Overview
If you've uploaded an attachment (PDF, Word, etc. - see Add Attachments), you can add a link to that attachment by following the same steps you would take to link to an internal page.
On many sites, attachment links will be automatically prepended with a file icon, which will be specific to the type of file that has been uploaded (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.). The inclusion of these icons will inform site visitors that they will be clicking on a downloadable file.
If you do not see these icons automatically added to your attachment links, or if you would prefer to NOT show these icons, then you will need to turn the feature on or off accordingly. See Other Theme Settings for more information (the Site Builder role will be required to turn this feature on or off).
How to create attachment links
Search for the appropriate file name.
Once you select the appropriate file, the appropriate "Target path" to the file should automatically be entered.
Click "Insert link" to add the link to the attachment.
Forcing a file to download instead of opening in the browser
Certain file types are handled badly when opened in the browser. For example, interactive PDFs might display incorrectly. Microsoft Office files, when browsed to on a Windows computer, might pop up an authentication dialog. In general, site visitors and their browser settings control whether a file is opened using an in-browser viewer or downloaded. But if you have files that shouldn't be opened in the browser, you can create a link that will prevent that.
Click the Linkit button in the WYSIWYG toolbar. Then click the "Change profile" link at the top of the Linkit dialog. Choose "File download" to create a special link that will prevent the file from being opened in the browser. Then click the "Change profile" link again to collapse the field.
Begin typing the name of your file in the "Search for content" field in the Linkit dialog. The system will suggest matching files. (When using the "File download" profile, the system will not suggest pages, only files.) Once you select the appropriate file, the appropriate "Target path" to the file should automatically be entered. Click "Insert link."
You can also use this profile to link to external files. After choosing the "File download" profile, enter the full URL to a file hosted on a different site into the "Link URL" field.