When moving to SF.gov, choose content to keep

A few things to think about before you move content to SF.gov.

Weed out content NOT to move to SF.gov.

Moving a page to SF.gov means you’ll need to select a content type, rewrite the content, and get sign-off from multiple people in your department.

Then after you move the page you will need to keep it up to date. This means you need to check the page yearly.

That’s a lot of work! So only move the pages you need. Anything you leave behind will be findable in the archives, and if you do need that information, you can move it later.

Reasons to move content to SF.gov

It’s vital for San Franciscans

• It will help San Franciscans get something they need

• It’s meant for residents, businesses, or other groups that you serve

Your department is the single source of truth on that topic

• Your department is the highest known authority on this topic, like if your department creates the rules or policies

• No one else produces this information

• You have a legal obligation to publish the content (meeting agendas, etc)

The page is active

• Old pages about programs that have closed may have historical significance, but folks can find them in your archive

• Most departments aren’t moving old information on department activity

Someone owns the information and will maintain it

• For example, you can move a page about a program your department runs, but only if there is someone in your department who is running that program.

• Move it if it’s part of someone’s job to maintain the content in the future.

It’s up to date, and you can keep it that way

• People don’t trust web pages and sites if they are wrong or out of date.

• The information you’re sharing is still true now, and when it changes, you’ll be able to update the page right away

It’s not duplicating anything

• The content is not already somewhere else on your site or somewhere else on SF.gov (if it is, link to it!)

• Another department doesn’t produce the same or similar content (if they doit is, link to it!)

• If your pages duplicate anything from a higher authority (like the federal government or the CDC), don’t move those pages, link to the higher authority pages.

Committing to a page migration

When you decide a page should be moved, you need to:

1. Assign a subject matter expert (SME) for that page

2. Rewrite and check the content for accuracy

3. Rewrite and focus the page on the user and what they need to do

Archives

Digital Services will make an archive from your old site. We will agree on a date to archive, just before you redirect.

See a sample archived site.

Everything from your old website will still be viewable, but you won’t be able to make any changes to the page. If you need to make changes to archived pages, you must make a new one on SF.gov.

Redirects

We will keep track of any pages from your old site you want to forward to your new site. We’ll set up this spreadsheet of old and new URLs as you move your site.

Where you don’t set a redirect, we will forward your old page to your new department homepage.