How do I share PDFs on my PastPerfect Online site?

  • Updated

Applies to: PastPerfect Online add-on for Version 5.0

The ability to share multimedia files (like PDFs, MP3s, and videos) is not included in your PastPerfect Online hosting. However, it is still possible to share them with a few extra steps. Essentially, you need to first upload the files online so that they can be accessed by the public, add HTML (HyperText Markup Language) to a custom field your PastPerfect records to create a link to those file locations, then share that custom field online. We will break down each step below, or you can watch a recording of a previously hosted webinar that discusses this topic and includes a demonstration, found in the Resources section at the bottom of this page.

Please note that we recommend starting with just one or two files as a test, especially if you are not familiar with HTML. You can view an example of a PDF shared on our demo site at https://roundleft.pastperfectonline.com/archive/23198E3E-8082-4E6A-AD29-344918037275. 

1. Uploading Files Online

For most organizations, their multimedia files live on a local server that can only be accessed on the internal network. This is great for security, but it means those files need to be made available elsewhere so the public can access them. This can be available space where your main website is hosted, our PPO Links option, or a third-party solution. Third-party solutions can be general, like GoDaddy, or for specific media, like YouTube or SoundCloud. No matter which option you choose, the next steps all follow the same concept. The option that is "best" is up to you and will depend on your situation, including your goals and budget. 

2. Adding HTML in PastPerfect

Once you have uploaded your file to a public-facing location, you will need to add a short bit of HTML to the respective record(s) in PastPerfect. This allows you to create a clickable link on the PastPerfect Online record page.

First, you will need to identify which field in PastPerfect to use to hold the HTML. We recommend using one of the custom memo fields (Field 21 or Field 22) for this. If you’d like to rename the custom field on the PastPerfect screen, you can do so under Setup | Custom Fields. Once you have determined which field which field to use, it's time to Edit the appropriate record to add HTML.

The HTML for the example from the beginning of the page is as follows:

<a href="https://ppolinks.com/ppdemo/2003_1_3_pdf.pdf" target="_blank">Click to view a transcription of the letter</a>
  • In this example, https://ppolinks.com/ppdemo/2003_1_3_pdf.pdf is the publicly accessibly URL for this PDF. Replace this with the full URL to your file, being careful not to remove any quotation marks. Be sure to include the "http://" or "https://" at the beginning. Note that many services have case-sensitive URLs.
  • Adding target="_blank" is optional. By including this, the link will open in a new tab, which can help web visitors more easily return to your PastPerfect Online site.
  • Replace Click to view a transcription of the letter with the text you would like displayed instead.

Be aware that the way that the files are played/loaded depends on how you implement these links on your PastPerfect Online records as well as the web visitor’s browser settings.

3. Sharing the HTML on Your Site

The final step is updating your PastPerfect Online site to share this new information online. Before you create and upload files, you will need to select your HTML field to be shared.

In the Web Publishing Wizard, you will need to choose your field in the first step, Select Data Fields to Include in Web Publication. Recall that fields for each catalog type are selected separately, so you will need to select the field multiple times for it to be included for each catalog. In the second step, Customize Field Names, you can change the public-facing label for this field. This is especially important when using a custom field, since something like "Additional Media" is more informative than "Custom Field 21."

After your field has been selected and renamed, create and upload files to update your PastPerfect Online site as normal. Be sure to review your test record(s) after you receive email confirmation of your data load. 

If you have any questions about this information or are having trouble getting your links to work, please contact our support team.

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Resources