Frequently Asked Questions
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EmailFrequently Asked Questions about how to use and troubleshoot dotCMS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I get an error that states "You don't have the required permissions to save the asset. This usually means you've forgotten to select your folder from the "Host/Folder" field at the top of the page (above Title). User has no Add Children Permissions on selected host".
A: This error means you've forgotten to select your folder in the "Host/Folder" field (usually above Title). For example, on the website www.canr.msu.edu/support, you would select the "/support" folder. Never use a subfolder such as "/support/about", as this can lead to content being removed if a subfolder is ever deleted.
Q: I am trying to log into dotCMS but it's telling me "Authentication failed. Please try again."
A: DotCMS always uses your MSU username and password to log in. Your username is the first part of your MSU email address, before the @ symbol. If you're sure you've entered your MSU password but it's still not working, you can reset your MSU password to see if that helps (it will often fix this issue).
Q: I am trying to view CANR websites in my browser, but dotCMS will not let me log out and it keeps displaying the editing interface
A: We recommend using one web browser to view CANR websites and a different web browser to edit in dotCMS. For example, you could use Chrome to edit but use Firefox to browse. This will keep you from needing to log in and out of dotCMS all the time and help you see your websites from an external point of view.
Q: I created a folder, but when I visit my website I see "404 The page you're looking for could not be found."
A: The most likely cause of this is that you have no "index" page in your folder. You may need to add a page with a url title of "index" or, if you've already created a page in your folder, you may need to edit it and change the url title to "index".
Q: I created a folder, but when I visit my website I see my page two times in the navigation bar instead of only once.
A: Check your "index" page to make sure that "Show On Menu" has been unchecked. This setting is located on the Advanced Properties tag under Page Properties.
Q: I created a page, but now I need to change the title and it's not working.
A: If your page is an "index" page of a folder, you may also need to edit the folder and change the folder's name. Be careful if you do this, because the folder's url title may also change, which will break your links. Make sure to keep an eye on the folder's url title and change it back if this occurs. You may also need to check the Friendly Name field under Page Properties and change the title there, in addition to changing the Title field.
Q: I created a page, but now I need to change it into a folder so I can add subpages to it.
A: To change a page into a folder, first rename the page's url title something else (such as "temporary" or whatever). Then, create a folder with the correct name and the url title your page is supposed to have. Once the folder exists, right-click your page and select "Cut" and then right-click your new folder and select "Paste". Then change the url title of your page to "index" and uncheck "Show On Menu" on the Advanced Properties tab.
Q: I'm trying to create a page and it's telling me the page already exists, but it doesn't.
A: An archived version of the page may exist. To check, click the "Show Archived" link at the top of the Pages screen. If there is an archived version of the page, you can either delete it or edit it to suit your purposes.
Q: I want to upload a new version of a file.
A: A good way to do this is to search for your File Asset on the Content screen. Once you find it and click on it, you can swap out the file itself by clicking Remove next to the current file and then uploading a new one. Make sure your new file has the same filename as the old one, or your links to this file will break.
Q: I have been uploading files and/or images and everything seemed fine, but when I view my website outside of dotCMS, they aren't working.
A: Files and images need to be published in order to show up on the website, even if they are uploaded through the WYSIWYG editor box. The easiest way to do this is to press "Save and Publish" instead of "Save" when uploading a file or image. If you need to publish existing files or images, use the Content screen to search for their File Assets and publish them.
Q: I am trying to publish or unpublish content entries, and it's not working.
A: The Date tab contains fields for System Publish Date and System Expiration Date which will cause immediate republishing or immediate unpublishing of content. Remove any dates from these fields before publishing or unpublishing content to avoid this behavior.
Q: I deleted a menu item, but it's still displaying on the menu bar
A: The menu bar on your website is cached and seems to hold onto deleted items for longer than it should. The menu should correct itself within a day or so. If it doesn't, or if you feel you need an immediate resolution to this issue, please email webadmin@anr.msu.edu
Q: I am attempting to save content but get an error that says "Unable to convert string to date NaN-NaN-NaN"
A: This error often occurs if a date was typed into the date field instead of using the datepicker to pick a date. Please re-enter the date using the datepicker.
Q: I am attempting to save content but get an error that says "Relationship cardinality violated: Issue.<something>"
A: This error occurs when there is a QA Issue on this piece of content that is related to multiple items (this occurs most often when making a copy of existing content). This can be resolved by opening the QA Issues Tab and deleting any items listed in the Issues table.
Q: dotCMS will not let me log out, what can I do?
A: This error occurs when dotCMS is unable to remove the cookie that it placed in your browser. This can usually be resolved by clearing the site cookies manually. Instructions for clearing the browser can be found at the following links:
