Your Public Website, Using Files 2.0

You can use the NYU Files 2.0 service — accessible via your NYUHome Files tab or https://files.nyu.edu — to create and maintain a public website. To learn how to create and update your public website using Files 2.0, read on. For more information about Files 2.0, visit www.nyu.edu/its/filestorage/files.

• Creating Your Public Web Page
• Editing Your Public Web Page
• Uploading & Downloading Files
• Web Page Rights & Responsibilities

How do I create my public website?

Creating your public website is easy. The Files 2.0 service, located at https://files.nyu.edu, can be used to host public websites through a feature called "Public Sharing." Just follow these steps:

1. Log into NYUHome.
2. In the Files tab, go to the Files 2.0 channel.
3. Click "Activate your public folder now."

After you confirm that you have read and agreed to the Files 2.0 Terms of Use, a folder named "public" will be created within your Files 2.0 home directory. Any file you place inside this folder will be available on the Web to anyone with a link to the file, and discoverable by anyone via Google and other web search engines. Anything that you move out of this folder will cease to be publicly available. The folder automatically contains a file placeholder called index.html, which you may replace with your own HTML page.

The URL for accessing your new website will be:
https://files.nyu.edu/YOUR NETID/public (where "YOUR NETID" is replaced by your NYU NetID - e.g., aqe123)

Please note that Files 2.0 supports only HTML and Javascript, and does not support dynamic, server-side technologies such as PHP, Perl, JSP, AJAX, and ASP.

How do I edit my public web page?

After you create your public folder, you will see a default template page called index.html. This page will stay in place until you modify or replace this page with your own content.

You can edit your index.html file and create other web pages for your site using a desktop publishing program or, if you know HTML well, any text editor. Then you can upload these files to your website to make them publicly available on the web. Remember that your web page files must go into the directory called public.

For reference and free web design tutorials, you can visit W3Schools.

Uploading & Downloading Files

To upload files to your public website:

1. Log into NYUHome and click the Files Login button in the Files 2.0 channel, or go to https://files.nyu.edu and log in with your NetID and password.
2. Double-click the public folder to open it, then, on the right side of the Files 2.0 screen, click the Upload icon.
3. On the File Upload page, click the Browse button located in the grey-bordered box. (If you are using Advanced Upload, click Add Files or drag files into the upload area.)
4. Select the file you wish to upload, then click Open.
5. To add additional files, click the Add File button above the grey-bordered box. Repeat this process for every file you wish to upload. You can also choose to use Advanced Upload to easily upload multiple files.
6. Click Start Upload.
7. The browser will then return you to the directory to which you uploaded your file(s).
8. To view the files you have uploaded on the Web, point your browser to http://files.nyu.edu/YOUR NETID/public/FILENAME (where YOUR NETID is your NYU NetID — e.g., aqe123 and FILENAME is the name of the file you just uploaded). Please note that NetIDs must be lowercase and file names are case sensitive, so the URL must match the case of the file name you just uploaded. If you create subdirectories within your public folder, they will also need to be included in the URL for viewing in the browser, e.g., http://files.nyu.edu/aqe123/public/foldername/filename.html.

To download files from your account to your home machine:

1. Log into NYUHome and click the Files Login button in the Files 2.0 channel, or go to https://files.nyu.edu and log in with your NetID and password.
2. Double-click the public folder to open it, and select the file you would like to download.
3. To download, double-click the selected file and you will be prompted about where you would like to save the file on your computer.

Uploading & downloading files using WebDAV

You can also upload and download files using WebDAV. To learn more about WebDAV, and how to use it with Files 2.0, visit the Files FAQ page, click here for an Ask ITS knowledgebase article on how to map a network drive (Windows only), or search AskITS. Additionally, help is available within the Files 2.0 website.

Please also see the Files 2.0 Terms of Use at www.nyu.edu/its/filestorage/files/tou.html.

Web Page Rights & Responsibilities

Domain Name Registration

NYU Network Policy does not permit the registration of external hostnames against NYU assets (in this case, the files.nyu.edu server). This is documented in:

• www.nyu.edu/its/policies/netopolicy.html

If you want to register a domain name, we suggest that you do so with an outside service provider and redirect your new site's index.html page to your personal website within Files 2.0.

Commercial Use of Your NYUHome Web Page

You may not run a business or advertise on your web page. Your NYUHome account is for educational and research purposes only, as indicated by the .edu in the address. Your account can be suspended and disciplinary action will be taken if you use your personal home page for commercial purposes.

If you need a web page for your business, you should get an account with a commercial Internet service provider (ISP). In most cases, the rate covers a block of file space for the subscriber's web page; more space can be rented if needed. This will give your business an appropriate commercial address in the .com domain.

Page last reviewed: March 12, 2012