Policies & Standards

Policies, standards, and guidelines apply to all Department Web sites (Operating and Staff Divisions), whether owned by HHS or operated on behalf of HHS.

Policies

• 508 Accessibility Policy
• Forms, E-Gov
• Domain Names
• Persistent Cookies
• Web Records Management
• OMB Policies for Federal Public Websites

HHS Web Standards

• HHS Standards by Category
• HHS Web Standards (Alphabetically)
• HHS Web Standards Checklist

WCD Reviews and Checklists

• WCD Reviews for Web Sites
• WCD Reviews for News Releases
• HHS Web Standards Checklist

Style Guides

• Web Style Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions Style Guide
• Instructions for Downloading Viewers and Players

Policies

Forms, E-Gov

• HHS Policy for E-Gov Forms regulates public-facing electronic forms.

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Domain Names

• Internet Domain Names Policy regulates the usage, approval, acquisition and registration of HHS Internet Domain Names.

Persistent Cookies

• The Persistent Cookies Policy regulates the usage of Web cookies.

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Web Records Management

• The Web Records Management Policy identifies the Web records and determines how long a type of document must be kept.

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OMB Policies for Federal Public Websites

• OMB issues Policies for Federal Public Websites. You will find recommendations and best practices from the Interagency Committee on Government Information (ICGI).

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HHS Web Standards (Alphabetically)

• All sites should be designed around the user, how they act and react, what they need and what they want to know. Standards help to ensure consistency across applications for users. HHS has begun developing standards to assist project teams to build usable interfaces with a consistent look and feel.
  • Applicability to All HHS Web Content
  • 404 Error Pages (Draft)
  • Acceptable Uses of Flash (Draft)
  • Accessibility (Section 508) and Email
  • Accessibility (Section 508) and Video/Multimedia Content
  • Acknowledge User Submissions
  • Appropriate Use of Images on Web Pages
  • Avoid Empty Pages ("Under Construction")
  • Avoid Reposting Content
  • Branding Bar (Draft)
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Design for Dominant Screen Resolutions
  • Design Using Most Common Browsers and Operating Systems
  • Designate Visited and Unvisited Links
  • Designing and Employing Check Boxes
  • Develop Sites on Secure Test Servers (Draft)
  • Distinguish Required Data Entry Fields
  • Do Not Link to Political Sites
  • Email and Section 508
  • External Link Icon & Disclaimer (Draft)
  • Font Size and Typeface
  • Frames
  • Home Page Link (Draft)
  • Lists: Open vs. Drop-Down (Draft)
  • Page Ownership (Draft)
  • Present RSS and Podcast Links in a Consistent Format
  • Presenting Links to Materials in Multiple Languages
  • Provide File Type and Size with Downloadable Files
  • Requiring "New" Icon with Automated Kill Feature (Draft)
  • Standard Icons (Draft)
  • Use Appropriate List Style
  • Use Dark Text on Plain, High-Contrast Backgrounds
  • Use Mixed Case with Prose Content
  • Use of Head Shots & Portraits (Draft)
  • Use Radio Buttons for Exclusive Selections
  • Use Text for Links

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WCD Reviews and Checklists

• Accessibility (Section 508) and Email
• WCD Web Site Reviews
• WCD Reviews for News Releases
• Web Standards Checklist  

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