Digital Experience

Learn more about the latest enhancements and bug fixes from the past two weeks, along with the latest news and how-to articles and videos.

Thank you for your continued dedication and contributions. Let’s keep striving for excellence together!

Discover more about updates to the DX platform and access training materials on the DX Training website. 

Drupal 11 Upgrade

What is happening:
Lullabot will be upgrading all DX Platform Production sites to Drupal 11.

When is this happening:
Scheduled for June 1-June 15, 2025.

What is the impact:
This upgrade is for current modules. Authors should not expect any major changes outside of the UI placement and design.

The upgrade will bring a new UI design which replaces the top red bar and content navigation button links moving to the left side, and the colors will change from red to white and blue.

 
Drupal 11 navigation items remain the same, just move to the left side.

CURRENT ENHANCEMENTS

'No Search Results' Issue

If you've ever been searching within your website or other agency websites, and you know the search term exists but get no matches, you're not alone. This happens when Google sees too many searches coming from the same IP address. In our office settings, many of us share the same public IP address. This makes it appear to Google like a surge of search requests are coming from one source.

Typically, you would encounter a 'Captcha' screen where you check a box to verify that you're human, and if applicable, complete the additional Captcha prompts. There was no efficient and timely workaround besides patiently waiting.

The good news is that this issue has been resolved. If Google detects increased traffic, you can bypass this by using the Captcha screen, where you simply check a box to verify that you are human. Once you're verified, you'll be able to return to your normal search experience.

NEWS

Give Feedback Tab Pilot Launched

A new 'Give Feedback' tab is now available on dom.iowa.gov, iowa.gov, and dxsandbox.iowa.gov. The button is located on the right side of the user's browser for desktop computers, and at the bottom for mobile devices.

Purpose of the Website Feedback Tab:

• Identify and understand the information constituents are seeking.
• Assess and analyze overall satisfaction.
• Identify and analyze specific pages and topics where constituents are having a difficult time or are frustrated with the information and develop solutions.

If you would like to learn more about the proposed plan and purpose of these websites, as well as additional information, please refer to this month's content manager meeting.

Follow Up on the Iowa DOT Website Launch

Erin Schroeder, Senior Content Strategist at Lullabot, provided some interesting information about the Iowa DOT website.

This is the largest and most complex website we've migrated to the platform so far, and the results speak for themselves: 

• 72% reduction in total page count
• 85% reduction in documents
• Major improvement to content organization and design

We're proud to help make Iowa's transportation resources easier for everyone to find and use.

GOT A BUG? Submit a ServiceNow Ticket for Fast Fixes!

Is something not working as expected? If you encounter a bug or any issue, don’t wait - submit a ServiceNow (SN) ticket right away! Reporting problems as soon as possible is essential to ensuring a quick resolution and keeping everything running smoothly. You can also check the DX Training Report Page for updates on reported issues and a quick link to submit your own bug reports.

TRAINING CORNER Stay up to date with the latest training resources designed specifically for content managers. Whether you are looking to enhance your skills or streamline your website updates, this section will keep you informed and ready to tackle any new challenges.

How To: Scheduling and Publishing

You can schedule pages to be published automatically at a later date using the "Schedule a Status Change" feature within content pages. First make sure the 'save as' field is set to Draft. Use the "Schedule a status change" link below the 'save as' dropdown field. From there you can set the status change to "Published" and set a specific date and time.

How To: PDF Titles Appearing in Browser Tabs

If you've clicked on a PDF and the title of the document isn't appearing in the browser tab, or something other than the desired title is appearing, the problem is within your PDF document. Within PDF document properties is a 'title' field that needs to contain the name of your document. This will allow the title to appear in the browser tab. This isn't necessarily the PDF file name (xxxxx.pdf) but should be a descriptive title for the document. The two could be the same. You can watch this video from the Iowa Department of Education on how to title your PDF documents.

Monthly DX Training Classes

The monthly DX course is designed for new users and those looking for a refresher on the platform basics. You can register directly on the DX Training site: Monthly DX Training Classes.

Weekly Office Hours

Need help or have questions? Join our live office hours every Thursday from 1-2 pm. No registration is needed - simply click the live meeting link available on the DX Training page during the scheduled time. Sharean Morishita will be there to assist with troubleshooting, platform refreshers, or any other questions you have.

Accessibility Training

• Creating Accessible Tables - Thursday, May 29, at 1 p.m. This live training session will focus on techniques for table design and tagging complex data tables with merged or split cells. Register for this training session.