Overarching Policies
Federal
- 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA)
- Connected Government Act, January 2018
- OMB M-17-06, Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services (PDF, 1.2 MB, 18 pages, November 2016)
- OMB Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource (July 28, 2016)
- Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002
- E-Government Act of 2002, Section 207
Accessibility
Federal Policies
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Section 508
- 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA)
- OMB Memorandum M-17-06, Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services
Guidance
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- WCAG Quick Reference and WCAG Web tutorials
- Accessibility for Teams — A guide for embedding accessibility and inclusive design practices into your team’s workflow
- 18F Accessibility Guide
- Technology Accessibility Playbook
- Governmentwide Section 508 Strategic Plan (2013)
Resources
Analytics
Federal Policies
Guidance
Resources
Copyright
Federal Policies
- Copyright Law
- U.S. Trademark Law (PDF, 1.5 MB, 260 pages, March 2010)
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act (PDF, 277 KB, 60 pages, January 1999)
- U.S. Patent Law, U.S. Code 35, Chapter 26
Guidance
- U.S. Government Works
- United States Government Works and Copyright Act of 1976 (MS Word, 16 KB, 2 pages, June 2011)
Resources
Customer Experience
Federal Policies
- Executive Order 13571 – Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service (April 2011)
- 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA)
Guidance
Resources
- See all Government Customer Service Policies and Requirements
- Digital.gov Customer Experience Resources page
Design
Federal Guidance
- U.S. Web Design System
- Website standards, as defined in 21st Century IDEA
Resources
Domains
Federal Policies
Guidance
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Federal Policies
Guidance
- Memo to Agency Heads with updated guidance on implementing the Freedom of Information Act (March 19, 2009) (PDF, 1 MB, 3 pages, March 2009) – In 2016 FOIA was amended to note that, in situations in which release is discretionary, disclosure is the default unless the agency can show that an interest protected by one or more of FOIA’s nine exemptions would be harmed by disclosure
- Agency FOIA Websites 2.0 – Department of Justice
- Proactive Disclosure of Non-Exempt Agency Information: Making Information Available Without the Need to File a FOIA Request
Resources
Governance
Federal Policies
- Connected Government Act, January 2018
- Digital Governance Policy Outline
- 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA)
Resources
Information Quality
Federal Policies
- Public Law 106-554, Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies (Section 515)(PDF, 161 KB, 10 pages, February 2002)
- M-19-15 Improving Implementation of the Information Quality Act
- 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA)
Mandatory Content
Federal Policies
Guidance
Mobile
Federal Policies
Resources
Multilingual Websites
Federal Policies
- Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for People with Limited English Proficiency (PDF, 6 pages, 255 KB, August 2000)
- Dept. of Justice Memo Reaffirming the Mandates of EO 13166 (PDF, February 2011)
Guidance
Resources
Open Government / Data / Content
Federal Policies
- Executive Order—Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information (May 2013)
- OMB M-13-13 Open Data Policy—Managing Information as an Asset (PDF, 5.83 MB, 12 pages, May 2013)
- OMB M-10-06, Open Government Directive (December 2009)
- M-19-18 Federal Data Strategy – A Framework for Consistency
Resources
Paperwork Reduction
Federal Policies
- Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)
- Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act(PDF, 83 KB, 7 pages, April 2010)
- Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) (1998)
- Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002 (PDF, 49 KB, 5 pages, June 2002)
Guidance
- OMB M-11-26, Fast-Track Process for Collecting Service Delivery Feedback Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PDF, 196 KB, 4 pages, June 2011)
- PRA and the Web
Resources
Performance Measurement & Reporting
Federal Policies
Plain Writing
Federal Policies
Guidance
- OMB Memo on Testing and Simplifying Federal Forms (PDF, 94 KB, 2 pages, August 2012)
- OMB Final Guidance on Implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (PDF, 269 KB, 6 pages, April 2011)
Resources
Privacy & Identity Management
Federal Policies
- Requirements for Accepting Externally-Issued Identity Credentials
- OBM M-19-17, Enabling Mission Delivery through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management (PDF, 1 MB, 13 pages, May 2019)
- OMB M-17-12, Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information (PDF, 26,964 KB, 47 pages, January 2017)
- OMB M-17-09, Management of Federal High Value Assets (PDF, 9.14 MB, 16 pages, December 2016)
- OMB M-11-11, Continued Implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12–Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors (PDF, 205 KB, 6 pages, February 2011)
- Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA)
- Privacy Act of 1974
Guidance
- OMB M-03–22, Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E–Government Act of 2002 (September 2003)
- 800 series NIST Special Publications
- Complying With COPPA: FAQs
Resources
Prohibition on Advertising
Federal Policies
Records Management
Federal Policies
Guidance
- NARA guidance on managing Web records
- NARA guidance on managing social media records
- NARA list of guidances and memos for records management
Search
Federal Policies
Resources
Security
Federal Policies
- Binding Operational Directive 20-01, Develop and Publish a Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (September 2, 2020)
- Cybersecurity Executive Order 13800 (May 11, 2017)
- OMB M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (PDF, 258 KB, 5 pages, June 2015)
- Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA) (Public Law 113-283)(PDF, December 2014)
- M-19-03 Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Agencies by enhancing the High Value Asset Program (Dec 2018)
- 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA)
Guidance
Resources
Technology Standards
Federal Policies
- The HTTPS-Only Standard
- OMB M-21-07 Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (1Pv6) (PDF, November 2020)
- 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA)
Third-Party Services / Social Media
Federal Policies
- OMB Memorandum M-13-10: Antideficiency Act Implications of Certain Online Terms of Service Agreements (PDF, 1.1 MB, 17 pages, April 2013)
- Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act (OMB memo) (PDF, 83 KB, 7 pages, April 2010)