Standard: Footers
Brief description
(see the full document below for details)
Footers provide standard links across all of EPA and, optionally, within an area.
Note: This is a "legacy" standard, written before the Web Council was created. It has been in force since the effective date. Since the creation of the Web Council, it has been rewritten to follow the normal layout for standards. "Date approved" refers to when the Web Council approved this rewritten version.
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All standards and guidance
Definitions
- Global footer: a set of standard links at the bottom of every EPA Web page.
- Area footer: a set of standard links at the bottom of each Web page within an area. These links are appropriate to every page but are not primary navigation.
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Content requirements
- Global footer
The global footer contains several links using graphics and text. Do not change anything except where specified below.
- EPA home page. Links to http://www.epa.gov/ . Do not change anything about this link.
- Privacy and Security Notice. Links to the Agency's formal disclaimer ( http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/usenotice.htm ). Do not change anything about this link.
- Contact Us. This links to the same contact page as the Contact Us link near the top of each Web page. Both the top and bottom links must point to the same contact page.
- In the WebCMS, the global footer can not be modified except to add the contact us link.
- Area footer
- An area footer is not required but may be appropriate. If created, it must appear on every page within an area.
- Links that are relevant to the content of every page in the area but are not primary navigation may appear in an area footer.
- The following links are recommended, but not required, for the area footer:
- frequent questions (this is standard terminology; don't use "FAQ" or "Frequently Asked Questions")
- a link to the the home page of a higher (overarching) area.
If using the latter, provide the name of the page (e.g., "Water Home") rather than using text like "up one level" or "back to home" - many people will reach EPA pages through search engines, and terms like those will not be meaningful to them.
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Style requirements
- Global footer: use the standard styles specified in the master template.
- Area footer: There is no standard method for separating the area footer from the content section, but some form of separation is required (e.g., a graphic line, a hard rule, extra white space, etc.). Regardless of how it is separated from the content above it, the area footer appears near the bottom of the page, with only the footer image and global footer below it.
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Rationale
Contact Us link in global footer: The contact link is displayed both at the top and bottom of every page because usability testing has shown that a significant portion of people fail to see it at the top of the page.
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Exemptions
None.
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Related governance documents
EPA
Related Policies
Related Procedures
Related Standards
Related Guidance
Non-EPA
None
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Full Metadata about this standard
Name Footers
Tracking number NT00000000
Type Standard
Required or Recommended Required
Effective date 03/22/2002
Date approved 03/13/2006
Category Links and Navigation, Page Elements
Web Council review by 10/18/2008 (or earlier if deemed necessary by the Web Council)
Governing Policy Web Governance and Management (PDF) (4 pp, 339K, About PDF)
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