How to add a File (PDF, PowerPoint, Word, Excel) to Continu as content — when the source document is the deliverable, not the wrapper around it.
Files are the right choice when the source document is the value — a signed policy PDF, a sales deck that needs to look polished on a screen, a reference spreadsheet that learners will actually open and use. Continu supports .doc, .pdf, .xls, and .ppt formats.
Reach for an Article instead when the content is genuinely text — Articles render natively, are searchable inside Continu, and don't require learners to download or open in another app. Use a File only when the source format matters.
For the strategic frame on content type selection, see Content Strategy: Designing Learning Assets That Scale. For the full authoring journey, see Content Authoring: From Blank Page to Published Asset.
How to Add a File
1. Open the Content area. From the left-hand navigation, click Create > Content.
2. Click Add Content and choose File.
3. Upload or embed. Click Upload to drag-and-drop or browse for the file. Click Embed external content to embed a webpage or iframe instead, then paste the URL. If you have Iorad for Continu installed, you can also add Iorad content from this screen — see Creating and Adding Iorad content in Continu.
4. Fill in details. Title, Author, Description. Click Next.
5. Set Segmentation and Explore visibility. Configure who can see this File and whether it should appear on Explore. See Segmentation For Content.
6. Configure Content Settings. Ratings, certificates, completion behavior, "What you will learn" items. See Editing Content Settings. Click Next to preview.
7. Review and Publish. Click Next for the final review, then Publish when ready.
Considerations
Use Files when the format is the message. A signed PDF policy must remain a PDF. A pitch deck designed in PowerPoint preserves its layout as a .ppt. Don't convert these to Articles — you lose the design value.
Add a Description that previews the content. Learners can't preview the inside of a File from Explore the way they can scan an Article. A clear Description helps them decide whether to invest the click and download.
Keep file sizes reasonable. Large files (over 25-50MB) hurt download experience on mobile and slow networks. Compress images in PDFs and PowerPoints before uploading where possible.
Embed external content sparingly. Embedded URLs (iframes) work for some content but break when the source page changes its embedding rules. Use for stable, externally-hosted content; avoid for anything fast-changing.
Configuration Pitfalls
Uploading a File When an Article Would Work Better. Long PDFs that are mostly text become Articles people don't open. The friction of "click download, wait, open in another app" lowers engagement. If the content is text and doesn't depend on print layout, build it as an Article.
Forgetting to Update When the Source Document Changes. Files in Continu are static snapshots — editing the source file on your computer doesn't update Continu. When the policy or deck changes, you have to re-upload the new version to Continu (or use a duplicate-then-replace pattern). Plan for this maintenance cycle.
Missing Segmentation on Sensitive Files. A PDF without segmentation is visible to every user with broad content access. Confidential policies, signed agreements, or internal-only decks should be segmented before publishing.
Embed URLs That Require Authentication. If you embed a URL that requires a login (e.g., a private Google Doc), learners see a sign-in prompt instead of the content. Test the embed as a learner before publishing.
Publishing Without a Description. Files without descriptions look hollow on Explore. Even one sentence explaining what's inside helps learners decide whether to open it.
Where This Fits
You're here because you're adding a File as content. For the broader content-type decision, see Content Strategy. For an Article alternative when text would work better, see Add an Article to Continu.
See Also
- Content Strategy: Designing Learning Assets That Scale — the strategic anchor.
- Content Authoring: From Blank Page to Published Asset — the end-to-end authoring journey.
- Add an Article to Continu — the text-native alternative.
- Add Video Content In Continu — for video content.
- A Guide to SCORM in Continu — for SCORM packages from authoring tools.
- Embedded Content — for embed-based content.
- Creating and Adding Iorad content in Continu — for Iorad tutorials.
- Segmentation For Content — controlling File visibility.
Use Files when the format matters. Use Articles when text is the content. Update Files in Continu when you update the source; embeds drift if the host changes.