## **🔍 What This Error Means**

When you publish in Website Studio, the platform builds your site and validates it before it goes live. For uploaded static HTML sites, the validator checks that every file your pages reference — such as stylesheets, scripts, and images — is included in the publish bundle. If a referenced file is missing, publishing stops and you see a message like: **"Your pages reference files that aren't part of the published site."**

This is a safety check. It prevents a half-working site from going live with broken styling or missing images.

## **⚠️ Why Re-Uploading Can Remove Your Edits**

Re-uploading files into Website Studio replaces the existing file set for your site. Any changes you made directly to your landing page inside Website Studio — text edits, images you added, and layout tweaks — live in those files. If you re-upload your original downloaded files, they overwrite the edited versions, and your changes are lost.

To protect your work before re-uploading:

- **Back up your edits first.** Copy any edited text, image files, and settings to a safe location on your computer.
- **Keep your originals separate.** Store the complete original download in its own folder so you always have a clean copy.
- **Note what you changed.** List the pages and sections you edited so you can quickly redo the changes after re-uploading.

## **🛠️ How to Fix the Error**

Follow these steps in order:

1. **Read the error message closely.** Note any file name or path it mentions. This tells you which file the validator could not find.
2. **Check your local files.** Open the folder you uploaded from and look for a folder named like **Page name\_files** — for example, **My Landing Page\_files**. This folder usually holds the CSS, JavaScript, and images your page needs.
3. **Confirm every referenced file is included.** The most common cause is a browser "Save As" export. When you save a single page as "Webpage, Complete," the browser creates a matching **\_files** folder. If that folder, or any file inside it, is missing from your upload, publishing fails.
4. **Remove spaces from file and folder names.** Paths containing spaces and nested **\_files** folders can confuse the validator. Rename files and folders so they contain no spaces — for example, change **My Page\_files** to **my-page-files** — and update any references to them inside your HTML.
5. **Back up your Website Studio edits.** Copy any changes you made to your landing page in Website Studio to a safe place, as described above.
6. **Re-upload the complete file set.** In the left sidebar, open **Website Studio**, and upload your site's entire folder — including the **\_files** folder and all assets.
7. **Restore your edits and publish again.** Reapply your saved changes to the landing page, then publish. If the error persists, rebuild the page from a full-site export instead of a single-page "Save As" export.

## **💡 How to Prevent This Issue**

- **Export the full site, not one page.** Single-page browser saves often create fragile file paths. Whenever possible, export your site from your website tool as a complete package.
- **Upload the whole folder.** Always include every subfolder and asset, not just the HTML files.
- **Avoid spaces in file and folder names.** Use hyphens or underscores instead.
- **Test locally before uploading.** Open your HTML file from your computer in a browser. If styling or images look broken locally, they will also be broken after publishing.

## **🚀 If the Problem Continues**

If you have re-uploaded all files and publishing still fails, or if your site stays stuck on a "publishing" status, our team can review your site and confirm exactly which file is causing the problem. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type **human teammate** to be instantly connected with a member of our team.