How Do I Delete Media Files?

Best practice to delete media

When a file is added to your site, it is saved as a media item and then added to your media library.

You can permanently delete files from your site by deleting the media item from your media library. 

If you have a media item you no longer need, move it to the trash. It won’t show up in your media library anymore. However, the file will stay in the trash for 30 days. After that, it gets permanently deleted automatically. You can also delete it sooner by clicking the purge button Once it is deleted from the trash, that file will be permanently deleted from the site. 

Do:

  • Use the Media Library edit button in the Operations row to update any documents or images that have been added to the media library.
example of the media tab where you use to upload and update files
  • Check the file name in the File or image field of your media. Do this before you click save.
example of image file properly added to media item
  • Use the Delete link next to the Save button to properly and safely remove media and have it moved to the trash. 
an example to use the delete link to move items to the trash

Don't:

  • Click the remove button next to the file name within a media item and click save. This will not move that media to the trash, but it only removes the file from the media container. This will then lead to broken links and a broken site.  Always click the Delete link to move media to the trash.
example of file properly added to a media item

How to safely delete files from your site

You can safely delete files that you've uploaded onto your site within the Media tab by selecting the little arrow next to the edit button of the file you want to delete. 

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It's important to make sure you are not deleting media that is being used within microcontent or other page. You will know if a media item is being used when you click on the delete button and a pop-up alert appears that says there are recorded usages of this entity.

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You need to click the recorded usage link. This will show you the list of content where the media appears. Remove the content from that page first, then you can safely delete it from the media library.

What happens if you delete a file that is being used in a place? 

For example, a common "Site unavailable error" happens because a file was deleted when it was being used within a link collection list. Since the link collection list now has a broken link within it, the page crashes and causes the "Site unavailable error."

example of error message for incorrectly deleting a file

You might see this error message if you go back to an earlier version of a content type or microcontent type using the revisions tab. Reverting the previous revision that linked to the deleted file risks creating a broken link. If link collection microcontents have links to deleted files, it can cause the page with the link collection to show a "site unavailable" error.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure to check your links within the revisions before you revert back to the old version.

Use the Media Library ONLY for Media Management

Author Role

Direct Link to a direct image or document

Add item using Media Library 

Link to any Media Library Item (Linkit link)

Unpublish THEIR OWN Media Library Item

Unpublish ANY Media Library Item

Delete THEIR OWN Media Library item (goes to Trash)

Delete ANY Media Library Item (goes to Trash)

CAUTION

Delete THEIR OWN file entirely off the hosting

CAUTION

Delete ANY file entirely off the hosting

Anonymous

LEGACY

❌NO

✅YES

❌NO

❌NO

❌NO

❌NO

❌NO

❌NO

Writer

NOT DESIRED

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

❌NO

❌NO

❌NO

✅YES

❌NO

Editor

NOT DESIRED

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

❌NO

❌NO

✅YES

❌NO

Publisher

NOT DESIRED

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

❌NO

Agency Manager

NOT DESIRED

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

✅YES

How to Permanently Delete a File

You can safely delete files that you've uploaded onto your site within the Media library tab by selecting the little arrow next to the edit button within the media library. 

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It's important to make sure you are not deleting media that is being used within a micro-content or other page. You will know if a media item is being used when you click on the delete button and a pop up alert appears that says there are recorded usages of this entity.

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This means that you will have to click the recorded usage link to see the list of content that the media is on published on. 

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Once you remove the media from that the listed content it will now be safe for you to delete it from the media library.

It will sit within the Trash under the "Media" tab for 30 days to give you an opportunity to restore that media item that may have been accidentally deleted. 

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After the 30 days it will be permanently deleted from the trash can and from the site. If you want to have it deleted immediately from the trash can then you can select the small arrow next to the "Restore" button and within that dropdown you will see the "Purge" button which you can select to delete it from the trash and permanently from your site.

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How to Permanently Delete a File

You can safely delete files that you've uploaded onto your site within the Media library tab by selecting the little arrow next to the edit button within the media library. 

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It's important to make sure you are not deleting media that is being used within a micro-content or other page. You will know if a media item is being used when you click on the delete button and a pop up alert appears that says there are recorded usages of this entity.

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This means that you will have to click the recorded usage link to see the list of content that the media is on published on. 

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Once you remove the media from that the listed content it will now be safe for you to delete it from the media library.

It will sit within the Trash under the "Media" tab for 30 days to give you an opportunity to restore that media item that may have been accidentally deleted. 

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After the 30 days it will be permanently deleted from the trash can and from the site. If you want to have it deleted immediately from the trash can then you can select the small arrow next to the "Restore" button and within that dropdown you will see the "Purge" button which you can select to delete it from the trash and permanently from your site.

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How to Edit media items in the Media Library

Click on "Media Library" to find the media you want to edit. Just search for the item's name. Then, select the edit button on the right side of the screen.

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OR if your results are in grid format, click the pencil icon. You can also edit your media items there.

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Learn how to Replace and Update Media Files

How to Properly Update Media & Documents Files

To update an image or media document, use the media library. Click the edit button or pencil. If you delete the media and upload a new one, you'll need to revisit each page using that media to update it.

example of how to properly update media

A better way is to remove the file from the edit field of the image or document. Then you can add your new file. This method will update all media on the website. This way you won’t have broken images or document links.

Example of how to properly update media in the media library

Items up to 100MB may be uploaded to the site "Media Library" and used on any page that can embed or reference media.

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How to Properly Update Media & Documents Files

To update an image or media document, use the media library. Click the edit button or pencil. If you delete the media and upload a new one, you'll need to revisit each page using that media to update it.

example of how to properly update media

A better way is to remove the file from the edit field of the image or document. Then you can add your new file. This method will update all media on the website. This way you won’t have broken images or document links.

Example of how to properly update media in the media library

Items up to 100MB may be uploaded to the site "Media Library" and used on any page that can embed or reference media.

How to Fix a "Site Currently Unavailable" Error

To fix this you will need to edit the page. The only way to do that is through the content library. 

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Navigate to the content library and type in the name of the page, which can be found within the URL.

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Once you've searched for the page in the content library, you can also confirm that it is the correct page by hovering your icon over the title link in search. Then in the bottom left of the screen you should see the matching URL. 

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Then you can go into the page to identify where the broken file link is, typically the culprit is a microcontent like a link collection list that was linking to that file. For the example we will select the microcontent and click the gear icon to see if the broken file link is inside it. 

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You can identify which link is leading to a deleted file within the link collection by clicking on the link to pull up the dropdown window. If says "No results" then you know this is the broken link and you can remove it by selecting the remove button. 

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You know a link isn't linking to a deleted file when you see the "Media" appear within the dropdown as well as the media item information.

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Once you save the fixed link collection, the page will be fixed, and that error message will go away. This is why it is important to only permanently remove files that are not being used on the site.  

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How to Fix a "Site Currently Unavailable" Error

To fix this you will need to edit the page. The only way to do that is through the content library. 

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Navigate to the content library and type in the name of the page, which can be found within the URL.

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Once you've searched for the page in the content library, you can also confirm that it is the correct page by hovering your icon over the title link in search. Then in the bottom left of the screen you should see the matching URL. 

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Then you can go into the page to identify where the broken file link is, typically the culprit is a microcontent like a link collection list that was linking to that file. For the example we will select the microcontent and click the gear icon to see if the broken file link is inside it. 

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You can identify which link is leading to a deleted file within the link collection by clicking on the link to pull up the dropdown window. If says "No results" then you know this is the broken link and you can remove it by selecting the remove button. 

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You know a link isn't linking to a deleted file when you see the "Media" appear within the dropdown as well as the media item information.

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Once you save the fixed link collection, the page will be fixed, and that error message will go away. This is why it is important to only permanently remove files that are not being used on the site.