Add or remove metadata

  • Article

Microsoft Expression Web uses metadata to maintain the cross-page dependencies that are required for some Expression Web features such as hyperlink management features, Dynamic Web templates, and certain site reports. Certain options in the Site Settings and Properties dialog boxes are also unavailable if your site does not have metadata. In order to use these features, you need to add metadata to your site.

Important

Depending on the method you choose to publish your site, metadata could be viewed by users browsing the site. You have several options to prevent this from happening. For more information, see Publishing sites.

Metadata is stored in special folders which are hidden by default to prevent them from accidentally being deleted, changed, or moved. The folder _vti_cnf folder contains information about every file, such as which links are within the file. The _vti_pvt folder stores all of the configuration information for the site.

Expression Web uses metadata to store information about:

  • Certain file properties such as page title and file size (the General tab on the Properties dialog box).

  • Summary comments (the Comments box on Summary tab on the Properties dialog box).

  • Certain site reports.

    Note

    Reports that do not require metadata include All Files, Recently Changed Files, and Older Files.

  • Pages which are attached to a Dynamic Web Template.

Metadata is required for the following:

  • FrontPage sites with components that require FrontPage Server Extensions.

  • Hyperlink management features.

  • Hyperlinks view.

You can easily add metadata to or remove metadata from your site. You can also refresh the metadata and resynchronize the cross-page dependencies that metadata supports by using the Recalculate Hyperlinks command. Recalculating your site metadata is recommended any time you add metadata to your site.

To add metadata to your site

  1. On the Site menu, click Site Settings.

  2. In the Site Settings dialog box, on the General tab, select Maintain the site using hidden metadata files.

To remove metadata from your site

  1. On the Site menu, click Site Settings.

  2. In the Site Settings dialog box, on the General tab, clear Maintain the site using hidden metadata files.

Note

You cannot remove metadata from a site stored under My Web Sites on your computer.

To recalculate metadata

  1. With your site open, on the Tools menu, click Recalculate Hyperlinks.

  2. In the Recalculate Hyperlinks dialog box, click Yes.

See also

Tasks

Recalculate hyperlinks

Concepts

Creating new sites
Publishing sites

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