# Edit text and pages

> Change text, add pages and update the menu of your Viralistic Astro site safely, with a preview before anything goes live.

Source: https://viralistic.nl/help/astro/edit-content

This article is for site owners and editors who want to change their own website without waiting for a developer. On a Viralistic Astro site, all text lives in plain files, so editing a page means editing a file. You will learn how a page file is built, how to edit it in the browser on GitHub, and how to check your change before it goes live.

## How a page file is built

Every page is a markdown file in `src/content/pages`. It has two parts:

```md
---
type: page
title: Privacy policy
description: How we handle personal data and the rights you have.
eyebrow: Privacy
intro: We keep personal data to the minimum needed to run this website.
seo:
  title: "Privacy policy | Your Company"
  description: "How we handle personal data and your rights under the GDPR."
---

## Who is responsible

Your Company, Example Street 1, Amsterdam, is responsible for the data on this page.
```

- **Frontmatter** is everything between the two `---` lines. It holds structured data in YAML: the page type, title, description, buttons, images. The layout decides where each field appears.
- **Body** is everything below. It is long-form text in markdown: headings, paragraphs, lists and links.

The fields you may use depend on the `type`. Copy an existing page of the same type when in doubt.

## Edit a page on GitHub

You do not need to install anything for small text changes.

1. Open the website's repository on GitHub and go to `src/content/pages`.
2. Open the file for the page you want to change. The file path matches the URL: `/webdesign/hosting` lives in `webdesign/hosting.md`.
3. Click the pencil icon to edit the file.
4. Make your change.
5. Click the button to commit your changes, and choose to create a new branch and start a pull request.
6. Open the pull request. After a minute or two, Netlify adds a link to a deploy preview.
7. Open the preview and check the page.
8. When it looks right, merge the pull request. The live site updates automatically.

> **Tip:** Working through a pull request means nothing reaches your visitors until you have seen the preview. If the build fails, the live site stays as it was.

## YAML rules that prevent errors

Most failed builds after a content edit come from one of these:

- **Indentation uses spaces, never tabs.** Nested fields (such as `title` under `seo`) are indented two spaces.
- **Quote text that contains a colon.** `title: "SilverDrive: a premium chauffeur brand"` works. Without quotes, YAML gets confused.
- **List items start with a dash and a space.** Each button or feature is one `- ` item with its fields indented below it.
- **Do not invent fields.** The schemas are strict, so an unknown field (or a typo such as `tilte`) stops the build with an error naming the file and the field.
- **Do not remove required fields.** Every page needs at least `type`, `title` and `description`.

## Write the body text

The body uses ordinary markdown:

```md
## A section heading

A paragraph of text with a [link to the contact page](https://viralistic.nl/contact) and **bold words**.

- A list item
- Another list item
```

Start sections with `##`. The page title is already shown at the top of the page, so do not add a `#` heading yourself.

## Change the menu and footer

The navigation, the main call to action and the footer links are shared by every page. They live in one file: `src/content/globals/nl.yaml`.

```yaml
navigation:
  - label: About
    href: /about
  - label: Contact
    href: /contact
cta:
  label: Strategic call
  href: https://calendly.com/marrallisa/30min
```

Add, remove or reorder items here, and every page updates.

## Add a new page

1. Find an existing page that looks like the one you want, for example another service page.
2. Copy its file and give the copy a new name. The name becomes the URL, so use lowercase words separated by hyphens: `brand-photography.md`.
3. Change the `title`, `description` and the rest of the content.
4. Link to the new page from the menu or from another page, so visitors and search engines can find it.
5. Commit through a pull request and check the deploy preview.

> **Note:** Renaming or deleting a page changes or removes its URL. Add a redirect from the old address so you keep its visitors and rankings. See [Keep your rankings when you relaunch](https://viralistic.nl/help/astro/redirects).

## Next steps

- [Images and media](https://viralistic.nl/help/astro/images-and-media)
- [Edit your site with Claude Code](https://viralistic.nl/help/astro/edit-your-site-with-claude-code)
- [Make your Astro site rank well](https://viralistic.nl/help/astro/astro-seo)