Spotlight: Autosave and Revision History

Welcome to Spotlight!

Spotlight is the blog post series highlighting hidden WordPress gems to help you master your editing skills. Start with the imagine this scenario or jump straight to instruction on autosave and revision history.

Are you interested in a training to learn his gem?
Snag a meeting with the Web Services Specialist or email webservices@kzoo.edu.

Autosave and Revision History

  • Learning curve: medium-hard
  • Documentation available: Yes
  • Advantage: Restores a past revision and allows viewing of past edits

Imagine this…

It’s been a long, hectic morning filled with in-person support. After the constant hustle, you’re craving a quiet moment to catch your breath. You take a sip of water and pause, contemplating your next task. Suddenly, it hits you—you still need to update the details for your department’s upcoming event on the website! Relieved you remembered, you think, “Perfect, I needed some quiet work anyway.

You dive into the task with focus and precision, feeling unstoppable as you check each item off your mental list:

  • Add an expressive event image
  • Credit the photographer in the description field and on the page
  • Add alt text
  • Write a compelling event description
  • Use the columns block to keep the page looking short and sweet for our desktop users

You’re feeling like a pro—right up until your laptop power cord slips loose and your computer suddenly shuts down.

Panic floods in. “I didn’t save my changes! All that work—gone!” You can’t help but think, “What a waste of time, right?

But before despair sets in completely, you remember a vital detail: WordPress might have your back. Thanks to the Autosave and Revision History features, your hard work could still be there, waiting to be recovered. Maybe your efforts weren’t wasted after all!

Restoring a Revision of a Page or Post

Thankfully the WordPress editor autosaves your work and stores a revision history for each page and post on your site. Reference the Restore a Revision of a Page or Post guide to learn how to restore an earlier version of a page or post.

Additional Revision Topics of the Guide


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Maps and Directions for Users

Hello SCEs

It has come to our attention that the College has ended use of the interactive campus map which many of you use to guide visitors to buildings and other campus locations. Now that the interactive campus map is no longer available, please be sure to update your address links so they no longer point to the concept3d map URLs. If you would still like to provide users directions, please see the options below to do so.

Many thanks,
Katrina and Carolyn

Embed or Link to Google Map

Linking to a Google Map is the perfect option for those of you who are hyperlinking the department address (either in pages or your right sidebar or footer) to help users get to that direct location. To acquire the link needed to replace the concept3D map URL you can do so by:

  1. Visit google.com/maps
  2. Enter the name of the building in the search field, e.g. DeWaters Residence Hall.
  3. The map will focus and the place information panel will be displayed on the left
  4. Click on the Share icon ( )
  5. The first tab will provide you the link. e.g. https://goo.gl/maps/xKDUkNxkvrn1MEi49

Embed a Google Map

For instructions to embed a Google Map on your website please visit the Embed or Link to Google Map page for further instructions.

Display the Kalamazoo College Campus Map on your Website

To display the full campus map on your website:

  1. Go to the Kalamazoo College Campus Map page
  2. Select the image of the Campus Map
  3. Copy the URL displayed in your browser search bar. e.g. https://www.kzoo.edu/about/files/2021/05/MAP_main-campus.png
  4. Now on your WordPress page, add an image block
  5. Select the Insert from URL option
  6. Paste the URL into the field
  7. Select the apply button

Note on Accessibility: Be sure to add alternative text to your image (located on the Block pane on the right sidebar) and list the number on the map they will need to reference. Depending on how you present your information, you might also need to add alternative directions to your building. Know that you can accomplish this by typing them our manually or linking to a Google Map.

Send Users to the Kalamazoo College Campus Map page

If you would like to provide your users with a map of the overall campus along with the key to each location, please add a link to the Kalamazoo College Campus Map page.

Additional Resources

Many SCEs have linked to their department building in their right sidebar or footer. If you cannot remember how to access your right sidebar or footer please watch the Adding and Editing Right Sidebar and Footer content video or visit the Footer Content or Right Sidebar Content pages.