University of Michigan - Flint

University of Michigan-Flint

FAQ: General Questions

Where can I find a copy of the Web Guides to print?

The CMS Web Guides are also available as the University of Michigan - Flint: CMS User Guide.  This document is a PDF file that you can print off, either as a whole or only the sections that most interest you.  To save the file to your computer, please right click on the link and select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As...".
back to top

I just received access to my TeamSite, where do I begin?

Before jumping into working with the CMS, you should sit down and outline how you want to design your site.  What information will be displayed on the home page?  How many sub-sections (if any) will you be making?  What information will go into those sub-sections?  You may want to consider holding a meeting so everyone in your department can have a say in what the new TeamSite looks like. 

Once you have developed a plan for your TeamSite design you're ready to get started with the CMS.  The CMS Checklist outlines the essential first steps for a new TeamSite.  After you've finished following the steps on the CMS checklist (or before) you should browse through the Instructional Documents to expand your knowledge and learn about new elements you can put to use in your TeamSite.

back to top

How do I create an index.htm file?

To create an index.htm file, simply follow the directions provided in the "Creating a Department Page" tutorial.  When you save the form entry and generate the htm file make sure you name both index.
back to top

Why aren't my changes showing up on the live site?

Before the changes you are making in the workarea can show up on the live site, you must submit your work to "staging".  For more details on how to submit work to the staging area, check out the "Generating, Regenerating, and Submitting Work" tutorial.  If you are having problems understanding what the staging area is, or how the CMS Version Control works, check out the article on "CMS Version Control".

If you've already submitted your work to staging, and it still isn't showing up on the live site, you may not have given the CMS enough time to run the script to update the live site.  The CMS runs a script hourly to update the live site.  Therefore it may take up to one hour for your changes to appear on the live site.

back to top

What is a Form or Form Entry?

A form, or form entry, is the window that allows you to modify a page in your TeamSite.  It displays information such as: page title, parent page, sidebar elements, and other elements contained on the page.  The image below provides you with a sample of what a form looks like.  For more details on forms, and what they are used for, please refer to the "Creating Department Pages" and "Creating Generic Pages" tutorials.

back to top

How can I back-up my TeamSite? Should I?

You can and should back up your TeamSite.  The possibility always exists that files may be inadvertently deleted, moved, or otherwise misplaced.  To avoid this loss, you should follow the Suggested Back-up Schedule which can be found on the "Working with Files" page, under the "Downloading Files (Website Back-up)" section.  This section also contains instructions on how to back-up your TeamSite.
back to top

How do I keep pages from going live before I'm ready?

If you're making changes to existing pages, or if you're creating new pages that you don't want to be available on the web site, there are ways to "hide" them.  Check out the "To Go Live or Not to Go Live: How do I Control It?" article for details.
back to top

What is Media Bin?

Media Bin is a collection of images approved by University Relations.  By using images from Media Bin you don't need to worry about violating copyrights, or the quality of the image.  All images placed in the Media Bin are the property of the university, and are of the best quality.  For instructions on how to use Media Bin, please refer to the Using Media Bin section of this guide.
back to top

CMS Web Guide