General Website Info

WYSIWYG Editor

CMS Workshop: WYSIWYG Editor

The WYSIWYG Editor contains all the tools necessary to edit text pages. The available tools found in the toolbar will depend on the site and page configuration. Some tools may not be available based on permission levels. The WYSIWYG Editor includes basic editing functions, such as those found in Microsoft Word® (cut, copy, undo, redo, bulleted list, numbered list, indent, etc.). This document will review some other common functions.

WYSIWYG Editor Options

Screenshot of WYSIWYG Editor toolbar

Save

Screenshot of the Save icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.

The Save icon allows the user to save the changes that have been made to the page. Using the Save icon will also close the WYSIWYG Editor and take the user to a preview of the page. If the user desires to save-in-place while continuing to edit, use the keyboard shortcut (CTRL+S for Windows and CMD+S for Mac).

EXIT WITHOUT SAVING

Screenshot of the Exit Without Saving icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Exit Without Saving icon allows users to exit the WYSIWYG Editor without saving changes.

RESTORE LAST DRAFT

Screenshot of the Restore Last Draft icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Restore Last Draft icon will undo all changes and revert the content in the editable region to its original state.

CUT, COPY, PASTE

Screenshot of the Cut, Copt, and Paste icons in the WYSIWYG Editor.

Cut

The Cut icon removes selected content from its original location, to be inserted where pasted.

Copy

The Copy icon copies selected content from its original location, to be inserted where pasted.

Paste

The Paste icon inserts previously selected content. It also removes styling that is not compliant with the WYSIWYG Editor, such as Microsoft Word formatting.

FIND AND REPLACE

Screenshot of the Find and Replace icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Find and Replace icon searches for text in the editable region, which can then be replaced with other text.

UNDO, REDO

Screenshot of the Undo and Redo icons in the WYSIWYG Editor.
Undo

The Undo icon erases the most recent changes made in this session, one by one.

Redo

The Redo icon reverses the undo.

SPELLCHECK

Screenshot of the Spellcheck icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.

The Spellcheck icon checks the spelling within an editable region. The default dictionary is in English. However, if the page should be edited in another language (available languages are English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese), click on the downward facing arrow and select another language. 

Misspelled words are identified with a wavy, red line. To fix the misspelled word, right-click the underlined word to change it to the suggested word or ignore it.

Keep in mind that the browser’s spell checker may be active and marking words as misspelled while the page is being edited. However, only USF CMS’s spell checker will reference the USF CMS custom dictionary. To help verify that a word is being marked as misspelled by the USF CMS dictionary, look to see if the spell check icon is highlighted. This indicates that the USF CMS spell checker being used.

BOLD, ITALIC

Screenshot of the Bold and Italic icons in the WYSIWYG Editor.

Bold

The Bold icon bolds selected text.

Italic

The Italicize icon italicizes selected text. 

BULLET LIST, NUMBERED LIST

Screenshot of the Bullet and Numbered List icons in the WYSIWYG Editor.
Bullet List

The Bullet List icon organizes the selected content into a bulleted list. For example:

  • Marshall Student Center
  • Juniper-Poplar Hall
  • MLK Plaza

The Bullet List dropdown menu depicts the styles available for the list item marker.

Numbered List

The Numbered List icon organizes the selected content into a numbered list. For example:

  1. Check USF application status.
  2. Accept my USF scholarship.
  3. Apply for financial aid.

The Numbered List dropdown menu depicts the styles available for the list item marker.

DECREASE INDENT, INCREASE INDENT

Screenshot of the Decrease and Increase Indent icons in the WYSIWYG Editor.
Decrease Indent

The Decrease Indent icon moves a selected text block to the left.

Increase Indent

The Increase Indent icon moves a selected text block to the right.

SUPERSCRIPT, SUBSCRIPT

Screenshot of the Superscript and Subscript icons in the WYSIWYG Editor.
Superscript

The Superscript icon superscripts selected text.

Subscript

The Subscript icon subscripts selected text.

INSERT/EDIT LINK

Screenshot of the Insert/Edit Link icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
Links are created by highlighting text to be made into a link and clicking on the Insert/Edit Link icon. The icon will not appear until the text or image to be hyperlinked is selected. Links can point to external websites, not maintained in the USF CMS, or other pages within the USF CMS. The Insert/Edit Link icon can also be used to create links to files, such as PDFs.

Insert a Link

  1. Highlight the content that will be made into a link.
  2. Click on the Insert/Edit Link icon.
  3. Enter the link.
    1. If linking to a page outside of the USF CMS, include the URL to the external page in the Link URL field.
    2. If linking to a page or file within the USF CMS:
      1. Click on the browse button.
      2. Find the file to which the link should be created. If the desired page is not in the selected directory, use the breadcrumbs at the top of the page and the folders within the window to navigate to the desired page.
      3. Click on the file you wish to link to.
      4. Click Insert.

As a general rule of thumb, when inserting a link to another page on USF’s main website or your site, the link should open in the same window. When inserting a link to a page housed within USF, or to a PDF, doc, or other similar file, the page should open in a new window. This selection is made in the field labeled “Open link in....”

  • Linking to pages within USF’s website: Open in This Window/Frame
  • Linking to pages on another site or binary files: Open in New Window (_blank)

Edit a Link

To edit a link that has been inserted on a page, click on the link, and then click on the Insert/ Edit Link icon. Follow the steps outlined above to modify the link. To delete a link, click on the link, and click the Remove Link icon.

REMOVE LINK

Screenshot of the Remove Link icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Remove Link icon removes a link from the selected content.

INSERT/EDIT MAILTO LINK

Screenshot of the Insert/Edit Mailto Link icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Insert/Edit Mailto Link icon creates a link from the selected content that prompts an email client to open a new email.

ANCHOR

Screenshot of the Anchor icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Anchor icon can be thought of as a bookmark on a page and allows users to jump to a specific location on that page with just a click. For example, a FAQ page may use anchor links to move users to an answer when a certain question is clicked. View UCM’s Logo Usage page to see anchor links in action.

Create an Anchor

  1. Position the cursor where the anchor should be placed or select the text or image.
  2. Click the Insert/Edit Anchor icon.
  3. In the Anchor Name field, enter the name for the anchor.
  4. Click Insert.

More than one anchor can be added to a page, but each should have a unique name. Names should be as short as possible and use lowercase letters. Numbers can be used, but they cannot start with a number. An anchor icon will then appear next to the text within the WYSIWYG.

Link to an Anchor

  1. After creating the anchor, select the text that will link to it.
  2. Click on the Insert/Edit Link icon.
  3. Select the appropriate anchor from the Anchors drop down menu and click Insert.

Modify an Anchor

  1. Click the existing anchor shown in the editing area.
  2. Click the Anchor icon on the toolbar.
  3. The Insert/Edit Anchor dialog shows the existing text for the anchor.
  4. Make the modification to the text and click Update

BLOCKS

Screenshot of the Blocks icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.

Blocks

The Blocks icon sets the appearance of content on a line using HTML elements. A common use case is headings.

INSERT/EDIT IMAGE

Screenshot of the Insert/Edit Image icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Insert/Edit Image icon inserts or edits an image.

INSERT/EDIT MEDIA

Screenshot of the Insert/Edit Media icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Insert/Edit Media icon inserts or edits a video or other playable media. It allows users to embed a YouTube video on a text page. Currently, YouTube videos are the only accepted format.

Add a YouTube Video

  1. Place the cursor at the location on the page where the video should be displayed.
  2. Click on the Insert/Edit Media icon in the WYSIWYG toolbar.
  3. Paste the file’s URL into the Source box. Enter only this information. Do not remove, add, or change any other information on any other tabs. The CMS is configured to format the video automatically upon saving and publishing. Any modification could cause the design of the templates to break. You can use either the full YouTube URL from the address bar of your browser or the “Share” URL. 
  4. Click Save.

HORIZONTAL LINE

Screenshot of the Horizontal Line icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Horizontal Line icon inserts 
a horizontal line at the cursor:


INSERT LINE BREAK

Screenshot of the Insert Line Break icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Insert Line Break icon inserts a line break at the cursor. It can be used to begin a new line of text without hitting the Enter or Return key. This is typically used if you want lines of text to appear directly underneath each other without the appearance of a space in between.

Hard Return

Digital Marketing Manager

University of South Florida

Line Break

Digital Marketing Manager
University of South Florida

SPECIAL CHARACTER

Screenshot of the Special Character icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Special Character icon inserts a special character, such as a copyright symbol or Greek alphabet letter, at the cursor. The Special Character modal provides a selection of 200 special characters from which to choose. Hover or use the left and right keyboard arrows to navigate the selection. You can also use the Search function to find the character you're looking for, you browse through the icon caategories.

Click on the icon of the character to insert it into the page. To repeat the symbol on the page, highlight it, then hold down the Command key (Mac)/Control key (Windows) + C to copy it to the clipboard, then hold down the Command key (Mac)/Control key (Windows) + V to paste it on the page.

INSERT SNIPPET

Screenshot of the Insert Snippet icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Insert Snippet icon allows users to add Snippets to a page.

INSERT ASSET

Screenshot of the Insert Asset icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.

The Insert Asset icon allows users to add Assets to a page.

INSERT COMPONENT

Screenshot of the Insert Component icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Insert Component icon allows users to add Components to a page.

MAXIMIZE CONTENT REGION 

Screenshot of the Maximize Content Region icon in the WYSIWYG Editor.
The Maximize Content Region allows users to expand the editable region to fill the width of the frame window.

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