Article Checklist

Setting up Your Content for Success

Best Practices for Creating an Article

This checklist is to help ensure that when you are drafting and building your article, you are creating the content appropriately. This list is an overview of the steps needed, but, if you have any questions, please join a Co-working Session. The checklist has been broken into sections. Depending on your level of experience, you may not need to use all sections. If you are new to creating content on the Web Platform, we strongly encourage you to follow each step.  

  1. Create your Article (Content > Add content > Article)
  2. Add title
    Note: The article name may be cut off if your page title is too long.
  3. Add subtitle (optional)
    Note: This can be used to help shorten your article title. The text is smaller than title text.
  4. Add Featured Media
    Note: This is a video or image that will be presented prominently in the article to the right of the text.
  5. Select the Article Date
    Note: This is the date that your article was written that will be visible to users. 
  6. Add a Byline
    Note: This lists the author(s) of the article and is publicly visible.
  7. Add the body of your article 
    Note: Learn more about the text editor.
  8. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Section
    • Add a Target Keyword
      Note: This is the search term or phrase people will Google to find this web Article.  
    • Add a Meta Description
      Note: The short summary displayed underneath the URL in Google’s search results as well as the Web Platform search page.
    • Add Social Media Image (optional)
      Note: This is the image displayed when this page is shared to sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
    • Add an Original Source URL (optional)
      Note: If this content is being reposted, please enter the URL of the original source material so the search engines know which version is the “main” copy. 
    • Select Hide from Search Engine (optional)
      Note: Select this option to prevent search engine spiders, like Google, from crawling this page and adding it to their search results.
  9. Sections (Medschool Only)
    • Select the appropriate site access
      Note: Selecting any option other than “Default” will restrict editing access to the Article.
  10. Search Listing Options Section
    • Select an Article Type
      Note: An article can have only one type. The article type is part of the search results that are displayed to users. The article type is set at the platform level and cannot be changed.
    • Select a Topic
      Note: An article can have only one topic. The topic is part of the search results that are displayed to users. To have additional terms added, please contact your Site Administrator.  
    • Add Tags (optional)
      Note: This helps users find similar content, and tag topics can be added by simply typing in the desired name. 
  11. Related Content Section
    • Add a Person Reference (optional)
      Note: The person must first be added to the site to display in the results.
  12. Scheduling Options Section
    • Publish on (optional)
      Note: All fields must be completed for this to work. If a field has gray text, you will receive an error.
    • Unpublish on (optional)
      Note: All fields must be completed for this to work. If a field has gray text, you will receive an error.
    • Publish state (optional)
    • Unpublish state (optional)
  13. Click Save
  1. Do all links work?
  2. The first time an acronym is used, it needs to be written out in full.
  3. Is the site structure of your content easy and logical to follow?
  4. Accessibility - Are all e-mail addresses accessible (not written out in long form)?
  5. Accessibility - Is all URL text accessible (not written out in long form)?
  6. Accessibility - Is button text accessible (text does not include terms like "learn more," "read more," etc.)?
  7. Accessibility - Do all images have the appropriate alt text?
  8. Do you have copywrite permission to use the image?
  9. Any images should not look like stock photos.
  10. Is your image an actual photo and not clip art or the like?
  11. Accessibility - No images have text as the main message.
  12. Accessibility - Have all documents on the site been remediated?
    Note: This means your document has gone through a special process to make it meet the WCAG 2.0. This is a Federal requirement that UCLA must meet. For more information on accessibility, please contact the UCLA Disabilities and Computing Program.
  13. SEO - Do pages have target keywords?
  14. SEO - Do pages have meta descriptions?
  15. SEO - Have social media images been added (if needed)?
  16. SEO - Have canonical URLs been added?
  17. Has another person proofread your content?
  18. Has a stakeholder reviewed and approved your content?
  19. Publish your article.

Review Your Content as a Non-login User  

  1. Can you get to your page?
  2. Do all links work and not use terms like “Learn More”?
  3. Verify that your images do not have text as a main message.
  4. Does your page have a left-hand menu?
  5. If you had never been to the site before, would you understand the message?