Content sign-off process
Your pages on SF.gov need to be checked for factual accuracy and for usability. Naming this process at the start of your move can save time later.
Digital Services
You don’t need sign-off from Digital Services to publish content on SF.gov. But if you’re not sure about the content you’ve written, ask us in Teams and we’ll take a look. You can also bring questions to Office Hours.
Process
You also don’t have to follow a specific process to get sign-off, but we’ve migrated a number of departments and we have some tips to help!
Get your approval process set up early, so that you don’t waste anyone’s time.
Sign-offs by page type
Department homepage
You will probably want to get high level approval for your department homepage before your soft launch, but it’s a good idea to have a lighter process for all of your other pages. In most departments the homepage is signed off on by the head of the department.
Other pages on SF.gov
For every page, we suggest following this process to publish content:
Content lead works with SME to draft the page
SME fact checks pages for accuracy (SMEs don’t have responsibility for structure or wording)
Someone besides the person who wrote the page should check the content is correct, easy to read and focused on the user. Often this is your move champion, the head of communications or the head of another division.
Getting sign-off from…
Department head (for homepage and about us)
Timing
Your website (department homepage, service pages) is almost ready to launch.Considerations
Overall messaging and alignment with department goals.Approach
We suggest you do this in person, so you can show rather than tell. Walk stakeholders through how the new pages will help the department and San Franciscans.
Person overseeing the SF.gov migration (usually comms staff)
Timing
After an SME has fact checked the content for accuracy and you’re ready to publish the page.Messaging
How this looks depends on your department. Some departments may not even have separate staff on communications, but you need someone to be accountable for usability and to catch any issues.
Email template: Getting sign-off from the person who looks at SF.gov pagesSubject line: Sign-off on [content title or page category] by [date]
Hi [name]
We’re asking for your sign off to publish: [insert content title] [insert SF.gov preview link] [insert go-live date]
[you can also attach a MSWord doc version of the page for comments or suggestions]
Below is a checklist of what we’ve already validated.
We’d specifically like you to review this content for:
We’d like to launch the new site on [date]. So we need any comments from you by [date]. And let us know why you ask for changes, so we can revise and return for sign off.
We don’t need you to review the following (We’ve already checked and tested). [X] factual accuracy and relevance [X] user-centered language [X] SEO-metadata [X] accessibility compliance [X] readability [X] style and quality against Content Guide [X] product and/or project objectives [X] legislative requirements
Thanks [name] |
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Subject matter expert (SME)
Timing
While you’re writing the content, and after you’ve drafted the page.What to sign off on
The SME is the best person to judge if everything on the page is accurate.
Ideally, you’ll have worked with the SME to write a rough draft of the page. But it’s a good idea to get a formal thumbs up before you pass it on to higher-level staff to check messaging.
Email template: Getting a fact check from an SME Subject line: Pages on SF.gov to fact check for [content title or page category] by [date] Hi [name] Thanks for meeting with me to write these pages. I have the following pages ready to check for accuracy:
Please give me your comments by [date and time]. I need to pass these pages on to [person overseeing the SF.gov migration] to check messaging by [day after and time]. We don’t need you to review the following (We’ve already checked and tested). [X] wording Thanks [name]
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