Frequently Asked Questions About USA.gov

What is USA.gov?

USA.gov is an easy-to-search, free-access website designed to give you a centralized place to find information from U.S. local, state, and federal government agency websites. It's government made easy!

Why did you change your name from FirstGov.gov to USA.gov?

We did it because you asked us to. On December 5, 2006, FirstGov.gov announced that it changed its name to USA.gov. Feedback from the public told us that we need a name that is easier to understand and remember. We pay attention to our visitors and here's what we know:

• Last year more than 600,000 people typed in "usa.gov" into their browser when searching for government information.
• In a 2006 telephone survey, 79% of respondents preferred the name USA.gov.
• USA.gov is intuitive-it describes what our site is-the U.S. Government online.
• We regularly get e-mail from the public telling us that they don't like the name and that we should change it and our colleagues send the same message.
• Spanish speakers responded positively to GobiernoUSA.gov as the new name for the Spanish-language portal, a name that gives assurance that the user is on a government site.

What are you doing to make this transition easier for websites that link to you?

There are about 5 million links to USA.gov, and anyone who clicks a link to firstgov.gov will be automatically and seamlessly redirected to USA.gov. We will also perform outreach to state and federal government websites to let them know of the change so they can update their links and graphics.

What will happen to people who still type in FirstGov.gov and espanol.gov?

Visitors who have bookmarked FirstGov.gov or espanol.gov links or who type in the old FirstGov.gov and espanol.gov url's will be automatically redirected to usa.gov and gobiernoUSA.gov. The redirects will work for any existing firstgov.gov or espanol.gov url (not just the home pages) and will be in place indefinitely.

What will you do to promote awareness of the new name?

• Nationwide television, radio and print public service campaign will be released in spring 2007.
• Prominent mentions in 10 million Consumer Information Catalogs and half a million 2007 Consumer Action Handbooks that are widely distributed nationwide.
• Our new logo and link is featured on the home pages of federal, state and local government websites.
• Special promotions will appear on the back of approximately 17 million Federal tax refund checks processed in February and April, 2007.

How do I get permission to establish a link to USA.gov from my website?

USA.gov is the official web portal for the U.S. government. It is a public domain website, which means you may link to USA.gov at no cost. In fact, there are more than 5 million direct links to USA.gov. We provide all official U.S. government transactions, services, and information from one convenient location.

We ask that when you link to www.USA.gov, you do it in an appropriate context, as a service to your customers when they need to find official U.S. government information and services.

We encourage you to use our logo. You may download the USA.gov logo in various sizes and formats.

We also encourage you to link to GobiernoUSA.gov, the official Spanish language web portal of the U.S. government. We offer the GobiernoUSA.gov logo in various sizes and formats.

When can I use the USA.gov logo?

The USA.gov logo is the official registered trademark for the U.S. government's web portal. The USA.gov logo may only be used to link to the USA.gov website. Placement of the USA.gov logo is to be used only as a marker to the USA.gov home page and not as a form of endorsement or approval from USA.gov, the Federal Citizen Information Center, or the U.S. General Services Administration. If you would like to place our logo on your site to link to USA.gov, you may download the USA.gov logo in various sizes and formats.

Where can I find a USA.gov graphic to use on my website?

USA.gov is a public domain website, which means you may link to FirstGov.gov at no cost. You'll find USA.gov logo graphics on our Link to Us page.

How can I learn more about the USA.gov search engine?

View our tips on searching USA.gov.

What is the objective of USA.gov?

USA.gov's objective is to provide a free service, enabling the global community to easily and rapidly find U.S. government information that has been posted on the Internet. It offers a powerful search engine and an index of web-accessible government information and services to help you find what you need.

How do I contact the people who manage USA.gov?

Click on Contact Us to fill out the feedback form. Your comments will then be passed on to the website management.

Why create USA.gov?

USA.gov was created to save you time and take advantage of the simplicity and efficiency of the Internet. Most of the information you can find here has been on the web for a long time, but if you didn't know what you were looking for, or where to look, you couldn't find the answer to your question. Here you can find out which government office can address your concerns, and find direct links to relevant information and services.

What about privacy? Does the government know what I use USA.gov to look for?

We will collect no personal information about you when you visit our website, unless you choose to provide that information to us. To learn more about the USA.gov Privacy Policy, click on the Privacy link located at the bottom of each page.

How can I find more government FAQ's

USA.gov provides access to frequently asked questions across government.

How can I contact U.S. government agencies?

To contact a government agency, click on Contact Your Government by Agency or Contact Your Government by Topic.