There are many Content Types in Drupal, the Content Management System we use to add content to lesley.edu.


Some Content Types are actual web pages, for example a program page, visual landing page, or a guide.  While other Content Types are blocks that are created separately and then placed on web pages. These blocks are items such as Cards, Galleries, More Content blocks, etc.


Content Types that are Web Pages

  • Article: The template we use for thought leadership pieces on a topic, for example, "The Stages of Memory.'

  • Audience Content Page: This is the template we use for the pages in the students, parents, and faculty sections of the site. The content on these pages is mostly for internal audiences, for example, the Counseling Center, Tuition & Fees, Human Resources, Faculty Handbooks, etc.

  • Audience Landing Page:  There are only 4 Audience Landing Pages on our website. Information for Faculty/Staff (https://www.lesley.edu/faculty-staff), Information for Students (https://www.lesley.edu/students), Information for Parents (https://www.lesley.edu/parents), and Information for Alumni https://www.lesley.edu/alumni. The Audience Landing Pages are where the Audience Content Pages are featured.

  • Guide: A template used by Admissions and Financial Aid to help students apply in a step-by-step manner. The guides are populated with separate Guide Content blocks (see below). Within the Guide Content blocks are shareable Reusable Patterns and shareable More Content blocks.

  • Event: These will show up in our events calendar, https://www.lesley.edu/events/all. Events are for the Lesley community and the public, and include everything from open houses to exhibits to student activities.

  • News: The template our communications team uses to share University news stories.


  • Page: The nomenclature is a bit confusing, because there are many other templates that we consider “pages”; however, the “Page” Content Type is used for higher-level content, such as Admissions & Aid. The text written in the green section on the top of the page feeds into the Visual Landing Page.  Character Limits for Page Teaser: 300 characters maximum, including spaces. If your Page is going to be featured in a higher level Visual Landing page (see below), you need to watch your character count for the teaser. The teaser is what shows up in the green box on the top of the Page template, and is what feeds into the short blurb on the Visual Landing Page. Therefore, if it is too long, it will throw off the design on the Visual Landing Page.


  • Person: These are faculty members (profiles) and staff. A shell is created based on what is in Colleague. We can then populate the profile with information about the faculty member.


  • Program: Only academic programs use the “Program” template.

  • School: There are 4 School Pages—Graduate School of Education, College of Art & Design, Graduate School of Arts and Social Science, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These were created with the launch of the site, and although web editors won't be creating new School pages, they do update them as needed.

  • Story: The template we use to tell a story about a faculty/staff member, student, or alumni.

  • Symlink: Used by the Marketing Department only. Symlinks allow us to give a second URL to a web page, so the page can live in 2 areas of the site and have the navigation for the area it is in.

    For example: Our Pet Policy Web page lives under the Disability Services section of our site, and under the broader Policies section. So, this 1 page has 2 different URLs (one being a Symlink).

    https://www.lesley.edu/pet-service-animal-and-assistance-animal-policy-for-resident-students

    https://www.lesley.edu/students/policies/disability-services-policies/pet-service-animal-and-assistance-animal-policy


  • Visual Landing Page: We only have a few of these types of pages on our website, and they are what you see when you click on "Admissions & Aid", "Life at Lesley" and "About Lesley" in the Global navigation on our site. For example, the "Life at Lesley" Visual Landing page is where you would go to click through to our Pages (see "Page" template above) on Campus Life, Boston & Cambridge, Student Activities, and more. See here https://www.lesley.edu/life-at-lesley

    Visual Landing Pages are higher level pages that lead users to other sections of the site.  They contain pictures for each section, a short blurb, and a link. The short blurb, or "teaser" is pulled in from the Page it is linked to.  


Content Types that are Separate Blocks that are Placed on Web Pages

  • Card: This is one block of shareable content that contains a fact, snippet, or lead into a longer story about a person (faculty, alum, staff or student) or article. Cards are displayed in Card Rows on various pages.

  • Gallery: This is how we can showcase images of student artwork, for example. The user can swipe through images like a slideshow.

  • Guide Content: These are the small blocks of content that are created and then assembled on Guide pages. Guide Content blocks can be created in a variety of patterns, and can be shared among guides. Guide Content blocks are used in Admissions Guides (those "How to Apply" pages that have the application requirements and steps to apply) and Financial Aid Guides.

  • More Content - Collapsed Content Block: This shareable content type allows you to have some content visible, and other content hidden until you select “read more.” You create the More Content block first, then add it to the pages where you want it to show up.

  • Program Structure: This content type is on all of the graduate program pages, and some bachelor's degree completion programs, showing the curriculum the prospect could be expected to take for the duration of the program.

  • Reusable Pattern: Content that we'd like to put on multiple pages is created in a "reusable pattern." That way, we only have to update it in one place. The Contact Us boxes on the bottom of certain web pages are created with Reusable Patterns. Although this is called a "Pattern", it's technically a Content Type.

  • Sample Curriculum: This content type is on all of the undergraduate program pages, which shows what classes the prospect can expect to take for that major each semester, for 4 years. Each class links to the online academic catalog.



How to Create a Content Type


  1. Log into Drupal and go to the Content tab.

  2. Click on the blue "+Add Content" button.



  3. Choose the Content Type you want from the list. Then, depending on what you choose, you'll follow the prompts to fill in the content (text, images, links, patterns, etc.) that is needed to populate the Content Type.


    screenshot - list of all content types