Policies & Standards

Policies and standards help web managers meet federal requirements and follow best practices to make websites more citizen–centered.

Checklist of Requirements for Federal Websites and Digital Services: is a tool to access recent U.S. Government guidance and requirements in the development of websites and digital products.

Research-based Web Design and Usability Guidelines (21.9 MB) provides an overview of the user-centered design process and various UX disciplines. It also covers the related information on methodology and tools for making digital content more usable and useful.

The U.S. Web Design System offers open-source, quick-to-download code and assets, to make it easy to produce the highest-quality government websites for the public. The site has guidance on the latest federal policy for websites and digital services.

Digital.gov provides a list of Required Web Content and Links that all federal websites need to have.

Section 508 is a government requirement to make IT accessible to persons with disabilities. This site provides guidance related to program management, procurement, tools and training, and policy compliance.

Federal Resources

Policies, memos, circulars and executive orders released by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and other policies that are related to digital media and innovation. See the OMB Policies for Federal Public Websites.

Style guides are used to set the tone and guidelines for how the agency communicates with the public.

Project Open Data is an online collection of code, best practices, and case studies developed to help agencies adopt the framework presented in the OMB memorandum M-13-13 “Open Data Policy-Managing Information as an Asset.”

U.S. Digital Service (USDS) is a group of technologists from diverse backgrounds working across the federal government to transform critical services for the people. These specialists join for tours of civic service to create a steady influx of fresh perspectives.

Data.gov is where you can find data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more.

The CIO Council is the principal interagency forum for improving agency practices related to the design, acquisition, development, modernization, use, sharing, and performance of Federal information resources.

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services.

The Digital Services Playbook details 13 key practices from both the government and the private sector to help build effective digital services.

What's New and Connecting with Others

Digital.gov provides resources to support learning and sharing through the digital transformation process.

Communities of practice is a forum available to all government staff to share experiences, learn from each other in addressing common challenges.

Training and learning events are available to staff to stay up to date on the latest technology, metrics and tools used across the government.