# URLs

### How URLs work on SF.gov

URLs on [SF.gov](http://SF.gov) are structured to show users where they are and how they got there. They reassure our users that they are on a single, consistent website. 

URL names prioritize what San Franciscans need from the City, so the shortest URLs are given to services.

URLs use the title of the page, with dashes between words. Small words, like and, the, or are skipped. We add structure to the URL for non-service content. 

| **Page title**            | **URL**                                                                                                                                                   |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Wear a face covering      | <https://sf.gov/wear-face-covering>                                                                                                                       |
| Buy a home with City help | [https://sf.gov/step-by-step--buy-home-city-help](https://sf.gov/step-by-step/buy-home-city-help)                                                         |
| MOHCD                     | [https://sf.gov/departments--mayors-office-housing-and-community-development](https://sf.gov/departments/mayors-office-housing-and-community-development) |

### Principles <a href="#urlsonsf.gov-principles" id="urlsonsf.gov-principles"></a>

* User and SEO friendly
* Consistent and predictable
* Short and simple
* Memorable
* easy to type
* everything a user can reach on your site should have a distinct URL that a user can bookmark and use later to reach that same location
* Services-oriented
* We spell things out rather than use acronyms in long/full URLs. Short URLs may use acronyms.&#x20;

### **URL structure by content type** <a href="#urlsonsf.gov-departmenthomepages" id="urlsonsf.gov-departmenthomepages"></a>

* About - sf.gov/about-\[department name]
* Agency - sf.gov/department-\[slug]
* Campaign - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Data Story - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Event - sf.gov/events-yyyymmdd-\[slug]
* Form - sf.gov/form-\[slug]
* Information - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Location - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Meeting - sf.gov/meeting-yyyymmdd-\[slug]
* News - sf.gov/news-\[slug]
* Profile - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Report - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Resource Collection - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Step by step - sf.gov/\[slug]
* Topic - sf.gov/topic-\[slug]
* Transaction - sf.gov/\[slug]

#### **Agency pages** <a href="#urlsonsf.gov-departmenthomepages" id="urlsonsf.gov-departmenthomepages"></a>

Agency pages are the home pages for any government department, agency or public body.

Agency pages are within the /departments directory. The full title of the department is turned into the URL.&#x20;

* sf.gov/department-**treasurer-and-tax-collector**
* sf.gov/department-**office-of-the-mayor**

Sub-departments are nested within their parent departments.

* sf.gov/department-office-of-the-mayor-**mayors-office-of-housing-and-community-development**

#### **Short URLs for departments** <a href="#urlsonsf.gov-shorturlsfordepartments" id="urlsonsf.gov-shorturlsfordepartments"></a>

Departments can have a single short URL. By default, this is the shortest version of the organization’s name in common use (which may be an acronym).

* <mark style="color:blue;">sf.gov/ttx</mark> for the Treasurer and Tax Collector
* <mark style="color:blue;">sf.gov/mayor</mark> for the Office of the Mayor

You can [request to get a short URL for your page. ](https://airtable.com/app8mL6zsX9ksjg0Y/pagkJhQbEJjO8qjzm/form)<br>

#### **Topics** <a href="#urlsonsf.gov-topics" id="urlsonsf.gov-topics"></a>

sf.gov/topic-\[**name-of-topic]**

Topic pages gather transactions, services, policies, departments, news, events related to a theme or “tag”.&#x20;

Topic pages are within the /topics directory. &#x20;

* sf.gov/topic-**taxes**
* sf.gov/topic-**marriage-partnerships**

#### **Transaction start pages** <a href="#urlsonsf.gov-transactionstartpages" id="urlsonsf.gov-transactionstartpages"></a>

Transaction start pages come right after the top-level domain, with no subdirectory. The URL uses the name of the service, including the verb. Note that “a” would be removed from “Apply for a cannabis equity permit”

* sf.go&#x76;**/apply-for-cannabis-equity-permit**


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