# Best Practices for COVID-19 Government Websites

As a state or local government, it is important to keep your constituents informed with clear, direct information and instructions in this rapidly changing environment of COVID-19. This *COVID-19 Website Best Practices Guide* will help you understand how to best do this via a public-facing website where you can publish and maintain information, guidance, resources, and news about COVID-19.

## 📚 How to Use This Resource <a href="#how-to-use-this-resource" id="how-to-use-this-resource"></a>

1. Start with the [**Getting Started**](https://covid-websites.usdigitalresponse.org/getting-started) guide
2. Next, understand [**What Information Should Be on your Site & How to Think about Layout**](https://covid-websites.usdigitalresponse.org/info-to-put-on-your-site), which includes mockups of a sample state/ local government website & tips on how to organize your information
3. Browse the links in the [**Design & Technical Resources**](https://covid-websites.usdigitalresponse.org/design-and-technical-resources) section, which is a list of assets, tools, and other resources that can help you build your website and examples of great state/ local government coronavirus websites to reference
4. [**Let us know your feedback**](https://airtable.com/shrhIGZLVYi7eqOv5) — was this resource helpful? Why or why not?

## About this Resource <a href="#about-this-resource" id="about-this-resource"></a>

This resource was created by volunteers with the [**U.S. Digital Response**](https://www.usdigitalresponse.org/) to help federal, state, and local governments to efficiently provide the public with essential coronavirus info. The U.S. Digital Response is a volunteer-run, non-partisan organization that exists to assist the U.S. government in its response to COVID-19. This resource referenced the following materials: (1) [**digital.gov’s guidance for government coronavirus websites**](https://digital.gov/resources/coronavirus-covid19-guidance-for-us-government/), (2) [**coronavirus.gov**](https://www.coronavirus.gov/), a portal for public information that is curated by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force at the White House, working in conjunction with CDC, and (3) [**CDC Coronavirus Portal**](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus) which is the latest public health and safety information from CDC and for the overarching medical and health provider community on COVID-19.<br>


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