If you need a website for a Georgetown department or office, an academic degree program, or a university initiative or project, you may be eligible for a WordPress at Georgetown site. If you need a website for something else, like a blog or a faculty bio, check out these website options instead.
Requests
Requests for sites in the new theme fall under two categories: existing sites wanting to migrate to 1789, and new sites wanting to start in 1789.
- For a new site, you’ll need to fill out the domain name request form to get your domain approved before work can begin.
- For existing sites migrating from Whitehaven Nu to 1789, review our Whitehaven Nu to 1789 page before requesting the theme to get a sense of what’s different, common mistakes in 1789, and tips for working in the new theme.
You can request the theme by emailing webservices@georgetown.edu. In your request, make sure to include:
- The name of the site. If the site already exists, include a link!
- The affiliation (ex: GUMC, MSB).
- Desired launch date
- Type of sandbox site. For requests to migrate an existing site in 1789, you’ll have the option to start from a blank site or a clone of the current site. A blank site is a good option if you plan on making major content and site architecture changes. A clone site is a good option if you plan on reusing the majority of the existing content.
- Approval from school contact. Each school has a different way of handling 1789 site requests. If you’re unsure how your school handles 1789 requests, reach out to your school’s contact or the Web Services team.
If the request is approved, Web Services will create a sandbox site for you to work on your new site! The site creation process can take up to two business days after the request is approved.
Responsibilities
Once the site is created, Web Services will grant you editing access to the development site. It is your responsibility to add and maintain content on the site.
Web Services will help with:
- Answering questions about blocks.
- Providing recommendations for page templates and block usage.
- Design Reviews: A design review can be helpful if you find you’re struggling with block and template usage, or would like some design advice! They are held over Zoom and last about an hour. Design reviews typically include Fabian, our UX/UI designer, and/or PMs on the Web Services team.
- Before the design review, you’ll be asked to choose ~3 pages to review. These can be pages you would like input on and are having a hard time laying out. It’s helpful to include goals and identify a primary audience for each page you want to review.
Working in 1789
Building out a website in a new theme might seem overwhelming at first, but we’ve broken down the process into recommended steps in our Example 1789 Migration Plan. This plan covers prep work, how we recommend working on pages, and provides an overview of the launch process.
If you notice a bug or would like to request a feature, please fill out our WordPress Bug Report and Feature Request Form.
Migration Guide
Take a look at the 1789 Migration Guide to learn about the process of building a website in the new 1789 theme and the website launch process. Please give Web Services a minimum of one week’s notice for the site launch.
Example 1789 Migration Plan
Check out our recommended step-by-step process! You can create a copy of our Example 1789 Migration Plan and use it as a template.
Examples of Sites in 1789
Not sure if 1789 is the right theme for you? Check out some sites currently in the 1789 theme below!
- Biomedical Graduate Education
- McCourt School of Public Policy
- The Office of Public Affairs (1789 Unit)
- The Massive Data Institute (1789 Unit)
- Common Home (1789 Unit)
- Georgetown Humanities Initiative (1789 Unit)
Launch Process
You’ll need to complete the client pre-launch checklist and give Web Services a minimum of one week’s notice for the site launch. This will ensure Web Services has enough time to complete its final review of the site.
Client Pre-Launch Checklist
Before Web Services does their final site review, make sure to run through the following checklist:
- Determine which redirects need to be added. For existing sites, redirects might be needed to avoid 404 errors on pages that were deleted/modified. Web Services can provide a list of pages and URLs on both the current and development site for you to compare. Reach out to us at webservices@georgetown.edu to request the lists.
- Once you have the lists to compare, use the bulk redirect template to format your redirects for Web Services. Redirects will be put in place during relaunch.
- Do my images have alt text?
- If using an image-based logo, has the logo been approved by visualidentity@georgetown.edu?
- Are any images blurry or poorly cropped?
- How does my site look on mobile? It’s good to review your site on different screen sizes to make sure all your content looks as expected!
- Are there any blocks from Whitehaven Nu being used? This will only be an issue for sites that have had their content copied from Whitehaven Nu. Any WhNu blocks will be removed from the site during the launch, so it’s important to ensure you are not using any in your 1789 site. All WhNu blocks will have a bright yellow background in the editor. Reach out to Web Services if you have any questions about this!
- Am I taking full advantage of the page template options? The chapter and parent-child templates are new templates in 1789. Are there any pages on your site that could benefit from using either template?
- Am I taking full advantage of the different menu options? There are 2 new menus in 1789: The utility menu and the footer menu.
Web Services’ final site review
Once you have completed the pre-launch checklist, let a Web Services team member know so the final site review can begin. Depending on how the review goes, Web Services might suggest some edits to page templates or block usage.
When the review is complete and edits have been made, Web Services will work with you to launch the site!
Post-Launch
It’s important to maintain content on your site post-launch. Check out our ongoing maintenance and website improvements section of our Web Editor Guide for best practices, common website maintenance tasks, prioritizing edits, and tips for staying on track!
Sandbox Site Management Policy
This policy will apply to all sandbox sites requested for new or migrated sites, and for old sites once a new version is launched. It aims to streamline our processes and optimize our server resources.
One-Year Maintenance Period
Once a sandbox site is requested and set up by the Web Services team, it will be maintained for a period of one year. This timeframe is provided to allow site managers and editors ample opportunity to develop and finalize the site before its official launch or relaunch in the case of a site migration.
When a migrated site is launched, the old site will be renamed and blocked from search engines but will be available for those with the new link for one year. This will allow site managers to have access to the original content in case anything was missed in the migration.
Archiving After One Year
After one year, the Web services team will archive all old sites and any sandbox site that has not been launched within the one-year maintenance period. The archiving process involves preserving the site’s data in a secure state, but that data is no longer accessible.
One-Year Archival Period and Site Deletion
The archived site will be retained for an additional one year. During this time, site managers and editors can request access to retrieve content or continue development if needed. However, if no action is taken within this period, the archived site will be permanently deleted from our servers after the additional year has passed. Once the site is deleted after 2 years it cannot be restored.
By setting a defined maintenance and archiving schedule, we can better manage our server resources. This ensures that our systems are not overburdened with inactive or abandoned sites, leading to improved performance and reliability for all live sites across the University.
Archiving sites that are not launched within the one-year period also helps maintain data security and integrity. It ensures that unused or outdated content does not remain indefinitely on our servers, reducing the risk of potential security vulnerabilities.
For Site Managers and Editors
We encourage all site managers and editors to review their current sandbox sites and plan accordingly. If your site is nearing the one-year mark and is not yet ready for launch, please contact the Web Services team to discuss your options. For archived sites, remember that you have one year from the date of archiving to retrieve any necessary data or request continued development.