URL standards
Meet these standards when creating URLs.
URLs should be user friendly, and to follow a consistent, predictable format.
These standards apply to nottinghamshire.gov.uk and its sub-domains.
URLs must:
- be clear, unambiguous, easy to read, easy to type and easy to share
- be in lower case
- align with the title of the page
- use words and should not contain acronyms, unless the acronym is very well known or very long
- use dashes to separate words within URLs so they are easy to read - for example, www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/set-up-business (another version without hyphens can be created if the URL is designed to be read aloud, tv, radio and social advertising as well as on printed material
- avoid articles (a, an, the) and other superfluous words - for example, use /benefits or /benefits-guides rather than /a-guide-to-benefits
- use the verb stem, where possible - for example, /apply instead of /applying
- be based on user need rather than the (current) name of a policy, scheme or service - for example, the URL www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling for people who want to access our waste and recycling information and services
- not use trailing slashes (/) when sharing or printing- it’s bad for search engine optimisation (SEO) - for example, use www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/your-url-here, not www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/your-url-here/
- not use a short URL to redirect a user to a non-government site
Short or ‘friendly’ URLS
If you need to share or promote information and services offline, for example in letters, on posters, or on TV, a short URL may be created. This can make it easier to remember, say or type.
Contact the Communications and Marketing team to request a short URL.
Top level redirects
Top level redirects are short URLs which exist at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/url (and contain just one forward slash).
Due to the large amount of content that already exists at the top level, only a limited number of redirects will be allowed here. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
