Choosing a content type

Content types on SF.gov fall into 3 page goals:

1. Service pages help the user get something done

2. Outreach pages inform the public about what SF (as a whole) is doing

3. Department support pages inform the public about what a department is doing

You’ll choose a content type for your SF.gov page based on the goal of the page.

Service pages

Goal: Help the user get something done

Transaction

• Use for: An entry-point into a service (often an application)

• Transactions must be actionable. If content is not directly actionable, use an info page instead.

• If your content starts to veer off into “info about something,” you should make a separate info page and link it. Everything on a transaction page needs to move the user forward.

• Choose this content type if you see: words like “Application”, “Form”, “Send”, “Email”, “Mail”

Info

• Use for: Non-actionable information or reference

• If there’s something the user must do with the City, use a transaction instead.

• Choose this content type if you see: a “wall of text,” or words like “Definition”, “About”, “Learn”, “Understanding”

Step by step

• Use for: Processes that involve multiple steps (or transactions), especially over time

• There’s a limit of 15 steps, to make it easier to scan and understand the overall process.

• Step by steps are not details, they’re overviews. Put details in transactions or info pages.

• Choose this content type if you see: Numbered steps, multiple buttons, multiple actions over time

Location

• Use for: Showing people where to go to get a service

• Should be reserved for places that are controlled by the City or City partners

• Choose this content type if you see: Address, hours, directions

Outreach pages

Goal: Inform the public about what SF (as a whole) is doing

News

• Use for: Press releases or announcements

• Will be automatically added to the SF.gov homepage, dept landing pages, topic pages

• News pages are very ephemeral! For ongoing info, try a campaign

• Choose this content type if you see: Date with no location, or words like “Press release”, “Announcement”, “Department is…”

Events

• Use for: Public events with the where, when, and what

• Will be added to dept landing pages, topic pages

• Events are not meetings! There’s a meeting content type.

• Choose this content type if you see: Date and time, location, any kind of gathering, and it’s not attached to a public body

Campaigns

• Use for: Awareness and ongoing outreach about a single message or initiative

• For an announcement of a campaign, you might need to publish both a News item and a campaign

• Choose this content type if you see: “Outreach”, “Initiative”, “Program is about…”, or a catchy name, slogan, or acronym

Department support pages

Goal: Inform the public about what a department is doing

About

• Use: Once, when going in-depth with dept mission and values

• You can use an info page to publish more detailed information, and link it here

• Choose this content type if you see: Details about divisions, descriptions of what the dept is doing

Meeting

• Use for: meeting records

• Preformatted agendas

• Choose this content type if: you’re posting about a meeting for a Commission, committe, task force, or board

Profile

• Use for: biographical info about staff or public figures

• Choose this content type if: you’re sharing a bio

Data story

• Use for: pairing data dashboards with explanatory text

• Choose this content type if: you have PowerBI embeds, you’re working with DataSF

Report

• Use for: Annual reports, policies, other long documents

• Has automatic table of contents

• Choose this content type if you see: long text with a publication date

Resource collection

• Use for: Lists of documents, resources, data stories

• Choose this content type if you see: collections of PDFs, links, or both