Problem inserting placeholder

**JFry** · 25 January 2021, 12:49 PM

On many occasions I have copied a link for a document or video saved in Google Drive and then right clicked on my web page and inserted a placeholder. It has always worked perfectly well. For some reason when I now try to paste a link the only option I am given is to paste replacing selection which doesn't work perfectly at all.

I have a main public site and a members' area which is in a sub folder. Looking at the design file, my pages in the members' area suddenly seem to have a dotted outline. If I drag the corner the page within the dotted outline becomes smaller, leaving behind the text.

I have obviously leant on my keyboard at some point and caused the problem. Could someone please advise me as to how I can sort it out?

Sorry, I should have said that similar pages where I have already inserted a placeholder are working okay still.

**gwpriester** · 25 January 2021, 02:03 PM

Paste Replacing Selection is not what you want. Are you pasting into the Head or Body area of the placeholder?

The outline you are seeing sounds link you accidentally pasted something into the Guides layer.

**JFry** · 25 January 2021, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by gwpriester

Paste Replacing Selection is not what you want. Are you pasting into the Head or Body area of the placeholder?

The outline you are seeing sounds link you accidentally pasted something into the Guides layer.

Paste Replacing Selection is the only option I am now being given when I right click on a page, which is what I usually do to get the placeholder option. I have also tried inserting a rectangle and looking for a placeholder paste option. Finally, I also tried editing an existing placeholder and changing the link info but still no luck.

As I say, all I have had to do before is copy a link, right click on my web page and choose paste into placeholder.

**gwpriester** · 25 January 2021, 02:30 PM

As I say, all I have had to do before is copy a link, right click on my web page and choose paste into placeholder.

Shouldn't you create a placeholder object then open Web Properties > Placeholder? Or if the placeholder exists, right click and select Edit Widget?

**JFry** · 25 January 2021, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by gwpriester

Shouldn't you create a placeholder object then open Web Properties > Placeholder? Or if the placeholder exists, right click and select Edit Widget?

I'm sorry, I'm not really understanding you. You probably know from my previous posts that I'm not the brightest bulb in the box!!

My problem really is that I have never had a problem with placeholders before now. From your suggestions above I assume when you say create a placeholder object you mean insert a rectangle. I have tried that, opened web properties and inserted the link in the html code (body). Used to work for me but not now. I have also tried editing an existing widget that I know works but no luck there either.

The only thing that is different I think is the dotted box around my pages.

**Acorn** · 25 January 2021, 02:41 PM

None of what you are describing is a Xara function.
Have you been using an Embed a Website Widget previously?

For the view you seem to be now getting, did you change View Quality to Outline [Window > View Quality > Outlines]?

Acorn

**JFry** · 25 January 2021, 02:51 PM

[QUOTE=Acorn;633155]None of what you are describing is a Xara function.
Have you been using an Embed a Website Widget previously?

For the view you seem to be now getting, did you change View Quality to Outline [Window > View Quality > Outlines]?

Acorn[/QUOTE

I have remembered how to do it. I can't just copy a Google Drive link for a video into a placeholder. The video has to be opened in preview first and then there is an 'embed item' option. Sorry to bother you with this but it has been a while since I tried to embed a Drive video and I had completely forgotten the extra step. Thanks for your help though everyone.

**Acorn** · 25 January 2021, 03:07 PM

But are you still going dotty?

Acorn

**JFry** · 25 January 2021, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Acorn

But are you still going dotty?

Acorn

Yep, still lots of dots. If I click on my page, the whole page (except header and footer) is surrounded by a dotted box. If I delete the box I am left with text on no background.

**Acorn** · 25 January 2021, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by JFry

Yep, still lots of dots. If I click on my page, the whole page (except header and footer) is surrounded by a dotted box. If I delete the box I am left with text on no background.

I think you have unlocked your Page Background.

Open the Page & Layer gallery and click on the open padlock to the right of Page background; the padlock will close and go red.
Click on the MouseOff layer just above and you should be fine.

Acorn