https://insidegovuk.blog.gov.uk/gov-uk-standards-and-guidelines/
GOV.UK standards and guidelines
The following standards for GOV.UK have been signed off by the cross-government GOV.UK steering group.
1. URL standards for GOV.UK
URLs on GOV.UK should be clear, unambiguous, easy to read, easy to type and easy to share. Find our URL principles, and our guidelines around short URLs.
2. GOV.UK external linking policy *(links to GOV.UK publishing guidance)
We link out to third party websites and services if this helps meet a user need. Our guidance outlines the principles we'll apply.
3. GOV.UK support requests: our processes and response times *
We aim to reply to all support requests within 2 working days. It's also possible to get a quicker response if it's urgent.
4. National emergency publishing guidelines *
How to publish content to GOV.UK about a national emergency.
5. Use of Welsh language on GOV.UK *
How GOV.UK supports Welsh language users.
6. Campaigns on GOV.UK *
How to request a campaign landing page, URL, or approval for your own campaign site.
7. Image copyright standards for GOV.UK
What types of image you should use, and what type of usage arrangements you need to make.
8. Use of government logos on GOV.UK *
How and where we use logos on GOV.UK. Supplemented by information on EU funding scheme logos.
9. GOV.UK content retention and withdrawal policy
Guidance on content archiving and updating.
10. GOV.UK exemption criteria and campaigns approach *
Exemption criteria for government publishing outside of GOV.UK.
GOV.UK standards and guidelines are discussed by our Operations Review group, and signed off by our cross-departmental steering board.
If you have any questions about these guidelines - or suggestions for new ones - please drop us a line using the contact form.
If you're into standards and guidelines, you might also be interested in:
- Cabinet Office digital spend controls
- GOV.UK style guide
- Government service design manual
- Naming and registering government websites
For GDS advice or input on an upcoming digital project, then email gdsapprovals@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk.
