Resolving Missing Documents

What is a missing document?

A missing document occurs when a page links to a file that is no longer available. This most commonly affects PDF documents but can also include Microsoft Office files, text files, images, or other downloadable resources.

DubBot reports a missing document when it cannot locate the linked file.

Common causes

Missing documents are typically caused by one of the following:

• The document was deleted.
• The document was renamed.
• The document was moved to a different location.
• The page is linking to an outdated version of the document.
• The document was never published.

Fixing a missing document in Cascade CMS

1. Open the affected page from DubBot using Open In > Editor.
2. Locate the broken document link.
3. Determine whether the document still exists within Cascade.
4. If the document exists, update the link to point to the current file.
5. If the document no longer exists, upload the replacement document and update the link.
6. If the document is no longer needed, remove the link from the page.
7. Publish both the document (if applicable) and the updated page.

Whenever possible, use Cascade’s file chooser instead of manually entering document URLs. This helps maintain links if files are reorganized within the CMS.

Fixing a missing document in WordPress

1. Edit the affected page.
2. Locate the broken document link.
3. Upload the replacement file to the Media Library if necessary.
4. Update the link to reference the new document.
5. Update the page.
6. Verify the document opens correctly.

Verify the correction

After publishing:

1. Open the published page.
2. Select the document link.
3. Confirm the correct file downloads or opens successfully.
4. Wait for DubBot to crawl the website again.

Best Practices

• Replace documents instead of creating multiple versions whenever practical.
• Use descriptive file names that are easy to understand.
• Remove links to documents that are no longer maintained.
• Consider publishing information as HTML instead of PDF when appropriate to improve accessibility and maintenance.