# Editing existing content ## expand\_more ## How to edit content ### Step 1: Locate the content to edit 1. Navigate to **Content** to see a listing view of all of the available content in the site (see [Content Dashboard](/resource/content-dashboard "Content Dashboard") for details about working with the content dashboard). 2. You can search for the content or find the content within the list of content available for editing. To search: 1. Enter the **Title** of the content, or keywords that would help you find the content. 2. Select the **Content** type (if necessary) to help filter results to only that content type. 3. If necessary, you can also filter by if the content was published (**Published status**) and **Language**. 3. Once you find the content you would like to edit, you can edit the content in a few different ways. 1. Navigate to the **Operations** column and click on **Edit** from the dropdown menu. 2. Click on the **Title** from the **Content Dashboard** and navigate to the page, or navigate to the page using the site navigation. 3. Once the page is displayed, click on the **Edit** tab in order to edit the content. ![Screenshot of News & Events page showing breadcrumbs, tabs with the Edit tab focused, and page heading](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/2024-05/Edit%20tab.png?itok=WSFveaOe) Navigate to the content you would like to edit and select the **Edit** tab to see the content editing interface.### Step 2: Edit the content 1. Make edits to the content (see [Text Editor](/resource/text-editor "Text Editor") for details about using the text editor toolbar). 2. Click on **Save**. ## Recovering deleted content When you delete an item, it’s moved to Trash instead of being removed permanently. From the Trash page you can restore items or purge them (permanently delete). Only site administrators and editors can delete and recover items in the trash. ### How to restore a deleted item 1. In the admin menu to go to **Content** and then click on the **Trash** tab. You’ll see two tabs, one for **Content** and one for **Reference Entities** (Publications). Under each tab, you will see a list of items that have been deleted and are eligible to be restored. 2. (Optional) Use filters to narrow the list. 3. In the **Operations** column for the item you want, click on **Restore**. Confirm that you want to restore that item. 4. Review the restored page. If it was previously unpublished or needs edits, update and publish as needed. Items in the trash will be automatically deleted after 30 days. ### How to permanently delete an item (purge) Purging removes the item from Trash and from your site permanently. 1. Click on **Content** and then click on the **Trash** tab. 2. In the **Operations** column for the item, open the actions menu and select **Purge**. 3. Confirm the action. **Use with care.** Purged items cannot be restored from Trash. ## Notes - The trash/restore functionality only works for content types and publications, but not for components. - Publications are listed separately in the Trash from other types of content. - If you delete a page and try to create a new page with the same URL alias, you may see a conflict until the trashed item is purged. If you need to re‑use an alias immediately, purge the trashed item first or choose a different alias. - Items in the trash will be automatically deleted after 30 days. --- ## Related resources [### Checking for (and managing) broken links on your HarvardSites site ](/resource/checking-and-managing-broken-links-your-harvardsites-site)Identify, fix, and prevent broken links on your site. ![AI-generated image showing nodes connected by lines](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-10/pexels-googledeepmind-17485658.jpg?itok=uU0i8Pjm) [### Using announcement banners effectively (VIDEO) ](/resource/using-announcement-banners-effectively-video)Best practices for creating effective website announcement banners. ![a hand holding a megaphone](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-06/AdobeStock_378138203.jpeg?itok=tX7YW0J8) [### Content publishing states in HarvardSites (VIDEO) ](/resource/content-publishing-states-harvardsites-video)Understand the differences between saving content as draft, unpublished, or published states. ![a hand moving blocks forming a workflow](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-06/AdobeStock_522400980.jpeg?itok=MrUfEFN9) [### Pages vs Lists vs Resources vs News in HarvardSites (VIDEO) ](/resource/pages-vs-lists-vs-resources-vs-news-harvardsites-video)Learn when to use pages, lists, resources, or news to display content on your site. ![File folders with papers](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/pexels-nada-mohamed-3446789-29234185.jpg?itok=sE0QoWAv) [### Citation styles supported in HarvardSites Drupal ](/resource/citation-styles-supported-harvardsites-drupal)Review the citation styles available in HarvardSites Drupal that best matches your discipline, department, or publication standards. ![an open book](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/pexels-pixabay-267582.jpg?itok=0uA1Z_0G) [### How saving works in HarvardSites (VIDEO) ](/resource/how-saving-works-harvardsites-video)Understand the way saving your pages and components work in HarvardSites Drupal. ![AI-generated image of a file folder made of glass](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/AdobeStock_1995028079.jpeg?itok=jqzANj4t) [### Images in HarvardSites Drupal: Getting the results you expect (VIDEO) ](/resource/images-harvardsites-drupal-getting-results-you-expect-video)Learn how images are handled differently depending on how and where you use them. ![a person using a phone that has images on its screen](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/pexels-cottonbro-5082579%20%281%29.jpg?itok=JlHI6Xvr) [### Hero component: Styles, sizes, and best practices (VIDEO) ](/resource/hero-component-styles-sizes-and-best-practices-video)Understanding the options available in the Hero component and best practices. ![a tablet computer showing a website](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/pexels-pixabay-39559.jpg?itok=-VFJXOhB) [### How to navigate and edit nested content (VIDEO) ](/resource/how-navigate-and-edit-nested-content-video)How-to video on understanding how content and components are nested on HarvardSites Drupal ![Black squares within bigger squares](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-03/pexels-pppsdavid-6727764.jpg?itok=mxCK2clU) [### Sharing audio and video on your site ](/resource/sharing-audio-and-video-your-site)Best practices for sharing audio files (like podcasts) and videos. ![a computer screen displaying digital audio waves](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-12/pexels-pixabay-257904.jpg?itok=Cp1H1EbL) [### Optimizing your site for search engines and artificial intelligence ](/resource/optimizing-your-site-search-engines-and-artificial-intelligence)Learn how to improve your site's content for search engines and AI-generated content. ![Laptop computer with Google search on the screen](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-09/pexels-caio-67112.jpg?itok=ieznmSs0) [### Using VPN to edit your site ](/resource/using-vpn-edit-your-site) Why use VPN when editing your site When working on your HarvardSites Drupal site, we recommend connecting through Harvard’s Virtual Private Network (VPN). Connecting to Harvard’s VPN before you log in makes admin tasks smoother and more secure. It gives... ![Harvard gate leading up to the Science Center](/sites/g/files/omnuum1651/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2025-09/Screenshot%202025-09-26%20at%209.29.51%E2%80%AFAM.png?itok=paIb561k) See also:- [ How-tos ](/content-structure/how-tos) - [ Content ](/topics/content)