Adding images, videos, and downloads to a page

Add a photo, a playable video, or a useful file download to a visual website page, then check that visitors can use it on desktop and mobile.

For example, a service page might include a photo of your work, a short demonstration, and a PDF preparation checklist. Add only the media that helps customers understand the service or take the next step.

Before you begin

You need permission to edit the page and, if you are uploading files, permission to manage media. Open Site → Pages and edit the intended page. For a new page, choose New page → Use Page Builder; see Creating and publishing a website page for its title, address, and release steps.

Prepare files you have permission to share. Remove private information from screenshots and documents, use recognizable filenames, and keep file sizes practical for someone using a phone connection.

Check the publication state first. In the visual builder, Save publishes changes to an already-published page. A new page uses Save draft until you choose Publish. Uploading media adds it to the library independently of saving the page; discarding page edits does not undo an upload.

A public file can be available to anyone with its direct address even when the page linking to it is still a draft. Do not upload confidential material as a public download.

Choose how the media should appear

• An image or playable video within the page: add Media Content from Add to page.
• An image or video behind a section: select the section and use Background. Use this for decoration; keep essential information in readable page text.
• A PDF or another downloadable file: upload it through Site → Media, copy its file address, and add a clearly labeled link or Buttons block.
• An existing image or video in a shared layout: use the exposed Page content field. Changing the shared template itself can affect other pages; see Reusing a shared layout across pages.

Selecting a file in the page's media settings does not by itself guarantee that a visible block or download link appears. Put the media or link where visitors should find it, then check Preview.

Add an image to the page

1. In Visual Builder, select an empty cell where the image should go. On an empty page, choose Start with an empty section first. Use + Add section if you need a new area.
2. Under Add to page, choose Media Content. Select the new block on the canvas to open its settings.
3. Under Media, use Browse library to select a recent image, or choose Search library to find another one. Search by filename or description and select the intended asset.
4. To add a new file instead, choose the Upload tab, then Choose File, or drop the file into the upload area. Wait for upload and processing to finish and check that the intended image is selected.
5. Enter Alt Text and, if useful, a Caption. Adjust the image's shape and crop as described below.
6. Open Preview and confirm the image appears in the right section, with the intended description, caption, and crop.

Select an empty cell deliberately. Choosing another block from the library while an occupied cell is selected can replace its current block. For placement and arrangement, see Building a page with the visual editor.

The media picker offers Images, Videos, and status filters. A Ready filter can hide an image marked Needs alt. If a known file is missing, choose the appropriate media-type filter, clear the search, and use Load more media when available.

To replace an image, select its block and choose another file through Browse library. Clear link removes the block's selected media; it does not delete the file from the library.

Write a useful image description

Alt Text communicates the image's relevant meaning to someone who cannot see it. Describe what matters in this page's context: “Ramp beside the front entrance” is more useful than “building photo.” Keep important instructions, prices, and contact details in page text as well.

Caption is visible text below the media. Use it for context, a credit, or a short explanation; it serves a different purpose from Alt Text. See the W3C guide to informative images for examples of meaningful descriptions.

A block can fall back to the library asset's description or filename when its Alt Text is blank. Leaving this field empty is therefore not a reliable way to mark an image as decorative. Use a section background for purely decorative imagery, or ask your site maintainer to provide an appropriate accessible treatment.

For a description that should apply wherever the file is reused, open Site → Media, select the image, and edit Description → Alt text or Caption. These library fields save automatically: wait for the saved status and resolve any error before leaving. A description entered on the page block can override the library text for that use.

Control the image's shape, crop, and link

• Aspect Ratio sets the frame's shape. Choose Natural to retain the image's proportions, or a fixed shape such as Widescreen, Square, or Portrait.
• Image Fit → Cover fills the frame and can crop the edges. Contain keeps the whole image visible and may leave space around it.
• Under Layout, Focal Point chooses which part stays visible when cropped. Alignment controls the frame's placement; Full width fills the available section width.
• Link URL makes the image clickable. Enter a working destination and use Open in new tab only when it helps the visitor. Describe the destination or action clearly when the image is a link.

Use Contain or Natural when a diagram, logo, or screenshot must remain complete. Inspect mobile cropping separately: a face, label, or product detail that fits on desktop can be cut off on a smaller screen.

These page settings change how this instance is displayed. Editing the underlying file in the media library is a separate operation and can affect other places that reuse it.

Add a playable video

If you still need to assemble footage, add captions, or generate clips, follow Creating and editing videos, then select the finished exported asset here. Saving a timeline alone does not create a playable export.

Add Media Content to an empty cell using the same steps as for an image, then select a video through Browse library → Search library → Videos, or use Upload to choose a video file.

The video controls appear after a video is selected:

• Keep Show controls enabled for demonstrations, instructions, or other videos visitors need to play and pause.
• Use Poster Image to choose the still image displayed before playback. A poster helps visitors recognize the video's subject before they press play.
• Check Aspect Ratio against the recording, especially for a portrait video.
• Leave Autoplay off for a video visitors should choose to watch. If enabled, Cedros mutes autoplay playback, and a browser may still prevent it from starting automatically.
• Use Muted and Loop intentionally. Confirm that speech can be heard when it is needed.
• Add a short Caption to explain the video. This is text below the player, not synchronized subtitles.

Prepare captions for speech and meaningful sounds, and include a transcript or written instructions for the information visitors need. The block's Caption field does not create a subtitle track. Use a video prepared with captions, or a player that supports them, and review the result; see W3C guidance on captions.

Media Content selects an uploaded or generated library asset. A YouTube or Vimeo watch-page address is not a video file to upload here. To send visitors to a hosted video, add a clearly labeled link to its viewing page. If you need an embedded provider player, ask your site maintainer to configure a suitable component.

Check the result: in Preview and again on the public page, start and pause the video, test sound and captions, and repeat on a phone. Seeing a poster image does not confirm that the video plays.

Use a section background

Select the section itself, or choose Edit section from its block settings. In Background, choose Image or Video, then select or upload the appropriate file.

For an image background, check its sizing, position, and any overlay against the text placed above it. For a video background, add a Poster image and a suitable Fallback color. Background video plays muted and loops automatically; it should not carry spoken instructions or information available nowhere else.

Keep headings and buttons readable over every part of the image or video. Check the still-image fallback as well as motion, and choose a simpler background if the content becomes difficult to read.

A section background and a Media Content block are separate choices. Changing one does not replace the other.

Add a PDF or other file download

For a public checklist, brochure, menu, or document:

1. Open Site → Media → Upload media. Choose Choose File or drop the file into the upload box. Common document formats include PDF, Word documents, spreadsheets, and text files.
2. Wait for the file to finish uploading and processing, then open Edit details from the completed upload. Bookmark this admin detail page so you can find the document again.
3. Confirm the filename, format, and size. Review Access and check that the file is intended for the audience who will receive the link.
4. Choose Copy URL. This copies the file address, not the admin details-page address. If copying is unavailable, resolve the file's storage or processing error before linking it.
5. Return to the visual page, select an empty cell, and add Buttons. Select the block and expand Content.
6. Set a button's Label to a useful description, such as “Open preparation checklist (PDF, 240 KB),” using the actual format and size. Paste the copied address into Link. Remove unused sample buttons or replace their labels and destinations.
7. Preview the page, open the link, and confirm it reaches the correct complete file. After publishing, repeat from the public page in a private browser window.

The library browser lists images and videos, so a document may not appear there after you close the uploader. Keep its admin detail-page bookmark for managing the file and its delivery URL for linking to it. See Keep document, audio, and font links.

If you prefer a text link, Raw Markdown supports a normal link in the form [Open preparation checklist (PDF)](file-address). Replace file-address with the real copied URL before publishing.

Depending on the file type and browser settings, the file may open in a browser viewer instead of downloading immediately. Visitors can then use that viewer's download or save control. A button label alone does not force a download.

Keep public documents readable without specialist software where possible. For a PDF, check selectable text, reading order, descriptive links, and a useful document title. Include the most important information on the page so customers are not forced to download a file for a simple answer.

Check who can access the file

Page visibility and file access are separate. Hiding a page, leaving it unpublished, removing its menu link, or hiding a block does not make a public media URL private.

Open the media item and read Access. If it says Public — anyone with the link can view, treat the file as publicly shareable. If it is restricted, verify the intended sign-in or purchase journey and test with an eligible customer account.

For protected or paid downloads, have your site administrator confirm the file's access rule and the required account/payment setup. Use the intended protected delivery flow; do not work around an access error by distributing an unrestricted copy or another file URL.

Also test with a signed-out visitor. A restricted file should remain unavailable without the required access, while an intended public download should open without your admin session. If either result is wrong, resolve access before promoting the link.

Review, publish, and maintain the page

Open Preview and check Desktop and Mobile Web before release:

• Images are sharp enough, their important details are visible, and captions fit.
• Text remains readable over backgrounds.
• Videos actually play, can be paused, and provide the intended audio and accessible alternatives.
• Download labels name the right file, format, and size; every destination opens.
• The page still loads comfortably on a phone, and the files have the intended public or restricted access.

For a new page, choose Save draft, review, then Publish. For an already-published visual page, review before Save, because it publishes the changes. Follow Creating and publishing a website page for saved previews and release checks.

Open the final public address and test each image link, video, and download again. A successful library upload or a correct-looking button is not a completed visitor check.

When replacing a document with a newly uploaded version, update every intended button or text link to the new file address and check the public result. Do not assume a new upload updates links to the old file. Review Used on, manually pasted links, and any links you shared outside Cedros before removing an old asset. Used on does not list every possible use. Follow Replacing or deleting a media asset for the full replacement and deletion checks.

Fix common media problems

The file is missing from the picker. Check that you are on the correct site, clear the search, change a restrictive status filter, and load more results. The Media Content block selects images or videos. For documents, open Edit details from the completed upload or use your saved detail-page bookmark, then copy the delivery URL into a download link.

Upload is unavailable or fails. Read the exact error. Check your media permission, file type, size, connection, and available storage. Keep the uploader open until it finishes. If the file was uploaded but is still processing, inspect its existing library entry before uploading repeated copies.

An image is cropped or blurry. Try Natural or Contain, then adjust the Focal Point if using Cover. Use a source large enough for its displayed size; stretching a small image does not add detail.

The video shows a still image but does not play. Check processing status, enable Show controls, and try starting it manually. Test a browser-compatible export on the intended devices. A file accepted for upload may still use a video encoding a visitor's browser cannot play.

A download works for you but fails for customers. Check that the link points to the file rather than an admin page, then review the file's Access settings and test signed out. For an external file host, check that host's sharing requirements.

The old media still appears. Confirm the selected asset and the page's public address. Preview, then use the correct save or publish action. For a replaced download, inspect the actual button destination as well as its label.

For detailed checks of blurry images, failed uploads, processing, or missing files, use Fixing blurry images, failed uploads, or missing media.

If the problem continues, follow Getting help and reporting a problem. Include the page address, filename, exact error, device/browser, and whether the problem occurs while signed out. Keep private files and private preview links out of public reports.