Alt Text
Alt text, short for alternative text, is a written description of an image. It is read aloud by screen readers for users who are blind or have low vision and is displayed if an image cannot load. Effective alt text is concise and clearly explains what the image shows or why it is meaningful in its context.
Anchor
An anchor is a named point on a page that can be linked to directly, allowing a visitor to jump to a specific section rather than landing at the top. For example, a link labeled "Jump to Requirements" might target an anchor placed just before that heading. Anchors are sometimes called anchor links or jump links.
Breadcrumb
A breadcrumb is a navigational aid that displays a trail of links showing a user’s location within a site. It often appears near the top of a page and follows a structure such as Home > About Us > Leadership. Breadcrumbs help users understand site hierarchy and navigate backward efficiently.
CAll to action (CTA)
A "Call to Action" refers to a button or link that prompts a visitor to take a specific next step, such as "Apply Now," "Learn More," or "Register Today." Several components include CTA fields for adding links, and the Standalone CTA Button component is dedicated to displaying a single prominent call to action.
Card
A card is a compact, self-contained block that typically displays a title, short description, and optional image or link. Cards are designed to be grouped together inside a Collection component, where they appear side by side to present similar items -- such as programs, news stories, or statistics -- in a scannable format. Cards are not placed on a page individually; they exist as part of a collection.
Child
A child is a piece of content that sits beneath another piece of content in the site hierarchy. For example, a Page placed inside a Topic is considered a child of that Topic. Children inherit their position in navigation and breadcrumbs from their parent.
Content Type
A content type is a predefined structure that determines what kind of content a node represents. It defines the fields, layout, and behavior of that content. For example, an Event content type may include date and location fields, while a News Article may include an author and summary.
Embed
An embed is a piece of content from an external source -- such as a video, map, or form -- that is displayed directly within a page rather than requiring the visitor to navigate away. The Embed Code component allows editors to insert approved embed codes from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and other supported third-party tools.
Feed
A feed is a component that automatically pulls in and displays the most recent content of a specific type, without requiring manual updates. For example, the Feed: Latest News component displays recent news articles, and the Feed: Recent Blogs component displays recent blog posts. The feed updates on its own as new content is published.
Hero
A hero is a large, visually prominent banner that typically appears near the top of a page. It usually includes a heading, optional subtext, and one or more calls to action, and is often accompanied by an image or video. Heroes are used to make a strong first impression and orient visitors to the purpose of a page or section.
HTML
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the standard code used to structure content on the web. Most editors at Ithaca College do not need to, and are unable to, write HTML directly; The CMS handles formatting automatically. However, some components, such as the Embed Code component, may require pasting in an HTML snippet provided by a third-party service.
Menu
A menu is a structured set of navigational links that allows visitors to move through a site. Menus can appear in multiple locations, such as the main navigation, sidebar, or footer. Each menu consists of menu items that link to pages or external URLs, arranged in a defined order.
Navigation
Navigation refers to the system of menus, links, and pathways that help users move through a site. Good navigation allows visitors to find content quickly and understand where they are within the site structure.
Node
A node is an individual piece of content created in Drupal. Pages, articles, and posts are all examples of nodes. Each node has its own unique URL and can be edited, published, unpublished, or deleted independently.
Parent
A parent is a piece of content that contains other content beneath it in the site hierarchy. For example, a Topic that holds several Pages is the parent of those Pages. The parent determines where its children appear in navigation and breadcrumbs.
Paragraph
A paragraph is a modular content component used to build pages. Despite the name, paragraphs are not limited to text and may include images, videos, callout boxes, or other structured elements. Pages are constructed by stacking paragraphs, allowing flexible layouts without requiring code.
Permission
A permission is a setting that controls what actions a user is allowed to take within the CMS. Permissions are grouped into roles, and some component fields are further restricted so that only users with elevated roles (such as CMS Manager or Administrator) can edit them. If a field or component is unavailable to you, it is likely restricted based on your permission level.
Redirect
A redirect automatically sends visitors from one URL to another. Redirects are commonly used when content is moved or removed to ensure users and search engines reach the correct destination instead of encountering an error.
Relationship
A relationship describes how two content types connect within the site hierarchy. For example, a Site can contain a Topic, and a Topic can contain Pages. These relationships define how content is organized and how navigation is structured.
Revision
A revision is a saved historical version of a node. Each time content is edited and saved, Drupal stores a snapshot of the previous version. Revisions allow editors to review changes over time and restore earlier versions if necessary.
Role
A role is a named collection of permissions assigned to users. Rather than granting permissions individually, users are assigned roles such as Publisher or Site-Group Administrator, which determine what actions they can perform. Each user can be assigned one or more Roles, within the context of a single site group.
Site
A site is a collection of related content organized under a shared navigation, audience, and URL structure. Sites are typically maintained by a specific department, program, or office and have their own editors, menu, and content organization.
Site Group
A site group is a collection of related sites managed together. Site groups allow administrators to share users, roles, and governance across multiple sites, which supports consistency and simplifies permission management. For example, the Web Content Demo is a separate site within the same site group as the "Web Communications & Digital Strategy" site.
WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get. It refers to the visual text editor used to create and format content. The editor displays content in a way that closely resembles how it will appear when published, including formatting such as headings, links, and lists.