Documents & Policies provides file management with full text searching, versioning, review dates and read confirmations.
In This Article
Documents & Policies is a specific type of App, or pre-built content library, ready for files to be added. Files are managed using a document repository, which organizes files using folders. Learn more about using App folders for organization and security in the App Overview article.
App Settings
Settings for the Documents & Policies App are put in place by an intranet Admin, as for all Apps. App settings are accessed by hovering over the Admin icon, top right, then clicking App Admin. Learn more about App settings in the App Overview article.
All Apps also have options for layout and sorting of content within the App. Learn more about Layout for Apps.
One setting specific to the Documents App is what happens when a user clicks on the file link. Choose either to open the details page for the file, or the actual file (note: a PDF will open in the browser, a Word file will download for the user to open). To change the setting, when an Admin is in the App, hover over the Admin icon, top right, click App Admin, click Manage Fields, and click the edit pencil for Title. Select either details or file; note that if files are already in place in the App you'll receive a warning about indexes being rebuilt.
If the option for opening the actual file is chosen above, an Admin should also select how the files should open for the user. Do you want them to open in the same window, or in a new window? To change this setting, when in the App hover over the Admin icon, top right, click App Admin, and click Properties. Near the bottom of the screen under Options, the Default Target for Uploaded Files/Links is shown. To change the default target, or window in which the file opens, click on the linked name, choose the setting you want, and click the Save button.
Approval Workflow
Within the App Admin area, there is a setting for Approval Workflow. This function allows for monitoring and approval of content added to various folders.
The first step in adding workflow is to clearly determine your intended purpose for adding workflow - who needs to know what, and at what point? Workflow is added by folder, so click on the name of the folder you want to add workflow to.
The next step is to choose the type and recipient of the workflows. The process of creating workflows is the same for both documents and forms in our software, so use the 'Create a Form: Workflow Tab' article to guide you through set up of notifications.
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Check In / Check Out
Check in / Check Out lets you prevent other users from updating a file while it's checked out for editing. Though other users can still click edit for a file to view fields, they're not able to click Save to finalize changes.
Check In / Check Out Settings at the App Level
To access the settings, when you're in the App hover over the Admin icon, top right, and click Manage Fields. Click the edit pencil to the right of File Upload (1). This is also how you enable Multiple File Upload, as described later in this article.
Check the box beside file versioning (2). This box must be checked in order for check in / check out to appear for documents.
Check In / Check Out Settings at the Document Level and Versioning
To put check in / check out in place for a document, in the Edit view either as the document is added or during a later edit, the box for Versioning must be checked as shown below. Click the Save button to confirm the versioning and enable the check in / check out process.
Once versioning is in place, if you upload a new file it will be set as the current document, and previous file uploads will be retained as versions; if Versioning isn't checked, new file uploads will overwrite the existing file. Note that if you upload a file with the same name as a previous version, the software will automatically add a number to the file name to distinguish versions on the back end.
Versioning also lets you keep the history of Read & Confirm logs associated with older versions of the file; learn more about Read & Confirm.
When versioning is in place and has been saved as above, the Edit view for the file will include a File Upload section as shown below. Whether you want to edit a file or upload a new version, you need to click Check Out to lock the file so it can't be accessed by other users.
You also have the option of turning Versioning off for the item - if you change the setting, click Save to retain your choice.
After checking out the file, you'll be presented with the screen shown below. You can click the link to download the file and make your changes.
When you're ready to upload a new version of the file - whether it's a modified version of the file you downloaded or a completely new file - click the Check In button. Browse for your new file, make any Check In notes as relevant (optional), and click the Check In button to finish the process.
You'll now see a summary screen listing the file title, upload file name, and file version, among other details, as shown below. Click the History (1) link to display details of the file versions (2). This allows you to view the details of all document versions, including the version number, file name, associated date, user who created the version, notes. On this screen you can also delete the version by clicking the red icon on the right, or edit the version to change the notes or revert a previous version to the current one.
If you have versioning turned on for a Read & Confirm document, you must turn off Read & Confirm before checking out the file.
Multiple File Upload
Multiple file upload is a time saver for getting files into the intranet. There is a built-in multiple file upload available for Admins, as well as an optional multiple file upload which can be made available for general users. Both are described below.
Multiple File Upload for Admins
The multiple file upload tool allows Admins to perform a batch upload of files to a specific folder/category within the App, which can be very useful when the intranet is being built or significant portions are added. When multiple files are uploaded, records will be created with the Title field populated with the filename and no data in any other fields, regardless of whether the fields are required.
Note that the hard-coded limitation here is 25 files at a time, with a maximum file size of 10 MB.
To upload multiple files:
- Hover over the Admin icon, top right.
- Click App Admin.
- Click Multiple File Upload.
- Click on the folder name where you want the files to be uploaded.
- Type any tags you want to be associated with the files. Learn more about tags on the intranet.
- Click the checkbox if you want Document Versioning in place.
- Either drag-and-drop your files into the dotted box or Click to Browse Files.
- Click the Upload button to finish the upload process.
Files will be uploaded with information fields blank, other than the file name pulled into the Title field. If you want multiple files uploaded with information fields filled in, use Import CSV in the next section.
Multiple File Upload for General Users
In addition to the Admin interface as above, you can allow users to upload multiple files.
Multiple File Uploads for general users have several options which can be changed by an intranet Admin. To access the settings, when you're in the App hover over the Admin icon > App Admin > Manage Fields. Click the edit pencil to the right of File Upload (1). You'll see the following options:
- Multiple file upload - turned on by default. If you don't want this option to be available for users, deselect the checkbox for enable multiple file upload (2).
- Maximum number of files - the default number of files for multiple upload is 25, which you can increase or decrease by typing a number (3)
- Maximum file upload size - the default file size is 10MB, which you can increase or decrease by typing a number (4)
As with any field, you can also rename or delete it; learn more about fields in Apps. After changing any settings in Manage Fields, click the Save button to retain your changes.
Large File Uploads
For more information on increasing file size, check this article.
Import CSV
Import CSV is a great way to import many documents in an efficient way, with all of their fields filled in one step rather than completing fields document by document.
To use this function most effectively, follow these steps:
- Create an Excel spreadsheet for all of the files you want to upload, and label columns with the corresponding field names from the Documents & Policies App (e.g. Title, Description, etc). If you’ll be including dates in your import, they need to be formatted the same way as on your intranet; check your date format settings by going to the Admin area, and on the Setup tab look under Format Options: Date Format. In the spreadsheet, include the file names of all files you want to upload.
- From within the App, hover over the Admin icon, top right.
- Click App Admin.
- Click Import CSV.
- On the left, click to select the folder where you want to add the multiple files.
- Click the Choose File button to browse for the CSV on your system.
- Click Open to select the file.
- In the Upload Files section, click once within the dotted rectangle then browse for the file names you included in your CSV.
- Click Open to select the files.
- Click the Upload button to finish the selection of files.
- Click the Continue button.
- You'll be shown a screen which allows you to map fields in your CSV to fields in the App. If you labelled your CSV columns with field names, these should be ready to go; otherwise, make adjustments as needed.
- Click the Submit button to confirm the mapping.
- You'll be shown a screen which previews your mapping and associated files. If this looks correct, click the Submit button to finalize; otherwise click Back.
- Your import is complete; click GO TO APP near the top if you want to see your imported files.
CSV Guidelines
- We recommend working within Excel as it’ll wrap the content of large amounts of text, including commas, within quotes for a single cell
- Content within an HTML field (e.g. webdoc) should accept most characters, including a comma
- Standard Unicode characters only
- No line breaks within cells
- Do not exceed more than 400 items in a single import to avoid timeout issues
- If importing files as attachments for each item:
- Please note that the number of files imported using this method is limited to 25 at a time
- File names must be referenced in the CSV spreadsheet and the file will need to be dropped into the Multiple File Upload area on the Import CSV screen
- Graphics can’t be imported or referenced to the file upload field if you wish for graphics to be displayed
- Confirm the file has been saved as a .CSV file type
Required fields
The Title field and Publish Date field are required during the import process. Any additional fields marked as 'required' can be adjusted within the App Admin > Manage fields area of that app.
Review Content and Read & Confirm
Review Content and Read & Confirm are two functions which help keep documents and users up-to-date.
When a Review Content date is added to a file, the document's owner is automatically alerted that the document needs to be reviewed for accuracy and currency. Learn more about Review Dates.
Read & Confirm allows a manager to track which staff members have read a specific required file and acknowledged that they've done so. Learn more about Read & Confirm.
Dashboard
Dashboard within the Documents App shows a subset of user notifications, including Review On and Read & Confirm which are due for review.
There is also an employee dashboard which includes separate tabs for Document Reviews and Read & Confirm reminders. The employee dashboard can be accessed by clicking My Dashboard from any page on the intranet. Learn more about My Dashboard.
Archive Content
Archived content is removed from active view, but accessible to users by clicking the Archives link as shown below.
There are several options for an Admin to set up archiving within the Documents App.
Archive Settings at the App Level
An Admin can set options for archiving which will affect all items added, regardless of the folder they're added to. Default archiving is turned on in this App, so it's important to check your settings to ensure they're appropriate for your organization.
First of all, choose whether archived items should be excluded from search by hovering over the Admin icon, top right, clicking App Admin > Properties, then clicking Site Search and selecting/deselecting the box for Exclude archived items.
To access additional App settings, when you're in the App hover over the Admin icon, top right, and click Manage Fields. Click the edit pencil to the right of Archive On (1), as shown in the image below.
- Show Time - choose whether the time of day is included with the archive date (2).
- Default Archive Date - set an automatic future date for archiving (3) (e.g. if you choose 30 days and add a document on August 1, the archive date would be August 31 for that document)
- Send Archive Notification Email - selecting yes means that the user who added a document would be emailed when their document is archived (4)
As with any field, you can also rename or delete it; learn more about fields in Apps. After changing any settings in Manage Fields, click the Save button to retain your changes.
Archiving by Folder
Archiving requirements can be set by folder. This could be helpful if, for example, an Admin wants Company News to archive, but doesn't want any other documents to be forced to archive. To put this in place:
- Hover over the Admin icon, top right.
- Click App Admin.
- Click Folders | Security.
- Click on the folder name that you want to force to archive.
- Click the appropriate boxe(s) if you want to ensure:
- archive date is required (i.e. force users to choose an archive date for a file they add to the folders)
- default to archive on (i.e. when a document is added to the folder the archive date field will already display with a pre-selected date which can be modified).
- Click the Save button to finish and retain your changes.
Want archived items not only excluded from search but also inaccessible to users? Put them into a separate, hidden folder:
- In the Documents App, hover over the Admin icon, top right, and click Manage Folders.
- Click Add Another Folder, name your folder something like Archived Items, and click Save.
- Beside Folder Security, click [apply].
- Beside Global View, click [turn off]. Items in this folder will now be accessible only to Admins and App Owners, unless you assign user/group permissions.
- For each item you want hidden from users, edit the item, click [change folder], select the Archived Items folder, and Save.
Archive Settings at the Document Level
When a user is adding a document or policy to the repository, depending on how fields are configured there will be an Archive On setting available for the file.
If the radio button for Archive On is selected, as shown in the image below, the user can choose an archive date (and possibly time as well). On that date, the file will move to the Archive and become inactive but still available. If the user chooses Do Not Archive, the file will always remain active.
Restore Archived Files
If a file or two has been archived and you want to restore them from the Archives, you can edit each individual file and change the Archive On date to a future date. The file will return to the active view.
If you want to reinstate all archived items, while you're in the App, hover over the Admin icon, top right, click Manage Fields and click the small red icon to the right of Archive On to delete this field. You're immediately given a choice as shown below - to reinstate all Archived Items or to Delete All Archived Items. Click on Reinstate All Archived Items, and be sure to click Save to retain your changes. Click OK and allow the function to run and restore your items. You can then repeat the above process and drag the Archive On field back into the display; previous dates will not be retained and all archival dates will have to be re-added by editing each document.
From the Intranet Connections Blog
Cleanup
Content cleanup permanently deletes archived content. Activating this option puts in place automatic cleanup of archived items for the timeframe specified; current or active content is not affected. The option of No cleanup is selected by default, so no deletion of content will take place unless an Admin changes the option.
To put in place automatic deletion of archived content:
- When you're in the App, hover over the Admin icon, top right.
- Click App Admin.
- Click Cleanup near the bottom of the list.
- Choose one of the four available time frames for clean up.
- Click the Save button to retain your changes.
Note that archived content which is automatically cleaned up cannot be retrieved - this is a permanent cleanup.
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