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    "title" : "An introduction to decommissioning sites |Digital.gov",
    "description": "An introduction to decommissioning sites",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/an-introduction-to-decommissioning-sites/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"An introduction to decommissioning sites","deck" : "Learn how to decommission a federal agency website when it no longer provides value or meets user needs.","summary" : "Learn how to decommission a federal agency website when it no longer provides value or meets user needs.","date" : "2024-12-18T00:00:00Z","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","topics" : {
        
            "content-strategy" : "Content strategy",
            "governance" : "Governance",
            "records-management" : "Records management"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"an-introduction-to-decommissioning-sites.md",
      
      "filepath" :"resources/an-introduction-to-decommissioning-sites.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/an-introduction-to-decommissioning-sites.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/an-introduction-to-decommissioning-sites.md","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/an-introduction-to-decommissioning-sites/","aliases" : {"0" : "/resources/an-introduction-to-decomissioning-sites/"},"weight" : "1","content" :"\u003ch2 id=\"what-is-site-decommissioning\"\u003eWhat is site decommissioning?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the content of your website has reached a stage where it’s no longer relevant for users, you can choose to either modernize or decommission the site. The justification of this assessment can derive from a variety of factors, including customer value, accuracy of content, technical infrastructure, funding, or relevant law and policy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Decommissioning a website” means taking a website offline. Having a decommissioning plan in place is an important part of your web \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/governance/\"\u003egovernance\u003c/a\u003e strategy. This process often includes removing a site from the web, shutting down the servers that host the website, disabling domain name system (DNS) records that point to the website, and redirecting to a more accurate website.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsider this decision-making framework when you’re evaluating whether it is time to update, modernize, or decommission a site:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"usa-table\"\u003e\n  \u003ccaption\u003eWebsite decision-making framework\u003c/caption\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n    \u003cth\u003e\u003cb\u003eCustomer value\u003c/b\u003e - The site is meeting a current customer need, and you have data to validate this.\u003c/th\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003eYes / No\u003c/td\u003e\n  \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003e\u003cb\u003eContent\u003c/b\u003e - Content on the site is current and accurate.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003eYes / No\u003c/td\u003e\n  \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003e\u003cb\u003eTechnical infrastructure\u003c/b\u003e - The site’s tech stack meets the latest federal security and technology requirements.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003eYes / No\u003c/td\u003e\n  \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003e\u003cb\u003eFunding\u003c/b\u003e - Your team has sufficient resources (funding and staff) to continue supporting the site for the foreseeable future.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003eYes / No\u003c/td\u003e\n  \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003e\u003cb\u003eMandate\u003c/b\u003e - There is a requirement in law or policy for your agency to host the website.\u003c/td\u003e\n    \u003ctd\u003eYes / No\u003c/td\u003e\n  \u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you answered “no” to any of these prompts, it’s probably time to either modernize or decommission the website.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"why-is-site-decommissioning-important\"\u003eWhy is site decommissioning important?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA website is born out of an idea, or a perception of need. But like any tool or platform, over time the original reason for creating a website either becomes irrelevant, or the codebase of the website itself becomes outdated. Websites are decommissioned when the content is no longer relevant or useful to users or when the technical structure of the site is no longer functional.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWebsites that are out of date make information that is no longer accurate widely available. In some scenarios (such as when health and wellbeing is at stake), this can introduce a great deal of risk and confusion for the public.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf more accurate information is available on a well-maintained website, an outdated, duplicative website can hinder the performance and trustworthiness of the more accurate sites.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-to-develop-a-site-decommissioning-plan\"\u003eHow to develop a site decommissioning plan\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA comprehensive decommissioning plan lays out specific tasks, responsibilities, and timelines to ensure a well-organized transition. Use the framework below to plan for the impact on staff and the public as well as the changes you’ll need to make to existing workflows and processes and how you’ll mitigate potential service disruptions resulting from those changes.\nFrom start to finish, it can take months to decommission a website. Consider what time of year will have the least impact on customers. Build in a cushion for delays.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"step-1-use-analytics-to-understand-the-current-state\"\u003eStep 1. Use analytics to understand the current state\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReview website \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/analytics/\"\u003eanalytics\u003c/a\u003e and customer experience metrics. Document the current state of the site against agency mission and customer centricity. Gather analytics on site functionality, performance, and policy compliance. This information will help you show the positive impact of decommissioning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"step-2-audit-any-content-that-will-be-preserved\"\u003eStep 2. Audit any content that will be preserved\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you determine that any of the \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/content-strategy/\"\u003econtent\u003c/a\u003e is moving to a new website, ensure that it’s updated, current, and accurate before it’s published on the new site. Don’t automatically migrate everything. Use analytics and customer feedback data to determine which content has value for customers and should be migrated. Then, consult with your \u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/agency\"\u003eagency’s records officer\u003c/a\u003e and archive or delete the rest, according to your website’s records schedule.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"step-3-make-a-business-case\"\u003eStep 3. Make a business case\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnalyze the impact of decommissioning on associated operations such as development costs, and data and content management. With the metrics you gathered from determining your baseline, make a document outlining the reasoning behind your decision. Include relevant data, but keep the focus at a high-level.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBusiness cases are typically simple documents that readers can quickly get through. You can circulate it to leadership and to your communications and technology teams to help quickly communicate the impact of the decommissioned site — both as it is now and after its eventual removal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"step-4-draft-a-timeline\"\u003eStep 4. Draft a timeline\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreate a step-by-step schedule for the transition. Include dependencies and critical paths that may impact the schedule. Also, incorporate regular check-ins, and mechanisms for adapting to feedback or unexpected circumstances.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"step-5-write-a-communications-plan\"\u003eStep 5. Write a communications plan\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreate a comprehensive communications plan for notifying users and customers about the website closure. Provide clear direction to redirect users to other relevant resources as needed.\nSchedule time with your communications teams to develop effective messaging.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-to-decommission-a-site\"\u003eHow to decommission a site\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollow relevant policies, regulations, laws, and rules related to decommissioning, particularly around records management, including but not limited to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003carticle class=\"dg-ring\" aria-labelledby=\"27ecb0d953c69b7967472dba3b0ec27d\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 id=\"27ecb0d953c69b7967472dba3b0ec27d\" class=\"dg-ring__title\"\u003eRelated policy\u003c/h2\u003e\n  \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/resources/delivering-digital-first-public-experience/\"\u003eM-23-22 Delivering a digital first public experience\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/policy/managing-web-records-index.html\"\u003eNARA guidance on managing web records (January 2005)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2014/2014-02.html\"\u003eNARA Bulletin 2014-02: Guidance on managing social media records\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReview any existing agreements, to determine what actions you need to take to close those out.\nWhen decommissioning a site, here are some actions you will need to collaborate with your tech support team to accomplish:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUpdate the agency website inventory and any other relevant inventories\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExport relevant records to a backup code repository, in accordance with the site’s records schedule\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReview documented security requirements and protocols (for both external and internal websites)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContact Certificate Authorities (CA) to revoke Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDelete the domain\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImplement redirects so that search engines and users who have bookmarked the site don’t get 404 errors\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDecommission any databases\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChange firewall configuration\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRetire each associated application\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemove backups, archive data, and uninstall system software and accounts\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConduct system testing for integration, latency, and security\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemove the system from security scan lists\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConfirm removal of system software, services, and accounts\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReport the site closure to search engines within respective search consoles\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeactivate the service\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArchive and close code hosting platforms that are publicly or privately available and provide a notice for users\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnsure complete removal of data\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVerify that decommissioning is complete\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"close-out\"\u003eClose out\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConduct an evaluation after decommissioning to gather insights, learn from mistakes, and improve future plans.\nRemember that once a site is decommissioned, your work is not done. Monitor user flows with analytics tools for several months to ensure that no site visitors are left confused or unable to find information that could help them.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSend post-decommission notifications to key collaborators\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConduct post-decommission evaluation and monitoring\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDocument lessons learned and share them with others in your agency, through case studies, updated documentation, or other means\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-can-i-do-next\"\u003eWhat can I do next?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a website manager, it can be hard to admit that your website is no longer serving a relevant customer need, or adding real business value, but almost every website will reach the end of its useful life at some point. Use the decision-making framework and tips in this resource to determine whether it\u0026rsquo;s time to decommission your website. If your answer is yes, define a timeline, responsibilities, and milestones. Then, talk with your supervisor to make it happen!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can also join the Digital.gov \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/communities/web-content-managers/\"\u003eWeb Managers Community of Practice\u003c/a\u003e to connect with fellow practitioners on topics like governance, design, and best practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
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}