Files

The Files area is an administrative content tool for managing documents and other uploaded files used by district and school websites. It is available from Content > Files for administrators.

Files are stored in Azure Blob Storage and indexed for search. CommCenter manages file metadata, previews and search-index refreshes so files can be found and reused by website pages, search results and related file selectors.

File List

The Files page shows searchable uploaded files for the selected organization context. Administrators can:

• search by keyword
• filter by category, owner and tag
• preview a selected file
• upload files
• edit file metadata
• delete selected files
• refresh the file list
• rebuild the files search index

The preview pane is especially useful for PDF files. If a file cannot be previewed directly, use the file path or browser download behavior to inspect it.

Uploading Files

Select Upload to add one or more files. The upload dialog supports common document and image file types, including PDF, JPG, PNG, EPS, Excel and Word files.

When uploading, set the file metadata before saving:

• Description: a short explanation of the file's purpose.
• Organization: the school or district organization that owns the file.
• Categories: topical labels used for filtering and discovery.
• Owners: people or groups responsible for the file.
• Tags: additional search and filtering labels.
• Date Modified: the date visitors and editors should treat as the file's latest update date.

CommCenter normalizes file names for storage. If a selected file name contains unsupported characters, CommCenter may rename it before upload and will show the original name in the upload list.

Uploaded files are stored under an organization-based path. The organization selected at upload time helps determine that storage path.

Editing Metadata

Open an existing file to edit its display name, description, organization, categories, owners, tags and modified date.

Changing the organization on an existing file updates metadata and search visibility only. It does not move the stored file to a different path.

The edit dialog also shows the stored filename and encoded path. Use the copy action when you need the file path for troubleshooting or linking.

Search Index

CommCenter uses a files search index so uploaded files can be searched and filtered efficiently.

Use Refresh to reload the current file list. Use Rebuild only when the files search index needs to be recreated or repaired. Rebuild is an administrative maintenance action and can take longer than a normal refresh.

When files are uploaded, edited or deleted, CommCenter also updates the search index for the affected files when the supporting service is available.

Deleting Files

Administrators can delete a file from the edit dialog or delete multiple selected files from the file list.

Deleting a file removes it from storage and updates the search index. Before deleting, confirm the file is not linked from an active page, message, menu, redirect or external communication.

Best Practices

• Use clear, human-readable file names before upload.
• Prefer PDFs for public documents that should preserve formatting.
• Keep descriptions short but specific.
• Assign the correct organization so search and filtering behave as expected.
• Use categories and tags consistently; avoid one-off labels when an existing label fits.
• Replace stale documents promptly and remove old versions when they should no longer be public.
• Check links after replacing or deleting files.