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Updating Web Pages in WordPress

WordPress

JSOM Web Services has multiple sites within the UT Dallas WordPress multisite environment. Below are the instructions for editing pages in https://sites.utdallas.edu/jindal, the Jindal School’s primary website.

Note that only JSOM Web Services employees and student workers, plus a few JSOM staff members who publish Blog and News stories, have access to update web pages. To request an update to a Jindal School web page, please create an Atlas ticket.

sites.utdallas.edu/jindal/

If you ever have a doubt about editing a page or post, please discuss with the Web Services Manager or Director. Note that in this content management system (CMS) you will be editing both pages and posts; for the purpose of this guide, we will refer to both as “pages.”

In JSOM, we do not have access to sites.utdallas.edu. But we have 11 subdomain websites:

  1. /accounting
  2. /execed
  3. /fin
  4. /infosystems
  5. /jindal
  6. /managementmagazine
  7. /marketing
  8. /mba
  9. /myjsomkb
  10. /om
  11. /osim

Do not click “Update” on sites.utdallas.edu pages. (If you click “Update” on a page, the changes go live immediately, which would break our approval workflow.) Instead, follow the steps below:

  1. Make sure you are logged in to https://sites.utdallas.edu/jindal/wp-admin/

    • In your browser address bar, change “jindal” to “sites” then add “jindal/” after “edu/”. If you are logged in, you should see a WordPress menu across the top.

  2. On the sites webpage, click “Copy to a new draft” in the menu at the top of the window.

    • If you click “Edit Page” in sites, this takes you to the editing panel for the live page; click “Copy to a new draft” or “Clone.”
    • When you click “Copy to a new draft” the new editing panel in WordPress has a button called “Publish.” If you see the “Publish” button, you’re on the right page. If you see “Update” instead, you’re on the live page instead of a draft, and you should close this page.

  3. Make the revisions in the content field of the draft.

    • If you want to be cautious, you may copy everything from the main content field, paste the content into your code editor of choice, complete the revisions, and paste the updated HTML back into the content field, replacing all the old content.

  4. You may click “Preview Changes” to open a new tab to preview before you update.

    • Note: Preview windows are not sharable with another user. They are just local to your device.

  5. Log your name/date/reason below the content field, according to the WordPress Update Logging Procedure

  6. Click the “Save Draft” button.

    • Never click “Publish.”
    • Double check your work and make sure that the preview version of the page looks okay. “Save Draft” again if necessary.

  7. Check that the Atlas ticket is assigned to you and that you have clicked “Start Progress.”

  8. Assign the ticket to the Web Services Manager, then leave a comment that the page is ready for review.

    • In the comment, include any pending changes needed on the Atlas ticket.
    • Mention any unusual details, including if there are multiple page and/or post drafts pending approval by the Web Services Manager
    • The Web Services Manager will review, push the changes live, and “Resolve Issue” and “Close Issue.”

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