Posting Website Policies and Notices

What It Is

Provide easy access to your website policies and to any links required by law or regulation. Use common terminology and placement to display this information. This is a best practice for managing your agency’s website.

Why It's Important

The more that agencies follow the same common practices for naming and placing important information, the easier it is for citizens to find that information as they move from one agency website to another.

How to Implement

It is recommended that all federal public websites have:

• A page for site policies and notices
  • Link location: bottom of every page, in the footer
  • Link name: "Site Policies"
• A link to your organization's privacy policies
  • Link location: on every page (see Privacy Requirements) and on your site policies and notices page. PDF files are exempt from this linking requirement, but this page should be posted in HTML to ensure easy access
  • Link name: "Privacy Policy"
• A link to your agency's policies for accessibility (see Access for People with Disabilities)
  • Link location: site policies and notices page
• A link from your homepage to your Freedom of Information Act page (see Freedom of Information Act and FOIA.gov.)
  • Link name: "Freedom of Information Act"
  • Link location: bottom of the homepage, and on site policies and notices page
• Your organization's policy for linking to outside websites (see Linking Policies)
  • Link location:  site policies and notices page
• Information about the digital rights, copyrights, trademarks, and patents policy (see Digital Rights, Copyright, Trademark, and Patent Laws)
  • Link location: site policies and notices page
• Information required by the "No Fear Act" (see No Fear Act)
  • Link location: the Federal Web Managers Council recommends agencies determine appropriate placement based on analysis of audience needs (for example “About Us” and/or “Jobs” page)
• Policies to implement "Information Quality Guidelines" (for Federal agencies subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act, see Information Quality)
  • Link location: site policies and notices page
  • Your "Contact Us" page must also include contact information to report data problems

• General information about security protocols to protect information (see Security Protocols)
  • Link location: site policies and notices page
• A posted schedule for publishing information on their websites as required by Section 207(f)2 (see Priorities and Schedules for Posting Content)
  • Link location: site policies and notices page

Examples

• Veterans Affairs
• USA.gov Website Policies and Notices
• NASA Web Privacy Policies and Important Notices

Many agencies follow this best practice, which is part of the guidelines and best practices published by the Interagency Committee on Government Information to aid agencies' implementation of OMB's Policies for Federal Public Websites.