# Static Files
Django has a process for handling static files (i.e. files like CSS, SASS, JavaScript, images) already which `coltrane` leverages as part of the [record CLI command](static/cli.md#record). The `collectstatic` management command is used to copy all static files from different Django apps to the `output/static` directory.
## Referring to static assets
Instead of hardcoding the URL path to static assets, the `static` templatetag is always available in either markdown files or templates.
```{note}
Using the `static` template tag might feel unnecessary for simpler sites, but it will automatically use the hashed file name that `whitenoise` provides for efficient serving and caching of static files.
```
**`content/index.md`**
```markdown
```
**Generated `index.html`**
```html
```
**`templates/custom/custom-template.html`**
```html
```
**Generated HTML**
```html
```
```
**`templates/custom/custom-template.html`**
```html
```
**Generated HTML**
```html
```