Directory Profiles

Directory Profiles

The Directory on your department site is the public faculty and staff listing visitors use to find contact information and learn about your team. The Directory page is a View that automatically gathers People content and displays it in a standardized card layout.

Your job as an editor is to create and maintain People profiles. When those profiles are Published and tagged correctly, they appear on the Directory without manual list updates. See Views for how automated listings work.

How the Directory and People content connect

  • People — Individual faculty or staff profiles (one node per person).

  • Directory — The front-end listing built from published People nodes, usually sorted by Sort order and then last name.

ITS configures the Directory View when your site is built. You do not edit the View itself; you edit the underlying People records.

Creating a People profile

  1. In the Admin Toolbar, open Content > Add content > People.

  2. Complete the three editor tabs—Profile, Grouping, and Bio—described below.

  3. Ensure Published is checked when the profile should appear on the Directory, then click Save.

Profile tab

The Profile tab holds the information shown on the directory card and the top of the individual profile page.

  • Full name (required) — The person’s name as it should appear publicly.

  • Sort order (required) — A number that controls list position. When two profiles share the same number, the Directory sorts them alphabetically by Last name.

  • Last name (required) — Used for alphabetical sorting when sort order values match.

  • NetID / ID (required) — Used to generate the profile URL path. Use the person’s NetID when they have one; otherwise use a unique identifier such as initials (letters and numbers only).

  • Image — Headshot from the Media Library. Click Add media to upload or select an existing image. Provide descriptive alt text in the library. See Site Media Library.

  • Position & titles — Job titles (for example, Professor, Department Head). Use Add another item for multiple titles. Use Show row weights to change display order.

  • Email — Public contact email.

  • Phone — Use the format 662-325-0000.

  • Address — Office location or room number. You can add more than one entry and reorder with row weights.

Grouping tab

The Grouping tab assigns taxonomy terms that organize profiles for the Directory and any filters on your site. Complete these fields so the person appears when visitors filter by department, role, or discipline.

  • Division — Category, department, or division (for example, your academic unit). Start typing to search existing terms; use Add another item if more than one applies.

  • Classification — Staff category or similar grouping used on your site (for example, faculty vs. staff classifications defined by your unit).

  • Discipline — Subject area or specialty, when applicable.

These fields connect to directory taxonomy vocabularies. If a profile is missing the correct term, it may not appear when a visitor uses a filter. See Taxonomy.

Bio tab

The Bio tab builds the longer profile content visitors see when they open a person’s detail page (beyond the summary on the Directory card).

Bio content uses a Tab group so you can split information into labeled sections (for example, Biography, Research, Education):

  1. Inside the tab group, each Tab needs a Title (required).

  2. Under Body content, add a Text block (or other allowed patterns) and enter copy in the rich text editor. Choose an appropriate Text format (often Full HTML on People profiles).

  3. Use Add Tab for additional sections within the same group, or Add Tab group for a separate set of tabs.

Important: A new People item may include an empty default tab group. If you are not using the Bio tab, remove the empty tab group before saving. Otherwise Drupal may block the save because required tab fields are blank. If you do want a bio, fill in every required field in each tab you keep.

Publishing and Directory visibility

A profile appears on the Directory only when:

  • It is Published (checkbox checked next to Save).

  • Required Profile fields are complete.

  • Grouping terms match how your Directory View is configured (when filters are in use).

To hide someone from the Directory without deleting their profile, open the People node, uncheck Published, and save. See Publishing and Unpublishing.

Updating or removing profiles

To edit an existing profile, go to Content, filter by type People, and open the record. After changes, click Save. Use the Revision log message in the sidebar when multiple editors maintain the directory.

To remove someone permanently, delete the People node from the content list. Deletion is irreversible. Prefer unpublishing if the profile may be needed again. See Deleting.

Troubleshooting

  • Profile does not appear on the Directory: Confirm it is Published, required Profile fields are filled, and Grouping terms are assigned. Check Sort order if the person seems out of place in the list.

  • Profile missing from a filter: Verify Division, Classification, or Discipline on the Grouping tab matches the filter the visitor selected.

  • Cannot save a new profile: Remove an unused empty Bio tab group, or complete all required fields in tabs you keep.

  • Wrong URL for a profile: The path is driven by NetID / ID. Contact your site administrator if a NetID change requires a URL update.

  • Cannot add People at all: You may lack permission for this content type. Contact your site administrator or the IT Service Desk.

Best practices

  • Use a consistent, professional headshots provided by OPA when possible.

  • Keep Sort order values intentional—department chairs or unit leads often use lower numbers to appear first.

  • Assign Grouping terms at save time so new hires appear in the right filters immediately.

  • Unpublish profiles when someone leaves the unit; update the Directory during semester turnover or org changes.

Related guides: Content Overview, Views, FAQs & Common Issues.