
- Fill in Title and Published Date — both required.
- Attach the file, or paste the link.
- Check the sidebar settings.
- Click Save.
The two types
Type is the first choice, and it changes what you fill in next.
| Type | Use it for | What you fill in |
|---|---|---|
| Internal | A file people download — PDF, Word, spreadsheet | Document — upload the file |
| External | A form or page hosted on another website | External Form URL — the full web address |
Pick Internal and the upload box appears. Pick External and you get a URL box instead. You only ever see the one you need.
Use External for things like a Google Form or a state association form — anywhere the file isn't yours to host.
The sidebar settings
Three tick boxes on the right, and they do quite different things.
Members Only
Ticked, the document is only visible to signed-in members. Unticked, anyone can find and download it.
Shows In Library
Ticked, the document appears in the document library on the website, where people browse.
Unticked, it does not appear in the library — it still exists and still works, but the only way to reach it is a direct link you place yourself, such as on a page or in the menu.
Untick this for something you want available but not listed, like a form only relevant to one committee.
Notify Subscribers
⚠️ This one sends email. Read this section fully.
Ticked, your subscribers are emailed about this document on the next digest run. Unticked — which is the default — nothing is sent.
Three things to know before you tick it:
It is off by default on purpose. Documents are often added in bulk. If notification were automatic, a batch upload would send subscribers a flood of emails in one go.
Members Only does not stop the email. A document marked Members Only is still included in the digest if you tick this. If a document is sensitive, think about the notification separately from the visibility setting — they are not connected.
You cannot un-send it. Once the digest run has gone, it has gone. If you're unsure, leave it unticked — you can always tick it later and it will go out on the next run.
The system keeps track of which documents have already been mailed, so a document is not sent twice. You don't need to untick the box afterwards.
Categories
Categories group documents for filtering on the website. Assign at least one where you can — it's how people narrow a long library down to what they want.
Replacing a file
To publish a newer version of something — an updated form, this year's minutes — edit the existing document and replace the file. Anyone who has linked to it, or bookmarked it, keeps working.
Creating a second document instead leaves both versions live, and people will find the old one.
Deleting
Deleting is permanent, and any link to that document stops working — including links on your own pages and in the menu.
Before deleting, check whether unticking Shows In Library does what you actually want. That takes it out of the library while keeping existing links alive.
If a document doesn't appear
- Did you click Save?
- Is Shows In Library ticked? If not, it won't be in the library — that's the setting doing its job.
- Is Members Only ticked? Sign out and look again; you may be seeing it only because you're signed in.
- For an External document, is the URL right? Paste it into a browser and check it opens.
Related
- Images and files
- Adding a page to the site menu
- Getting started