This page explores ways a Text and media area may be used in your Moodle course.
Text and media area is a versatile resource that can serve a spacer between resources on a course page. It can provide a space for embedding banners, sound or video files or displaying code.
Adding sound or video
If multimedia filters are enabled, a Text or media area is a neat way of displaying sound or video in an inline player on the course page.
- You can link to or upload audio and video from the media icon.
- With the Text editor you can record short audio or video clips directly into the area.
Adding code
Note: The success in adding code depends both on the type of code and the permissions of the user.
An example of this is the ability to embed a Google map into a Text or media area.
- Go to Google maps (or wherever you can get your embed code) and copy it.
- Follow the instructions for adding a Text or media area
- Activate View > Source code:
- This brings up the screen in code (HTML) view.
- Paste the code you got from Google maps (or other site) into this screen
- Click "Save"
- Click "Save and return to course"
Adding images
If you already have a Text and media area and are using the text editor, you can drag and drop an image directly into the editor.
You can also create a Text and media area by dragging an image onto the course page:
- Turn on edit mode.
- Drag an image file from your computer onto the course section where you want it.
- In the Add an activity or resource box, choose Add media to course page, then click Upload.
Choose "Add media to course page"
- In Image details, describe the image in Alternative text, or tick Decorative image if it adds no information. You must do one of the two before you can save.
Add alternative text in Image details
- Optionally, under Image size, choose Custom and set the width or height. The other value changes to keep the image in proportion.
- Click Save.
The image on the course page. Screen readers announce its alternative text, "The sun rising over green hills".
The Text and media area is named after the image file and contains only the image. Large images are shown at a smaller size set by the administrator, and link to the full-size image unless they are marked as decorative. If you click Cancel, nothing is added to the course.
Adding text and links
As the label uses the Text editor it is straightforward to enter text, links and other required symbols and equations.
(Experimental) Drag and drop
Note: This does not work as of May 2026. Its future is currently under discussion in MDL-78628.
There is an experimental setting which the administrator must enable in Administration > Site administration > Development > Experimental > Experimental settings which allows you to drag and drop text and links into labels.
- Drag and drop upload of text/links must be enabled in Administration > Site administration > Development > Experimental > Experimental settings
- For text: Select the text you wish to use, for example in a Word document.
- With the editing turned on, drag the text over to the section you want it to appear.
- From the box that appears, choose "add a label" and then "upload".
- For links: Open up a new window with the URL you wish to link to. Select the link in the browser bar.
- With the editing turned on, drag the URL over to the section you want it to appear.
- From the box that appears, name the link and then click "upload".
