Content design

Guidance on writing for the web, using plain English, structuring information and meeting accessibility standards

Writing and planning

Introduction to our content

We want to make things as simple and clear as possible for our users

How we write

Find out about our writing style, voice and tone of our content and the content formats that we use

Planning content

Our principles make sure our online services are easy to use, intuitive and focused on customer needs

Setting out our content

Information architecture

We group content on our site and arrange it into similar themes

How pages are structured

We want to give the key facts to our users so they know they are in the right place

Content types

Find out about the types of content that we have and the ways that we set pages out

Common terms

Our preferred website terms and the terms that we do not use

How we use AI to help with website content

This page explains how we use AI and the steps we take to make sure our information stays accurate, safe, and easy to understand.

Creating accessible web content

A step-by-step guide to creating accessible web pages and articles

Form Content Standards

Guidance for writing clear, accessible and user-focused online forms. Learn how to structure questions, write effective help text and create forms that are easy to complete.

View our Form Content Standards

Quality assurance and governance

Our Content Strategy

How we create and publish our online content

Our website search and keywords

Our search looks for the words used in the title, description and content

Looking after our important and most viewed pages

How we maintain and care for our essential and frequently used services

Digital inclusion and accessibility

We are committed to providing websites and digital services that are accessible to everyone

How we refer to the people who use our services

This guide explains the terms we use when talking about the people who live in, work in, or interact with our council. Our aim is to use language that is respectful, inclusive, and clear.

Why we do not use FAQs and what to do instead

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) might seem helpful, but they often create more problems than they solve.

Looking after our content

Content maintenance

How we look after our content and the tools we use

How we create and publish news posts

Post content follows the same writing style and tone as our pages