An introduction to federal website standards

Understand how and why to use the federal website standards

What are the federal website standards?

Federal agencies are required to comply with website standards per the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA).

The federal website standards align with 21st Century IDEA, OMB Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, and other relevant policy requirements and best practices. The standards cover common visual and technical elements and reflect user experience best practices.

The standards website includes pending standards that will be required after a specific period of time and standards that are in development so you can contribute to the process. Each standard includes acceptance criteria that specify how to comply with the standard.

Visit standards.digital.gov to learn more about the federal website standards.

Why are the federal website standards important?

Most people interact with the federal government online. There are about 2 billion visits to federal websites by the public every month. It is critical that government websites and digital services are effective and easy to use.

The federal website standards help agencies provide high-quality, consistent digital experiences for everyone. And, increased standardization and cross-government collaboration can reduce implementation costs for all agencies.

How are standards developed?

GSA’s Technology Transformation Services manages standards development and publication through the Federal Website Standards program.

The standards are developed through an open and iterative process involving federal agencies, the public, and other stakeholders and are published incrementally in the following four stages:

  • Research: The standard is being researched with the public, federal agencies, and other stakeholders.
  • Draft: The standard has been drafted and is being shared with federal agencies and other stakeholders for feedback and iteration.
  • Pending: The standard has been finalized. It will be required after a specified time period following its move to the pending status. Federal agencies can begin working to comply with pending standards.
  • Required: Federal agencies are required to comply with this standard.

Visit the standards website to read more about how standards are developed.

What can I do next?

As a federal web practitioner, you can take the following actions:

  • Review the standards at standards.digital.gov/standards.
  • Consider how the standards apply to your websites and digital services that are intended for use by the public.
  • Plan to evaluate your compliance with the pending standards.
  • Share this information with digital teams in your agency.

You can also browse related resources:

Get involved

To share your feedback on the federal website standards, email GSA’s standards team at website.standards@gsa.gov or join a discussion on GitHub.

You can also join Digital.gov’s Web Managers Community to learn more about how other government web practitioners implement governance strategies and manage their content.