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CT - General Content

Full Width Content Block

The 'General Content' content type should be used to create simple and structured text based information. This information may include hierarchical headings, paragraphs with descriptive links or tables containing simple, tabular data

This is a full-width content block example, using the default alignment and width settings, designed for two-column website layouts. University Schools and Generic Style websites currently use two-column layouts.

List Heading

You can also add lists to this Content Type.

  • List Item One.
  • List Item Two.

Margins

Remember to keep top and bottom margins consistent.


Center Aligned Content Block 

The 'General Content' content type should be used to create simple and structured text based information. This information may include hierarchical headings, paragraphs with descriptive links or tables containing simple, tabular data

This is an example of the content block set to 'Center' alignment and width set to 'Small'. These options are intended for use in full width website layouts, such as this page which uses the Core style. 


Specific Guidance

Please ensure that the 'Align Content Block' and 'Width of Content Block' settings are used only for full-width website layouts. These settings are designed to give websites with full-width layouts greater flexibility to present text in a more readable format for their audiences. Two-column websites, such as University Schools and Generic Style, will not benefit from using these options.

We have created some suggestions for how the settings in this Content Type can be used in full-width website layouts.

  • Example one - Create a nice introduction to your website, project or area. This page uses the following for CT - General Content:
    • Header Two used for 'Introduction' title.
    • Align Content Block set to 'Center'.
    • Width of Content Block set to 'Medium'.

General Guidance

  • Organise Content Blocks: Avoid condensing all information into a single content block. If your content includes multiple data types, structure it into separate blocks for easier maintenance and future edits.
  • Use Headings Properly: Headings should be used to group content and establish hierarchy, not for styling. Proper heading usage improves both accessibility and readability.
  • Internal and External Links: When linking within your website, use Section Links and Content Links, as the Web CMS automatically updates these if content is reorganised. For external links, always use the full URL of the destination website or resource.
  • Third-Party Content and Custom Code: Do not embed unapproved third-party content or add custom code without consulting our team via the IT Service Desk.

Visit our section How to Write for the Web for some guidance on creating and maintaining content on your website.

Images and Documents

All assets for use on our website must be properly prepared before they are added to the Media Library.

  • Copyright Compliance: Ensure all assets are sourced responsibly. If using third-party assets, obtain the necessary permissions before uploading to avoid copyright infringements.
  • Accessibility: Documents must be fully accessible before being added to the Media Library for website use.
  • Optimising Assets: Images must match the required dimensions (Width x Height) for use with Content Types. These requirements are provided in field descriptions and form guidance. Document file size must be optimised for upload to the Media Library and for use on the web. The maximum file size for upload to the Media Library is 5MB (megabytes).
  • Filename Convention: Users must ensure that assets are named correctly before they are uploaded to the Media Library. Assets must only contain lowercase letters (a to z), numerals 0-9) and hyphens (-). Avoid spaces, special characters, or uppercase letters.

Visit our Media Library information section for more guidance and resources.

Accessibility Guidance

Please use the following guidance to help make sure your content adheres to accessibility regulations:

  • Do not create images with embedded text.
  • Do not add image Alt Text / Description to your image if it is decorative.
  • Do not use generic link text such as 'Click Here' and 'Read More'.
  • Do not add HTML elements such as span, div, h1 or CSS to any of the fields to change the structure or styling of the Content Type. It will be removed by our team.
  • Ensure that you have added a descriptive title attribute to any third party embeds on your website such as video embeds for Panopto and YouTube.

Visit our Accessible Content Guidance for more information on how to make sure your website content is accessible.

Form Field Guidance

Name: CT - General Content

Description: Used to add general content to webpages, including formatted text and tables.

Field NameField DescriptionSizeTypeRequired
NameEnter a descriptive and easily identifiable name for your content block, such as "Study and Career Block 1."80 Charactersplain textYes
TextHTML Editor used to write and structure text based information. Note: Do not use this for bespoke HTML, CSS, JavaScript or other code unsupported and unapproved by the Web Support Team.35000 CharactersHTMLYes
Align Content BlockSelect an option below to position the block of content (and not the text) either to the left, right or centre. Used in conjunction with 'Width of Content Block'.80 CharactersSelect BoxNo
Width of Content BlockSelect an option below for the width of the content block of either small, medium or large.80 CharactersSelect BoxNo
Margin TopIncrease the default whitespace between this content block and the one above by adding a larger margin. Maintain consistent margins between content blocks whenever possible.80 CharactersSelect BoxNo
Margin BottomIncrease the default whitespace between this content block and the one below by adding a larger margin. Maintain consistent margins between content blocks whenever possible.80 CharactersSelect BoxNo
Heading TextUsed with the 'Page Contents' Content Type to specify the anchor link text.250 Charactersplain textNo