Website Guidelines
Best Practices for University Sites
University Marketing and Communications designs and maintains digital spaces that allow all of the University’s audiences to easily connect with people, programs and services on campus. We offer strategic support across every stage of a website’s life cycle, from domain requests and branding implementation to accessibility, usability and analytics. Guided by a user-first philosophy and University wide standards, our team partners with colleges, schools and units to ensure their digital presence is accessible, effective and aligned with the Texas brand.
Domain Name Requests
Provided they meet the domain guidelines listed below and are approved by the University Communications Standards Committee (UCSC), the University provides utexas.edu subdomains for:
- Official colleges, schools and units (e.g. dellmed.utexas.edu)
- Activities and events (e.g. commencement.utexas.edu)
- And University-wide services (e.g. lib.utexas.edu)
The UCSC oversees all domains within the utexas.edu namespace to ensure consistency and provide central oversight. These domains are administered by the UT Network Information Center of Information Technology Services.
Acronyms are strongly discouraged and will almost always be rejected by the University Communications Standards Committee. Exceptions may be granted on rare occasions when the requesting party can document an industry standard and/or common usage within their field or if the site’s primary audience is internal-facing.
The Office of the Vice President for Legal Affairs has directed that names are not assigned outside University organizational boundaries.
Requests for third-level domains should clearly identify the requesting entity, avoiding the use of generic terms that could apply to multiple campus entities or services (e.g. a request for communications.utexas.edu would be rejected, as Texas includes Moody College of Communication, the Department of Communication Studies and the University Marketing and Communications department).
Website Branding
Subsidiary entities such as departments, centers and institutes wishing to provide a link back to their primary parent entity (e.g. the college or school with which they are affiliated) may do so on the left side of the University brand bar. The parent link may be visible at desktop size only and should not appear in the brand bar on mobile.
- Size: 14px
- Font: Charis or GT Sectra
- Color: #FFFFFF
- Case: Title Case
- Horizontal alignment: Left edge of brand bar or left interior edge of page content (to mirror placement of informal signature)
- Vertical alignment: Center
All University websites are required to include the following links in their footer:
University websites are also required to include a copyright statement (e.g., © The University of Texas at Austin 20XX). Please ensure that the year is kept up to date.
Website Guidelines
Digital content should adhere to University standards to create a cohesive voice for the University. These guidelines are intended to help digital publishers and creators to represent the University professionally and consistently on all digital platforms.
In addition to style considerations, University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) takes seriously our charge to provide an excellent user experience for all audiences, setting University-wide standards for usability, digital platform branding and domains.
All digital entities, applications and sites at the University must meet the requirements in Texas Administrative Code 206.70 Accessibility Standards (TAC 206.70), which references the U.S. Section 508 standards.
All websites and applications at The University of Texas at Austin must meet the requirements stated in the University’s Web Accessibility Policy.
The University employs the Acquia Optimize tool (formerly Monsido) to test all websites for both accessibility and quality assurance. Email accessibility-assessments@utlists.utexas.edu to request an Acquia Optimize scan for your website or an accessibility review for your application.
Additionally, developers are encouraged to test their pages using screen reading tools such as WAVE, JAWS and the iPhone accessibility features to ensure they are accessible.
The University’s websites and apps (except where a piece of vendor technology has other requirements) support the latest browser technology -2 major versions.
The University’s web philosophy is meant to drive the transformation of UT’s digital content from a largely organization-based information architecture to an audience-focused, task- and content-based philosophy.
University websites should:
- Be easy to use and accessible to all, catering to a wide range of skills, reading and comprehension levels and access points.
- Be user-focused and built around a task- and knowledge-based philosophy, minimizing the need for institutional knowledge or knowledge of organizational structure to accomplish tasks or find information.
- Be cross-departmental or cross-organizational when necessary to support the task-based, knowledge-based philosophy.
- Be built, maintained, improved and changed based on data, analytics and ongoing user experience (UX) research and evolving user and University needs.
- Articulate the University brand, mission and core values.
- Provide measurable metrics of success.
- Be part of a multi-modal, omnichannel communications plan.
- Empower content owners and subject matter experts to be content editors.
- Have excellent support and training.
The web philosophy applies to every page of a website, knowledge base or wiki and is oriented to a user’s journey, which is often cross-organizational. While a familiar structure can help to complete tasks and find information more easily within an institution the size and complexity of The University of Texas at Austin, following an organizational structure for website content and task completion benefits only those with the required institutional knowledge at the expense of others.
Think of the associated web policy as a user’s guide to implementing the web philosophy. Following the policy will help you create the best possible web content for your users while you improve your website’s usability, accessibility, readability and searchability. The time spent on your website will come back to you many times over in less time spent answering basic user questions or supporting common actions, allowing you to concentrate on advanced support or creating new offerings.
The web policy is a user’s guide to implementing the web philosophy. Following the policy will help you create the best possible web content for your users while you improve your website’s usability, accessibility, readability and searchability.
1. University websites should be easy to use and accessible to all, catering to a wide range of skills, reading and comprehension levels, and access points.
1.1 Accessibility: By law, University websites must comply with the following accessibility standards:
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act;
- Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 206, Subchapter C; and
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 A & AA.
While the CMS requires many accessibility standards, such as alt tags with images, it is up to the individual editor to provide useful alt tags. For example, “graduation” conjures up imagery very different from “UT student being handed their diploma on graduation stage.” Likewise, “Click Here” fails as a link, as it does not provide enough information to the user. A better choice would be, “Click here for Campus Drone Use Guidelines.” For more information on accessibility, register for the Web Best Practices class on UT Learn.
1.2 Reading and comprehension levels are dependent on knowing your audience. A webpage written for a university-trained accountant should read very differently than one written for the general public trying to find a UT parking garage. If you do not know your audience, it is recommended you aim for an eighth grade reading level, as most adults fall into the average reading level. Acquia Optimize (formerly Monsido), the University’s website quality assurance and accessibility tool, can score the reading level of your webpages. User experience (UX) research can help you understand your website’s audience in more depth. For more information, register for the Writing for the Web class on UT Learn.
1.3 Webpages should be checked on both the desktop and mobile versions of major web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Pages with high mobile usage, such as Contact and Event pages, should be optimized for mobile viewing. For more information, register for the Web Best Practices class on UT Learn.
1.3.1 The Acquia Optimize browser extension provides previews of webpages for a wide variety of mobile devices and accessibility conditions.
2. University websites should be user-focused and built around a task- and knowledge-based philosophy, minimizing the need for institutional knowledge or knowledge of organizational structure to accomplish tasks or find information.
2.1 University websites should not duplicate the structure of your organization. While this may seem natural to those in the organization, this design is a barrier to entry for your users and requires them to have deep institutional knowledge. Websites should be built for all users, including new employees, students and visitors.
2.2 User-focused websites are designed to help users quickly accomplish a task or find the information they are looking for. To do this, you must:
- Know your user(s)
- Know their top tasks
- Have the information they seek or easily direct them to it
2.3 If you do not know your website’s users, it is recommended you start with a basic list of primary users and what you do know about them. In the field of UX research, this is called persona building, and it will help you make decisions about your website content and organization.
2.4 What are your website users’ top tasks and the information they seek? This should be core to your unit’s primary service model and reflect what you uniquely do for the University. Look at your website and search analytics to determine what tasks users are trying to accomplish. Are these tasks easy to access on your homepage, through your primary navigation, in your site search and through well-placed cross-linking? Interviewing your users is also a great way to determine what they want to accomplish on your website. We can help with access to analytics reports and test your navigation with card sorts and page tree testing.
3. University websites should be cross-departmental or cross-organizational when necessary to support the task-based, knowledge-based philosophy.
3.1 Does your unit’s website have the ability to shorten a user’s path to task completion? Can you partner with other units to provide all the required information in one digital space? Can Docusign be used to move the tasks through multiple organizations while digitizing a paper trail? Does a complex process need its own web space, agnostic to ownership? Consider all the processes your website is used for and how they can be modernized.
4. University websites should be built, maintained, improved and changed based on data, analytics, ongoing UX research and evolving user and University needs.
4.1 UT uses the Acquia Optimize website quality assurance and accessibility tool to scan websites for broken links, policy violations, misspelled words and violations of federal accessibility laws.
- 4.1.1 Every website must have at least one user actively monitoring the Acquia Optimize scan results and correcting errors.
- 4.1.2 Site managers and editors are responsible for maintaining content that is accurate and timely. Content should be reviewed at least annually and be updated or deleted as necessary.
- 4.1.3 UMAC will provide Acquia Optimize user management and actively monitor and correct web accessibility violations.
- 4.1.4 UMAC can assist with accessing, gathering and interpreting data.
5. University websites should articulate the University brand and shared values.
5.1 UT Drupal Kit CMS websites use templates to achieve a consistent visual brand and usability across all University websites. Templates ensure that common page elements are identical in function and location on each page of the website. Examples of common page design elements include color scheme and font sizes, top navigation, headers and footers, site and page names, and search. Keeping these the same makes the website easier to use and ensures a strong brand impression.
5.2 All University websites will identify their parent organization.
5.3 The web management team will assure templates are being used in a standardized way that provides the best end-user experience.
6. University websites should provide measurable metrics of success.
6.1 Website analytics reporting includes access to Google Analytics, Google Looker Studio, Acquia Optimize and annual in-depth or as-needed website usage analysis. Metrics measuring success could include: an increase in the use of specific webpages, forms or processes; increases in time on site or page; increases in Google Search rankings; decreases in support requests; improvements in annual customer satisfaction metrics; or other measurable interactions.
6.2 Units should carefully consider what constitutes success for both their website users and themselves and track those associated metrics.
7. University websites should be part of a multi modal, omni-channel communications plan. Nothing should live in email alone, and content should be discoverable via websites or other digital platforms.
7.1 Your website should be only one deliverable of your unit’s comprehensive communication plan.
8. University websites should empower content owners to be content editors.
8.1 As such, UT supports the Drupal web content management system (CMS) and has a custom UT version called the UT Drupal Kit (UTDK). To be supported by the UMAC web team, websites must be hosted on the UTDK and UT’s preferred web host, Pantheon. This ensures websites are consistent in design, function and navigation and allows for standardized development, training, support and editing.
8.2 Every website must have at least one editor trained on the Drupal CMS. Editors must attend Drupal training before they are granted website access. There is no limit on the number of staff members who can have editor access to a website. Owning units are responsible for knowing and understanding their content and how it relates to their business processes and operations. The owning unit should drive content edits with the goal of reviewing content at minimum once per year to check for accuracy.
9. University websites should have excellent customer support and training.
9.1 The UMAC web team is dedicated to excellent, timely, transparent customer support and training and is available via Teams, phone, email or in person.
9.2 The UMAC web team will manage Drupal installation, development, maintenance, support, user experience (UX) search, analytics reporting and user training.
- 9.2.1 Installation includes the installation of the latest UTDK on the Pantheon web host and any required enhancement modules (Google Search, Analytics, Translate, etc.).
- 9.2.2 Development includes the installation, configuring or creation of Drupal modules designed to extend the functionality of the Drupal CMS.
- 9.2.3 Maintenance includes installing the required UTDK and Drupal module upgrades needed to maintain a secure and functional CMS environment.
- 9.2.4 Support includes migration of existing websites, creation of new websites and day-to-day technical support. Site creation and site migration require project management plans and the active involvement of college, school or unit staff. For support problems with the Pantheon hosting environment, the UMAC web team will work with the UTDK support team and Pantheon support staff as necessary.
- 9.2.5 UX research may include card sorting, page tree testing, user interviews, user testing, A/B testing, surveys, personas, user journeys, content analysis or other UX testing methods.
- 9.2.6 Analytics reporting includes access to Google Analytics, Google Looker Studio and Acquia Optimize analytics and annual in-depth or as-needed in-depth website usage analysis.
- 9.2.7 User training includes basic and custom one-on-one Drupal editor training and group training in web best practices, writing for the web, search engine optimization and custom classes.
9.1 The UMAC web team is dedicated to excellent, timely, transparent customer support and training and is available via Teams, phone, email or in person.
10. Website Domain Names
10.1 As such, UT supports the Drupal web content management system (CMS) and has a custom UT version called the UT Drupal Kit (UTDK). To be supported by the UMAC web team, websites must be hosted on the UTDK and UT’s preferred web host, Pantheon. This ensures websites are consistent in design, function and navigation and allows for standardized development, training, support and editing.
10.2 Every website must have at least one editor trained on the Drupal CMS. Editors must attend Drupal training before they are granted website access. There is no limit on the number of staff members who can have editor access to a website. Owning units are responsible for knowing and understanding their content and how it relates to their business processes and operations. The owning unit should drive content edits with the goal of reviewing content at minimum once per year to check for accuracy.
11. Other University Polices
11.1 As such, UT supports the Drupal web content management system (CMS) and has a custom UT version called the UT Drupal Kit (UTDK). To be supported by the UMAC web team, websites must be hosted on the UTDK and UT’s preferred web host, Pantheon. This ensures websites are consistent in design, function and navigation and allows for standardized development, training, support and editing.