Delete and Restore Assets

Your web content doesn't last forever. A person leaves W&M, you redesign a form, that right column item is getting really old. It happens. So what's the best way to delete assets you don't want anymore?

Deleting something will get rid of it - permanently. Well, as permanently as can be on the internet. Web & Design maintains backup servers, and the Wayback Machine indexes the W&M site periodically. It is likely we could dig up some old content (for a while) if we have to.

For Real, Delete It?

Before we tell you where the delete button is, make sure this is something you want to delete. Remember that deleting will break every link to this asset. If you're actually replacing the old with the new, you're better off replacing instead of deleting. Consider:

Are you swapping an old pdf form for a newer version? Replace that pdf in Cascade instead of deleting it.
Adding a new directory photo and getting rid of the old one? Again - replace instead of delete.
Do you want to delete a page because you've come up with all new content? Edit the page instead.
Do you want to delete something because you want it to show up in a different part of the site? Move it [W&D] instead of deleting it.
Do you want to delete a page because you want it to create it again but with a different page type? Contact [[creative, Web & Design]]. They can change most page types and keep the existing content and links intact.
If you don't want the asset now but might at some point in the future, consider creating an archive. Archive folders are empty folders with publishing turned off.

It's All about the Relationships

Once you're sure the asset should be deleted, check its relationships [W&D]. Relationships tell you what pages in Cascade are linked to the asset and who last edited those pages. If it's your web page, adjust the page to change or remove the link. If other W&M pages link to the page you want to delete, it's courteous to contract those web editors and give them a heads up. If possible, suggest a different page to link to instead.

Let It Go ...

If you're sure the asset should be deleted and you've notified all next of kin, it's time to do the deed. There are three steps:

Unpublish the asset [W&D] - Select the asset and either right click or select the "...More" link in the upper right. Choose Unpublish. This will help to remove "ghost" versions hovering in external search caches.
Delete the asset [W&D] - Select the asset and either right click or select the "...More" link in the upper right. Choose Delete.
If the deleted asset was a folder with content page, publish the old asset's parent to make sure the menus adjust.

Having Regrets?

Oh no! I need that back! You can restore pages [W&D] within 15 days of deleting them. Go pull it out of the trash can at the top of the directory tree.

It's Haunting Me!

Sometimes you'll delete something in Cascade, but when you go to the old URL on the public site it's still there. You can see it, but you can't touch it. It's a ghost! Yikes!

This happens when the asset did not unpublish before it was deleted or moved. Web & Design has to manually remove those files from the public server. Email [[creative, Web & Design]] with the subject "calling Ghostbusters" and tell them which URL to slay.