Guidance: Scannable Text
Brief description
(see the full document below for details)
Laying out a page so visitors can easily scan it helps them find information quickly.
Note: This is "legacy" guidance, written before the Web Council was created. It has been in force since the effective date. Since the creation of the Web Council, it has been rewritten to follow the normal layout for guidance. "Date approved" refers to when the Web Council approved this rewritten version.
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All standards and guidance
Content requirements
- Use fewer words than in a print document.
- For documents with many sections, follow the standard for table of contents and links to "Top of Page"
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Style requirements
- Use headings, subheadings, and bolding to make the page's structure clear. Avoid underlining because it makes text look like a link. Avoid italics for long passages because they are hard to read.
- Use lists and sub-lists: use ordered lists when you need to convey how many items there are or to put items in a specific order.
- Use if … then tables to convey complex conditional statements.
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Examples
If … then tables:
Using headings and bullets to make clear the structure: the standards database
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Rationale
People on the Web scan instead of reading every word. They are looking for specific words, and use headings and bullets to help them find what they are looking for without having to sift through everything else on a page.
Compare these two examples and how much easier it is in the second to find the different kinds of surface water.
Example 1:
EPA regulates water in many different forms: wetlands; drinking water; ground water (such as aquifers); surface water of all kinds, including lakes, ponds and streams; and waste water.
Example 2:
EPA regulates water in many different forms:
- wetlands
- drinking water
- ground water (such as aquifers)
- surface water of all kinds, including
- waste water
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Related governance documents
EPA
Related Policies
Related Procedures
Related Standards
Related Guidance
Non-EPA
None
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Full Metadata about this standard
Name Scannable Text
Tracking number NT00000000
Type Guidance
Required or Recommended Recommended
Effective date 01/01/2004
Date approved 03/12/2007
Category Writing and Style
Web Council review by 03/12/2009 (or earlier if deemed necessary by the Web Council)
Governing Policy Web Governance and Management (PDF) (4 pp, 339K, About PDF)
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