This article provides a comprehensive guide on uploading and managing PDF files in Tivian Communicate XI (CXI). It covers the process of uploading PDFs, file requirements, editing PDF settings, and configuring various options such as content details, publish state, call-to-action buttons, feedback, and sharing.
The article also explains how to customize the PDF’s appearance in the content experience and track its engagement through analytics.
Information
You must hold the permission status of Owner or Editor to upload PDFs or other content, create content headers, polls, and ratings, or administer call to action buttons. Read more about team access and permissions here.
Introduction
PDFs are useful when you want to provide downloadable content for your employees in your Communicate Journey. Whether you have a benefits guide or employee handbook, PDFs allow your employees to gain key company information without watching a video with deeper insight than an infographic would provide. When your employees navigate to the PDF within the content experience, it will display the PDF automatically in a preview pane. Clicking the download button (a down arrow with a line underneath it) opens the document in a separate tab where it can be downloaded, for them to refer back to outside of Tivian Communicate XI (CXI).
Uploading a PDF to CXI takes just a few steps. Before you begin, check to make sure the PDF you want to upload meets the requirements below.
File Requirements
CXI can host and display any PDF file. PDFs must have their links explicitly added in using the Edit a PDF interface within Adobe Acrobat or similar in order for those links to be clickable in Communicate XI’s viewer. All links must be prepended with the appropriate resource schema (http://
or https://
) header.
Thumbnail file requirements:
- SVG, PNG, or JPEG
- 1024×576 pixels, or larger
- 16:9 aspect ratio
Uploading a PDF
- Open the Communicate Journey that the PDF will be uploaded to.
- In the Experience section in the Setup area at the top, under Add, click Add New.
3. Select PDF from the content options.
4. Enter a title for the asset, which will appear above the PDF in the experience.
5. Upload a PDF by clicking Select a File.
Note: If you are uploading a multi-page PDF with a lot of pages, it may take a while to fully upload.
6. Under Location, select the parent piece of content or content header that this PDF will follow, in the content experience.
7. If you want to adjust the order in which it will appear under the parent piece, click the Order tab and select the space you want to move it to.
Note
If the PDF is the first asset you upload to a blank journey it will be the anchor of your communication journey’s content. All additional content headers and content will be linked to it.
8. Once you are finished, click Save.
A generic thumbnail of the PDF will appear in the Experience section. Once the PDF is uploaded, it will appear in Draft mode and will be invisible to your audience until it is published.
Editing PDF settings
Click the pencil icon on the PDF’s thumbnail to open the content asset settings window. This window has five tabs: Content, Publish State, Action, Feedback, and Share.
Content tab
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- Title: Review the title of this PDF, which appears above the PDF in the employee content experience.
- Other Labels drop-down menu includes:
- Short Title: Optional shorter title displayed in the content experience for navigation purposes.
- Intro Text: Optional text onscreen under the PDF within the content experience. This can be used to add context to the content or to give the viewer additional directions.
- ID: Tivian-created content will include a designated ID for production tracking. Use this field if you have an internal tracking system for your content.
- File: Displays the current uploaded file name. You can upload over the existing one at any time to update or change the asset.
- Thumbnail: Upload a custom thumbnail to represent the PDF. The thumbnail will be the graphic incorporated into your campaign message (email, poster, etc.) Some general thumbnails are available for download here.
- Location:
- Parent: Select the content header or piece of content that this PDF will follow in the content experience.
- Order: Select the order in which this PDF will appear, under the parent piece, along with the other child pieces.
Publish state tab
-
- Publish State: Change the publish state of your asset to ‘Published’. The PDF can now be viewed within your Communicate Journey.
- Set availability when published: If you want to show the PDF only for a set amount of time, you can toggle on this option. It will also show your company’s CXI set time zone. For more information on Send times setup, read the Default Send Times article.
Action tab:
Configure a Call to Action button that will take your employees to a designated URL. You can select a default option or create a custom one specifically for this PDF.
-
- Default: Use the default Call to Action button that has been set up in the Defaults area at the top of the Experience section.
- Custom: Create a unique Call to Action button with its own URL for this piece of content.
Feedback tab:
Add a multiple-choice poll or rating to appear after your PDF in the content experience. See Polls and Ratings to learn more.
In the Share tab:
You can copy the share link, thumbnail, QR code, or keyword text message that leads the viewer to the uploaded PDF, within the content experience.
This is also a place that you can download the PDF’s thumbnail to create a trackable thumbnail or to use the thumbnail graphic for other campaign messaging.
Note: The links in the Share tab are intended for internal reviews that only register as an engagement. If you need a trackable link as a part of your Communicate Journey, Tivian recommends creating a trackable asset link in your campaign timeline, see Create a Trackable Asset Link for more information.
Next steps
- Visit the Analytics section after the PDF has been released to track its engagement.
- Do you have a piece of content that is related to this PDF, or a document that further explains your program? Upload it and make this PDF it’s “parent” so that your employees will see it after they’ve viewed this asset.
FAQ
What are the file requirements for uploading a PDF to CXI?
CXI can host and display any PDF file. For links within the PDF to be clickable, they must be explicitly added using the Edit a PDF interface in Adobe Acrobat or similar software. All links should include the appropriate resource schema (http:// or https://). Thumbnails should be SVG, PNG, or JPEG format, 1024×576 pixels or larger, with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
How do I edit PDF settings after uploading?
To edit PDF settings, click the pencil icon on the PDF’s thumbnail to open the content asset settings window. This window has five tabs: Content, Publish State, Action, Feedback, and Share. Each tab allows you to customize different aspects of the PDF’s presentation and functionality within the content experience.
Can I track engagement for the uploaded PDF?
Yes, you can track engagement for the uploaded PDF by visiting the Analytics section after the PDF has been released. Additionally, you can create a trackable asset link in your campaign timeline for more detailed tracking. The Share tab also provides options to copy share links, thumbnails, QR codes, or keyword text messages, but these are primarily intended for internal reviews.