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Website Standards & Guidelines Framework

I. Purpose

This Website Standards & Guidelines Framework ensures that Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) maintains relevant, accurate, and secure web content by outlining standards for deleting inactive or outdated websites. By removing neglected content, this framework mitigates security risks, reduces outdated information, and enhances the overall user experience for students, faculty, staff, and the public. The website standards & guidelines framework provides clear criteria and processes for managing abandoned websites, supporting TMU’s commitment to SEO best practices, accessibility standards, and digital excellence.

The type of content included in this framework consists of any webpages, images, digital files, or documents within the Adobe Experience Manager Web Content Management System (AEM WCMS) associated with an identified website. 

Key stakeholders include content authors, website managers, site sponsors, Digital Publishing (DPU), and other CCS units. Responsibility for this process is shared by DPU and University Relations (UR).


II. Deletion Policies

  1. TMU Website Deletion Protocols
  2. AEM Development Website Deletion Protocols
  3. Protocols for Deleting Abandoned Websites


III. Required Processes

1. Content Review Process

a. Establish a periodic review process to determine which sites should be deleted. (DPU)

b. Run reports for inactivity and user management. (DPU)

c. Monitor Siteimprove and analytics reports. (UR)

2. Content Deletion Criteria:

a. AEM Group for the website has no author
   -  TMU Report to run: ‘Groups without users’ (DPU)
b. Website(s) with no modifications in more than 24 months
   -  TMU Report to run: ‘List Site Summary’ (DPU)
c. Low engagement and broken links
   - Data reported in Siteimprove, Clarity and/or GA4 (UR)
d. Regulatory requirements not being met (e.g. AODA, etc.)
   - Audits provided by Accessibility Specialist (Digital Media Projects, DMP)

3. Responsibility for Abandoned Content:  

DPU is responsible for monitoring, identifying, and managing abandoned content in AEM. This includes websites with no authors and sites not updated within the past two years.

 4. Content Ownership:

DPU will identify the manager, author, or website sponsor of websites at risk of being deleted. The AEM user administration and JIRA tickets may be used to locate the appropriate site owner/sponsor. (DPU)

5. Content Removal Process:

See #2, ‘Site Deletion Process’  in TMU Website Deletion Protocols

6. Managing Abandoned Content

a. Identification:
   - Regularly audit AEM to identify abandoned or outdated content, using TMU tools and manual reviews. (DPU)
b. Notification:
   -Notify content owners, authors, and website sponsors of inactive or neglected content, reminding them of their responsibility to maintain it. (DPU)
c. Review and Update:
   -Encourage content owners to review and update their pages regularly, providing guidance and support as needed.
(DPU & UR)
d. Archiving:
   -Consider archiving valuable but outdated content for historical reference, preserving institutional memory and continuity. (DPU)
e. Deletion:
   -Delete content that is no longer relevant or meets deletion criteria outlined in the framework, following appropriate procedures and approvals. (DPU)