TechNote

Set up a site connection in Contribute

What's covered

Basic connection information
Establishing a connection
Using a connection key

In order to edit pages in a site using Adobe Contribute, you will need to set up a connection to the site. Once this connection is established, Contribute will be able to access the existing pages and create new pages.

Note: Contribute 3 and later versions can now edit standalone web pages from the local hard drive, but Contribute is best suited for editing remote web sites.

Basic connection information

The URL (web address) of the site you want to edit. This will be a standard web address like http://www.example.com.
The connection method and address used to move files back and forth between Contribute and the web server. The supported connection methods in Contribute are :
- FTP: The most common way of transferring files between computers.
- Local/Network: This method transfers the files over the network via the file system.
- SFTP: A secure version of FTP. This connection method encrypts the data as it passes through the network. It requires a SFTP server and a user account to connect. This is available in Contribute 2 and later.
- WebDAV: Stands for Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning. This is a way of transferring files via HTTP. It is also used for version control. .Mac (dot Mac) accounts use WebDAV for transferring files. This connection method was introduced in Contribute 3. Read "WebDAV Support in Contribute 3" (TechNote tn_19469) for more information.
- Blog web hosted services: This includes editing Blogs hosted on services such as Wordpress, Typepad, and Blogger.
A user name and password (usually required for FTP, SFTP, Blogs, and WebDAV access).
There may be times when you need to know the location of the web root on the server. This is the actual folder on the server that contains the web pages. Contribute can usually find the location, but you may have to point to it if the server is using virtual path or the login information does not point directly to it. If you are unsure of the location of the webroot, ask the server administrator for this information.

Note: FTP and SFTP are not interchangeable. To use SFTP, an account must be created on the secure server for each user. Simply choosing SFTP for a regular FTP account will not make it secure.

Establishing a connection

Note that depending on the version of Contribute being used, the steps listed below may be in a different order. For instance, in Contribute 1 and 2, the user name and email is first (step 3). In Contribute 3, the URL is first (step 4).

Choose Edit > My Connections and click the New button. If the Create Connection button is available in the main toolbar, you can click that instead.
The first screen of the Connection Wizard reminds you to use a Connection Key if you have one. Click Next.
Enter your name and email address. These will be used to identify you to other Contribute and Dreamweaver users that are attempting to edit a file on which you are working. Click Next.
Enter the full URL of the site you want to edit. Clicking the Browse button opens a mini browser used to navigate to a web site or a specific web page that will be the start page for the Contribute site. Click OK to close the mini browser. Click the Next button.
If you are using a Blog web hosted site, drop down to this selection and drop down to the Blog name for "Who hosts your Blog". Also add your username and password.
Choose the connection method from the pop-up menu.
- FTP/SFTP: If you have an FTP connection, enter your FTP information. Example: ftp.example.com. The Advanced button gives options for Passive FTP and Firewall settings (FTP only, option not available for SFTP).
- Local/Network: If you have a Local/Network connection, enter the path or click the Choose button to navigate to and select the web folder. Example: For Windows, \\servername\webserver\wwwroot\, for Macintosh, afp://servername -or- cifs://servername.
- WebDAV: Enter the WebDAV information in to the fields. Ask the admin if unsure of what to enter.
  Note: If WebDAV is the connection method, all Contribute users need to use WebDAV. (For example, you can't have one person use WebDAV and another person use FTP. This is noted in the TechNote linked above.
Click the Next button. Contribute will now attempt to locate the web folder that houses your site.
- If Contribute has found the correct web folder, you will be prompted to select a user group to join. Administrators and Users will be listed by default, and other groups may be added by an Administrator. Choose your group and click Next.
- If Contribute has not found the web folder, you will be asked to browse the server for it. Select the folder that contains your web pages and click Next. This will take you to the user group chooser. Select a group and click Next.
Next is a summary page of the settings. Verify the correct settings and click Done to finish the connection. Contribute will open to the page specified in the connection and you are ready to browse, edit and publish.

Note: This information is also available in the Help system (choose Help > Macromedia Contribute Help) and the How Do I panel.

Using a connection key

Connection keys are files created by site Administrators that will set up the site connection automatically. Connection keys have the extension STC. For example, connection1.stc. A connection key includes connection information for a site, as well as the group which a user will be assigned for that connection.

Opening the key and entering the password

If you are using a connection key, double-click on the key. You will be prompted for the key password. The Contribute admin needs to provide this to you. The site will then set up automatically.

Server login information

To connect to a site, a user name and password are needed to access the server. A connection key may or may not include server login information. This login information is separate from the key password mentioned in the paragraph above. If they key includes the server login information than you will not need to enter it. However, if the Contribute administrator did not include their login information in the key, you will need your own login information. In this case, after entering the connection key password, you will be prompted for the server login information.

For example, an administrator can create a connection key and insert their own FTP login information. You would not be able to see that information, and your connection would be using the administrator's FTP account. Or else, an administrator can create a connection key that requires you to enter your own login information. In this case you would need to have an account for that server with correct permissions.

Note: If you are prompted for server login information but do not have this information, contact your administrator and let them know that you need them to provide this information or give you a connection key with the information already included.

Additional Information

See the TechNotes below for troubleshooting connection issues:

"Troubleshooting Contribute connection problems" (TechNote tn_16592)
"FTP Troubleshooting and Resources" (TechNote tn_18932)
"FTP Server Checker" (TechNote tn_19012)
"Testing FTP functions using command line" (TechNote tn_19496)
"Connection key from web e-mail client fails to connect" (TechNote tn_18734)
"Cross-platform connection keys fail" (TechNote tn_18792)
"Connection keys set to mapped drives fail to connect" (TechNote tn_16690)
"Virtual server paths with Contribute" (TechNote tn_16649 ).