# Static Files
`Django` handles static files (e.g. CSS, JavaScript, and images) already which `coltrane` leverages as part of the [record command](cli.md#record). The [`collectstatic` management command](https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/stable/ref/contrib/staticfiles/#collectstatic) is used to copy all static files to the `output/static` directory.
## Referring to static assets
Instead of hardcoding the URL path to static assets, the `static` template tag should be used in either `markdown` or HTML templates.
```{note}
Using the `static` template tag might feel unnecessary for simpler sites, but it will automatically use hashed file names 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
```