Working with projects

Creating a project and adding content

You create a new project from the context menu on the project bar.

Image: Create a project

When you create the project, it is automatically set as the active project. To add a content item to the active project, make an editing change (such as creating a page, updating existing content, uploading an image and so on), and the content item is automatically associated with the project. You can also drag and drop items from the navigation or asset panes into the project overview to associate them with a project.

A specific content version can only be part of one project. If you try to add the same version to another project, you are prompted to create a new draft. If you choose to create a new draft, the new version is then added to the project.

Editing content in projects

You will see a notification if the version you are working on is associated with the active project.

Image: Notification bar

Content not associated with the active project but with another project is locked for editing. However, even if that version is locked for editing, you still can create a new draft with the New Draft from Here button in the yellow toolbar. That draft is associated with the active project, or to no project at all if None (use primary drafts) is selected.

Image: Notification bar, part of another project

If you open a version of an item that is not associated with a project but has other versions that are associated with projects, you will see a notification with links to these projects.

Image: Notification with links to other projects

If you want to make a change that should not be associated with the active project, you have to select None (use primary drafts) or another project from the project bar. When None (use primary drafts) is selected in the project bar, you can create drafts, publish content and so on, as long as the content version is not associated with a project.

Content items that are part of a project remain so even after they are published.

Uploading media to projects

If you upload media while a project is active, it automatically associated with the active project.

If you have a project active when you upload a media file, you must manually publish the media file, even if your system is configured to automatically publish media as soon as it is uploaded. See the Auto publish media on upload setting in System settings. Media associated with a project need to be published like any other content item.

Previewing project content

The preview option in the top menu lets you browse through the website as if the project were published. If you click preview Optimizely image, you preview the active project; to preview another project, change the project in the project bar. Previewing a project shows you the draft associated with the project or, if there is no draft associated with the project, the published version.

Collaborating on projects

You can add comments on project items in the project overview and, for example, ask other editors to review an item. This feature is described in Collaboration between editors.

Publishing project items

From the project overview, you can publish multiple items that are set to status Ready to Publish. You can set items to Ready to Publish from the publishing menu while editing an item, from the context menu in project overview, or from the Project Items navigation pane. You can select multiple items and set them to Ready to Publish, both from the overview and the navigation pane. You publish the content items associated with the project, not the project itself.

Image: Publishing menu

Image: Publishing menu

Image: Context menu, overview

Image: Context menu, Mark as Ready to Publish

Image: Project Items tab in navigation pane

Image: Project Items tab in navigation pane

When items are ready for publishing, you can publish them directly from Options, if you have publishing access rights, or schedule the project to be published later.

Image: Publishing options

If the items in a project were scheduled for publishing and you add new items to the project, the new content is not scheduled for publishing automatically. You must specifically set the new content to scheduled time of publishing if you want it to be published at the same time as the other items in the project.

If you need to edit content that is scheduled, select Remove Scheduling and Edit, edit the content and reschedule.

You can continue working with a project after it is published.

Removing content and deleting projects

Removing content from projects

Remove a content item from a project by selecting the item in the project overview or from the project items navigation pane and then selecting Remove from Project from the item's context menu. Removing a content item from a project means that it is no longer associated with the project but it is not deleted from the website.

Image: Removing item from project

Deleting projects

Delete a project by selecting the project in the project bar and then select Delete Project from the context menu. Associated content items are not deleted but are no longer associated with a project. You cannot recover deleted projects. When deleting a project with items scheduled for publishing, you can keep or remove the scheduling for each item.

Image: Deleting project