Search

Good search functionality helps the public find exactly what they're looking for.

The search function is an essential component of any government website. It is a critical part of providing a positive user experience. Search is especially important for federal agencies which often have complex websites with large amounts of information. A well-designed search function can help users navigate this complexity and find the information they need quickly and easily.

21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA) & Section III.A.4 of M-23-22

21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA) & Section III.A.4 of M-23-22

Search: essential knowledge

Search events

Search news

Three tips for using meta descriptions

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, the goal is to make content more useful to the public, and meta descriptions are one way to help people quickly find the government information they’re looking for. These brief summaries of webpage content appear in search engine results to entice users to click through, attracting visitors to agency websites. Regularly updating these descriptions based on user data can enhance their effectiveness. Read in more detail about their three tips to create effective meta descriptions: identify commonly searched keywords, write engaging and actionable descriptions, and ensure each one is unique. — via USA.gov

USA.gov logo

Jun 04, 2024

How USAGov uses data to improve content

Each month, USAGov’s content designers spend many hours ensuring that the content on USA.gov and USAGov en Español is up-to-date, accurate, and meets user needs. Learn how their team does holistic reviews of each topic section based on a rolling calendar with the goal of updating all content at least every 6 months. — via USA.gov

USA.gov logo

Apr 01, 2024

Search.gov year in review: 2023 report

Learn what types of information people searched for on federal websites in 2023, see emerging trends the team is exploring to improve customers’ search experience in 2024, and check out three new updates. The data tab provides insightful summaries for 13 popular topic areas—and lists the public’s top 25 search terms, in their own words, for each. — via Search.gov

Search.gov logo

Mar 15, 2024

Less is more: Improving the public’s web search experience with filters

Explore the evolution of search experiences on federal websites as Search.gov introduces customizable search filters, providing users with the same flexibility familiar from e-commerce sites. Devolve into the NASA case study, uncovering how this innovative feature enhances accessibility and efficiency for a seamless user journey. — via USA.gov

USA.gov logo

Dec 12, 2023

Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government

OMB released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA). — via The White House

The White House logo

Sep 22, 2023

Resources on Search

Tools and Services

  • Search.gov

    A free hosted search platform for federal websites.

More News and Events on Search

47 posts

Three tips for using meta descriptions

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, the goal is to make content more useful to the public, and meta descriptions are one way to help people quickly find the government information they’re looking for. These brief summaries of webpage content appear in search engine results to entice users to click through, attracting visitors to agency websites. Regularly updating these descriptions based on user data can enhance their effectiveness. Read in more detail about their three tips to create effective meta descriptions: identify commonly searched keywords, write engaging and actionable descriptions, and ensure each one is unique. — via USA.gov

USA.gov logo

Jun 04, 2024

How USAGov uses data to improve content

Each month, USAGov’s content designers spend many hours ensuring that the content on USA.gov and USAGov en Español is up-to-date, accurate, and meets user needs. Learn how their team does holistic reviews of each topic section based on a rolling calendar with the goal of updating all content at least every 6 months. — via USA.gov

USA.gov logo

Apr 01, 2024

Search.gov year in review: 2023 report

Learn what types of information people searched for on federal websites in 2023, see emerging trends the team is exploring to improve customers’ search experience in 2024, and check out three new updates. The data tab provides insightful summaries for 13 popular topic areas—and lists the public’s top 25 search terms, in their own words, for each. — via Search.gov

Search.gov logo

Mar 15, 2024

Less is more: Improving the public’s web search experience with filters

Explore the evolution of search experiences on federal websites as Search.gov introduces customizable search filters, providing users with the same flexibility familiar from e-commerce sites. Devolve into the NASA case study, uncovering how this innovative feature enhances accessibility and efficiency for a seamless user journey. — via USA.gov

USA.gov logo

Dec 12, 2023

Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government

OMB released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA). — via The White House

The White House logo

Sep 22, 2023

Get to know Search.gov

Search.gov’s goal is to deliver a high-quality, government-wide search engine that allows agencies to customize search experiences for the public, regardless of website type or organization. Learn about standard offerings, as well as three major enhancements. — via USA.gov

USA.gov logo

Jul 25, 2023

Search.gov: 2019 in Review

In 2019, Search.gov served 295,916,305 queries across more than 2,000 government websites. Find out more in their annual report, including the most common topics that people searched for. — via Search.gov

Search.gov logo

Jan 27, 2020

DNSSEC vs. Elastic Load Balancers: the Zone Apex Problem

This is the final post in the 5-part series, The Right Tools for the Job: Re-Hosting DigitalGov Search to a Dynamic Infrastructure Environment. Federal websites are required to implement DNSSEC, which relies on knowing exactly what server is responding to a request. In Amazon Web Services (AWS), the problem of unreliable servers is solved by
Sep 12, 2016

The Right Tools for the Job: Re-Hosting DigitalGov Search to a Dynamic Infrastructure Environment

This is the first post of a 5-part series. DigitalGov Search is a commercial-grade search engine provided as a shared-service by the United States General Services Administration. We power about 2,300 search configurations for hundreds of federal, state, and local government agencies. Using our platform, agencies can easily configure a search experience for the public that
Aug 18, 2016

What Are Your Customers Searching For?

What are your agency’s website visitors looking for? Can they find it easily? How do you know? Search analytics provide valuable data that can positively affect an agency’s Web strategy. This topic was the focus of a recent webinar, Show Me the Data: Leveraging Analytics in DigitalGov Search. Dawn Pointer McCleskey, acting program manager for
Jan 08, 2016

How OSTP Crowdsourced A Crowdsourcing Toolkit

To promote crowdsourcing, one effective tool is, well, crowdsourcing. Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Federal Community of Practice for Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science (CCS) unveiled the Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing Toolkit. The toolkit contains information, resources, and best practices federal agencies can use to harness the power
Sep 30, 2015