Today we are very excited to share with you a new look for DipNote, the U.S. Department of State’s official blog.

So you’re probably wondering, why “DipNote?” Well, our name -- “DipNote” -- is an ode to “Diplomatic Notes,” a formal written communication between countries, which has been used for centuries by Ministries of Foreign Affairs around the world, including the State Department. DipNotes are used for everything from announcing the arrival of a new diplomat in a host country to making a formal written request on high priority policy initiatives. In the same spirit of communication and engagement, our DipNote blog carries content on a range of topics related to foreign policy, diplomacy, and updates on U.S. State Department’s efforts to advance U.S. interests abroad.

You may also be wondering what you can expect from the content you find on DipNote, and how the information here differs from the information you may find on our website-- state.gov. DipNote offers first-person perspectives from U.S. government employees who are implementing U.S. foreign policy.  Run by the U.S. Department of State, this blog provides the opportunity for the public to discuss international affairs with senior Department officials and with working-level foreign policy and development experts.

With that in mind, we hope you enjoy our new look and feel of DipNote. The new design is focused on make it easier for you to find what you are looking for and to engage with a range of foreign affairs professionals in Washington, D.C. and assigned to embassies and consulates the world over. It is our distinct honor and privilege to bring you their stories on this platform.

Below are just a few of the new features you’ll find on our new site:

More Comprehensive Search Feature:  At the top of the page you’ll find  a search box connected to our new search functionality. Now it will be easier to find entries based on keywords and advance search options.

Subscribe to Stories that Matter Most to You: Our new subscription service will allow you to customize your DipNote updates based on topic and how frequently you want to receive information from us. Get as little or as much as you want.

Keep Up-To-Date with Live Events:  We now have a way to notify you or breaking news through website banners that make updates easier to find. We also have a new section for “Live Events” so you can know when to expect the next live-stream from video.state.gov, a Twitter Chat with State Department officials, or a Facebook Live event from State Department headquarters.

Engage State Department on Social Media: We have created a brand new “Engage” section of the blog where our readers can find all the flagship social media accounts operated by the State Department. This is a useful one-stop shop for @StateDept content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Medium, and more.

Getting the Most Out of Each Article: We have updated our articles so they now include read times as well as list of any available translations at the top of each page. You can easily share articles on social media using the social media toolbar. If you need more information after reading a story, there are additional story recommendations and tags with each one that provide you with more resources to explore.

These are just a handful of the dozens of new features we have included in our redesign in an effort to better serve and inform our readers. We hope you enjoy the new layout of DipNote’s homepage and will take some time to explore the rest of our site. Please use our new comments feature to give us some feedback on our new look. We look forward to hearing from you.

About the Authors:  Jaclyn Cole and Ashli Savoy are the Managing Editor's for DipNote, U.S. Department of State's Official Blog.