External Content URL

The External Content URL component embeds other content in a dashboard page. You can show either:

• a web page, by entering its URL, or
• an HTML file from File Bank, such as an HTML report you have uploaded to your account.

You’ll find External Content URL in the OTHER group of the Components Menu. It doesn’t need a data source: the embedded content is shown as it is.

In edit mode, the component shows the URL or File Bank file name rather than the content itself. Preview the dashboard to see the embedded content.

Properties

Settings

• Source Type — choose where the content comes from:
  • External URL (the default) — embed a web page.
  • File Bank file — embed an HTML file stored in File Bank.
• URL — shown when Source Type is External URL. Enter the address of the page to embed. Pages are always loaded over a secure connection: if you leave out https://, it is added for you.
• File Bank File — shown when Source Type is File Bank file. Click Select File to choose the file (see Selecting a File Bank file below). Once a file is selected, its name appears in File Name.
• Height Mode — choose how tall the embedded content is:
  • Fixed height (the default) — the content uses the Height you set in the Size group.
  • Fill available space — the content stretches to fill the rest of the screen below it, and resizes with the browser window. It is never shorter than 300px.

Size

• Fill — sets the width of the component, depending on the parent Container’s layout setting.
• Height — the height of the embedded content in pixels (default 300). Only shown when Height Mode is Fixed height.

Selecting a File Bank file

1. Set Source Type to File Bank file.
2. Click Select File.
3. In the Select File dialog, click the File Bank folder that holds your file, then open any subfolders as needed. Use the folder names at the top of the dialog to go back up a level.
4. Click the file to select it. The dialog closes and the file name appears in the properties panel.

Only HTML files are listed, so other files in the folder (such as PDFs or images) are hidden. If a folder has no HTML files, the dialog shows “No HTML files in this folder.”

File Bank content runs in a secure frame

HTML files from File Bank are shown in a sandboxed frame. Scripts in the file can run, but the file can’t access the Portal or the viewer’s sign-in details. Features in the file that rely on browser storage or cookies may not work.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is the web page I embedded blank or showing an error?

Many websites don’t allow their pages to be embedded in other sites. If a page won’t display, check that the URL is correct and starts with https://, then open it in a separate browser tab to confirm it loads. If it loads in its own tab but not in the dashboard, the website is blocking embedding, and you’ll need to link to it instead (for example, with a link in a Paragraph component).

Why can’t I see my file in the Select File dialog?

The dialog only lists HTML files (ending in .html or .htm). Check that the file has been uploaded to File Bank in the account you’re working in, and that it is an HTML file. Other file types, such as PDF or Word documents, can’t be embedded.

How do I make the embedded content take up the whole page?

Set Height Mode to Fill available space, and place the component at the top of the page or in a Container with its Size set to 100%. The content then fills the width of its Container and the rest of the screen height.

Why can’t I see the embedded content while editing?

In edit mode, the component only shows the URL or the name of the selected File Bank file. Click Preview to see the content as viewers will.