How to Edit a Web Page

There are two reasons that you might want to edit a web page that appears on your website. One reason would be to update the information that appears on the page. For many places on the web, information and events are constantly changing, thus necessitating that new info be posted. You might also want to correct any mistakes that are evident to web users.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Web site with FTP access
• Knowledge of HTML code

Instructions

1. Check over the actual web page and make a written note of all changes that need to be made. This can be something as simple as changing the background color to deleting information on past events that have already taken place and then adding new and current facts.

2. Copy the HTML code for the page that you would like to edit and paste the info in Notepad, which should be available on your computer, if you have a PC. To copy the code you must first open the page in one of the major browsers like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Foxfire. In Foxfire you simply go to the View heading at the top of the page and left-click on that and a drop down menu will appear. Then hit the "Page Source" listing and the code will appear. For Windows Internet Explorer the process is almost identical, except the drop down listing will read "Source" instead of "Page Source."

3. Make your changes to the text for the HTML code. There may also be some CSS language or Java Script included to name just a few of the more common programming languages.
   If you are looking for mistakes, then your task may be more complicated. In this case, the first thing to do is check out all the notation and text and make sure everything is correct and properly enclosed. A lot of horrible-looking mistakes are nothing more than a left out bracket or enclosure tag.

4. Place the new page in the browser window of your computer to see how it looks. If everything is in order, then you are ready to send the new page to your website server. If there are still mistakes evident or changes to be made, then go back to step 3. Sometimes finding a small mistake can become a major task.

5. Send the page to the server for your website via FTP. The new page will automatically replace the old page as long as the title remains the same. Then go to the web to see how it looks "live." The new page should be ready to view immediately, but it is possible there might be a delay at the server side.

Tips & Warnings

• Cascading Style Sheets (also called CSS) are good to use to set up your web page if you anticipate making a lot of changes in the future. If you are having trouble locating your mistakes, you can consult numerous online sites or programming publications. You can run your code through various online sites or programs like Firebug, which automatically scan your code and print out any obvious errors.

• Macintosh and Apple computers have a slightly different method of displaying the HTML code.