GovWire

To edit your organisation page, select the Details tab and click the Edit link next to the heading.

Add a default image for news articles

You need to include a default image for your organisation that will appear if an editor publishes a news story without an image.

1. Under Default news image, click on the Choose file button.

2. Select a jpeg, gif or png file of a generic photo that reflects your organisation, at 960 pixels wide and 640 pixels high, minimum 75 dpi.

Email address

You need to include an email address so the public can order attachments in alternative formats.

Status on GOV.UK

There are several options for setting your organisations status including:

• Currently live
• Coming soon
• Exempt from joining
• Currently transitioning
• Closed

When your organisation goes live on GOV.UK, change the status to Currently live. Once your organisation is live do not change the status or your organisation will disappear from GOV.UK.

Associations

Under Associations you need to select your Sponsoring organisation/s.

Once your basic organisation page is set up you have the option to include Featured links.

Add a description of your organisations responsibilities

This is created in a different part of Whitehall. See the section on adding a What we do section.

If you have managing editor permissions you can choose from 2 layout options for your homepage:

• news priority (formerly top tasks)
• service priority (formerly featured services and guidance)

How to choose the right layout for your organisation page

You should choose the layout that best meets the needs of your users. You can use Google Analytics to find out what people come to your homepage to do. For example:

• a high percentage of searches from your organisation page indicates the current format isnt meeting needs - check what terms users are searching for
• if your page is news-based but a high proportion of users are clicking on featured links, you might consider whether a service-based page would work better for your users
• if your page is service-based and theres evidence of high numbers of users clicking further down the page, a news-based page might meet your users needs better

If you do not have much new content to feature in the feature boxes, this could be because your organisation has an emphasis on services.

How to change the layout of your organisation page

To change the layout of your organisation page, select the Details tab and click the Edit link next to the heading.

Under Position of featured links on organisation homepage, select the option you want to use. Under Featured links complete or edit the Title and Url fields. To add more featured links, click on Add another featured link.

The news priority layout can have up to 5 featured links. The service priority layout can have up to 10 featured links.

Only managing editors can add or edit featured links.

News priority homepage layout

News priority featured links are the main things users come to your organisation to do that are not covered by existing content on your pages.

Select featured links based on evidence of use

News priority featured links must be used sparingly and only kept if you have evidence from Google Analytics that users are using them.

As a guide, each news priority featured link should be followed by at least 2% of total visitors to your organisation page (measured in total unique pageviews).

News priority featured links should point to:

• GOV.UK Services and information (or mainstream) content
• information or tools on other domains
• publications that are heavily used

The text of the link must be as specific and active as possible, and not overlap with titles used for corporate content types.

You can create links to information thats not on GOV.UK if theres evidence of user demand. For example the Ministry of Defence organisation page links to the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sites.

What should not go in the news priority featured links area

Do not put anything in the top tasks list thats already covered by a link on your organisations homepage. This includes:

• detailed guidance
• high profile groups
• contact information (for press offices or other bodies)
• lists of ministers
• links to all press releases or announcements
• links to all statistics and research
• blogs and social media (these can be personalised under follow us, or calls to action added to relevant policies or publication pages)
• working for us
• procurement
• our priorities

Only use news priority featured links to promote campaign sites when there is clear evidence of demand.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) may remove any links that do not meet the standard. If youre not sure what these links should be, ask GDS for content advice.

Service priority homepage layout

The service priority layout is for organisations that have very little (if any) news, publishing or policy activity, but a high volume of users with very specific, service-oriented needs.

Youll need to ask GDS to be able to use featured services and guidance proposing the text and URLs for up to 10 links.

Choosing the links

When choosing links, consider:

• what users are searching for from your organisation page
• routing users to specialist browse pages (if you have them)
• the top tasks from your existing organisation page
• most popular content based on page views
• user feedback comments
• frequent contact centre queries
• balancing mainstream and specialist user needs
• seasonal trends (for example applications for study visas or fishing rod licences)

GDS content designers can help you with choosing the links and the wording based on users needs.