Working with Media: Images, Videos, and Documents

Media files bring your website to life. Images capture attention, videos communicate complex ideas, and downloadable documents provide lasting value to visitors. This guide walks you through every aspect of managing media on your website, from uploading and organizing files to optimizing them for fast load times.

1. The Media Library

Your media library is the central repository for all files on your website. To access it:

1. Log in to your website dashboard
2. Navigate to Media or Files in the sidebar
3. Browse, search, or filter your existing files

The library view allows you to switch between a grid view (thumbnails) and a list view. Use the search bar to find files by name, and filter by type (images, videos, documents) or upload date.

2. Uploading and Managing Images

Images are the most common type of media on websites. Follow these steps to upload and manage them effectively:

Uploading Images

1. In the Media Library, click Upload or Add New
2. Drag and drop files into the upload area, or click to browse your computer
3. Wait for the upload progress bar to complete
4. Fill in the image details: Alt Text, Title, Caption, and Description

Recommended Image Formats

Writing Alt Text

Alt text is a written description of an image. It is critical for two reasons: accessibility (screen readers use it for visually impaired users) and SEO (search engines index it). Good alt text is concise and descriptive:

• Poor: "image1.jpg" or "photo"
• Good: "Small business owner reviewing website analytics on laptop"

3. Adding Videos to Your Website

Videos are highly engaging but can significantly slow down your website if not handled correctly. There are two approaches: embedding from a video platform or hosting directly.

Embedding from YouTube or Vimeo (Recommended)

This is the recommended method. Upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo, then embed it on your site. Benefits include:

• No impact on your website's storage or bandwidth
• Automatic quality adjustment for different connection speeds
• Built-in playback controls and mobile compatibility
• Additional exposure through the video platform's search

To embed a YouTube video, copy the video's embed code from YouTube (Share > Embed) and paste it into your page's HTML block or video embed field.

Self-Hosted Videos

If you need full control over the video player or want to keep content private, you can upload video files directly. Supported formats are typically MP4 (H.264) and WebM. Keep self-hosted videos under 50 MB when possible, and always provide a poster image (thumbnail) so visitors see something while the video loads.

4. Managing Downloadable Documents

Documents such as PDFs, spreadsheets, and presentations can be uploaded to your media library and linked from any page.

1. Upload the document

   Go to Media Library and upload your PDF, DOCX, XLSX, or other file.

2. Copy the file URL

   After uploading, click the file to see its details. Copy the File URL.

3. Create a download link on your page

   In your page editor, select the text you want to link, click the link button, and paste the file URL. For automatic downloads, add a download attribute to the HTML anchor tag.

5. Organizing Your Media Library

As your website grows, a cluttered media library becomes hard to manage. Use these strategies to keep it tidy:

• Folders: Create folders by topic or date (e.g., Blog, Products, Team, 2026)
• Naming conventions: Establish and follow a consistent file naming pattern
• Delete unused files: Periodically review and remove files that are no longer referenced by any page
• Avoid duplicates: Before uploading, search the library to check if the file already exists

6. Troubleshooting Common Media Issues

7. Summary

Managing media effectively ensures your website looks great and loads quickly. Key takeaways:

• Compress images before uploading and always fill in alt text
• Embed videos from YouTube or Vimeo rather than hosting them directly
• Include file size information in document download links
• Maintain a consistent naming convention and delete unused files regularly