CMS

Owned by Cecilia David
Last updated: Oct 06, 2022 by Christopher 3ryan
3 min read

These training resources are intended for those with permission to edit content on the RRU website.   

To edit web content, you must have a role on the site.  Roles have permission to access particular areas and do certain things on the site.  If you need to be assigned a role, please ask your manager to submit a ticket to IT requesting Writer, Editor or Publisher access, depending on your departmental needs, and indicating which department you are with.

If you're responsible for web content at RRU, you need to know about the following four kinds of information.  If you have suggestions for additions or modifications to this documentation, please contact the Web Strategist.

Writing for the Web

In the summer of 2021, we launched our new website which is a modern system with a fresh new design.  We also edited most existing content so that across the whole site, we have one tone and voice and all of our writing follows university guidelines.

To be a successful contributor to our web presence, it's important that you are familiar with those guidelines so that your writing fits in with existing content.  Please read these Writing for the Web resources before adding or editing content on the website:

  1. Voice and tone
  2. Online reading trends
  3. Tips for readability
  4. Avoiding common mistakes
  5. Accessibility
  6. Image guidelines
    1. Image tips
  7. RRU Editorial Style Guide
  8. RRU Editorial Style Guide (at-a-glance) (print and keep near your keyboard!)
  9. Writing exercises (worksheets to help you make good writing decisions)

Governance, Roles, Workflow, Content Ownership

Website Governance

Roles and Permissions

Workflow and Content ownership (diagrams)

Workflow (CMS diagrams)

How to get help

Anchor-GetHelpForCMS

Problems or questions relating to the content including adding new pages or changing navigation

Contact the Web Strategist

Using the CMS

Technical details

Our website uses Drupal version 8 as the Content Management System (CMS) and is hosted by Yellow Pencil, a company that worked with us to complete the upgrade. Together, we designed and built templates for many of the different kinds of pages we use on our site, such as a topic page, a faculty biography page or a news page. Each template allows you to choose from a selection of components (building blocks) that you can use to format your page in a particular way.  Using these, you can create your own web pages that fit nicely into the existing site. You can find more information about content page types and components below. 

Hands-on


How to use this information

If you're new to working with our website, we recommend going through the material below in the order that it is presented. 

If you're here to remind yourself of how to complete a specific task, click on the link for that task for quick reference.

(1) Take a tour of the site

(2) Review the glossary and definitions

(3) Learn about the types of components you can add to pages

(4) Using the right images on the website 

(5) Log in to the site

(6) Add new content (add/edit a page)

(7) Get familiar with how different fields behave

(8) Things not to do/change on the new website

(9) Best practices

(10) Add a new topic page

Important! It's best to learn how to add a topic page before working with any other type


Please STOP! Did you review how to add a new topic page?

Because a Topic page is the most commonly used type, it is discussed in detail in the article linked above.

In articles relating to other page types, less detail is provided. If you skip this page, you will be missing important information.

(11) Bumps and wrinkles (tips and tricks)

(12) Learn about other content page types (and how to create them)

(13) Custom Course Lists



Quick links:




Get Help

Still need help?

  • Frequently Asked Questions.

  • Submit a Request
    (You must first enter your full RRU email address (firstname.lastname@royalroads.ca) and then if prompted to log in, enter your shorter username@royalroads.ca and regular password. If you do not have a FULL RRU email address, you may register with your personal email address or use the email contact form below.)

  • Email: IT Customer Service

  • Contact Form

  • Phone: +1-250-391-2659

  • Toll Free: +1-866-808-5429

  • Visit us in Sequoia

  • Hours of Operation

    • Technical help is available by phone and e-mail: Monday to Friday 7:30am - 6pm

      Onsite Help is available in the Sequoia Building (main floor, opposite the Welcome Desk): Monday to Friday 8am - 4pm

How to Contact the Computer Services Department

Submit a ticket
To submit a ticket, you will be required to log in using your FULL Royal Roads email address (detailed instructions here)
New! If you do not have a full RRU email address (students not currently in a credit program and/or visitors), you can create a portal account using your personal email address.
Email us at IT Customer Service
Contact Form
Phone: 250-391-2659 Toll Free: 1-866-808-5429
Come visit us in the Sequoia Building
Hours of Operation