Standard: NEW Icon
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Definitions
A "NEW" icon 
is a small graphic that indicates a piece of content is new.
Content requirements
Using a "NEW" icon is optional. If you use one:
- Limit use of "New" icons on a page.
- Do not write text that redundantly suggests newness, e.g., "EPA today initiated ..."
- Note: the "New" icon will not appear on browsers that do not have JavaScript enabled. Do not provide a non-JavaScript alternate; this is not a critical loss of content.
How to add a New Icon:
- Write your link or text as usual on your Web page.
Example: <p>Draft rule released.</p>
- Add the <ins> element with a "datetime" attribute. Add the date in format YYYY-MM-DD, numbers only. You must use the closing </ins> tag.
- Use the date you want the "New!" icon to first appear, not the date you want it to disappear.
- Wrap the <ins> element around the text:
<p><ins datetime="2011-10-01">Draft rule released.</ins></p>
The "New!" icon will remain visible for 30 days from the date you used.
- Because the <ins> element is valid XHTML, you don't have remove it after 30 days have passed.
- To make the icon appear for fewer days, just back-date the date accordingly.
- You cannot make it appear for more than 30 days.
- You do not have to add alt text for this graphic. It’s already included.
- Search engines can use the <ins> tag to date content.
- Follow the same directions to add a Spanish Nuevo icon. When you're using the Spanish template, the Spanish image is used automatically.
Examples
- DO use "NEW" icons to highlight important new items. For example:
- new, highly-visible reports or publications
- new, major updates to a section of guidance documents
- new, annual sets of data
- DON'T use "NEW" icons:
- on pages already devoted to updated content, such as "Recent Additions" or news releases
- in a text box with links to news headlines or announcements, such as on your home page
- to indicate minor or routine changes to Web pages, staff changes, phone number updates, etc.
- as bullets for a list of NEW items. Instead, place one "NEW" icon at the top of the list, plus (as appropriate) a short sentence to explain the items.
- on low-level pages.
Full Metadata about this standard
Name NEW Icon
Tracking number NT00000000
Type Standard
Required or Recommended Required
Effective date 09/28/2005
Date approved 07/01/2011
Category Graphics and Multimedia, Scripts and Codes
Web Council review by 07/01/2013 (or earlier if deemed necessary by the Web Council)
Governing Policy Web Governance and Management (PDF) (4 pp, 339K, About PDF)