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New Guide!

Welcome to the Stanford Sites 4.0 User Guide. 

Site Launch Checklist

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Congratulations on building your new site!

To make sure that your site is launch-ready, please review the following pre-launch content checklist and logistics.

 Pre-launch content checklist 

  • Have you renamed/removed all default content/pages that aren’t needed on your site?
  • Do your homepage and footer blocks have the correct content?
  • Are your headings in a logical order?
  • Have you replaced or deleted all placeholder images?
  • Do your images have descriptive alternative text (“alt text”) where necessary to support accessibility?
  • Do your “Read More” links point to the correct pages and do those target pages have the correct content?
  • Have you checked all menu links?
  • Is your content ready to be “frozen” for the duration of the launch process?
  • Have you had your content reviewed for tone, accuracy, and grammar?
  • Does your site need to be approved by anyone prior to launch?

 Logistics

  • Do you need to create redirects for any specific pages from your old website (if applicable) to ensure users can still find key content?
  • Have you requested a vanity URL (e.g. mysite.stanford.edu) if one does not already exist? (Note: Stanford Web Services will handle the switchover for you once your site is ready to launch.)
  • Have you configured Google Analytics for your new site?
  • Have you archived your analytics data for your old site (if applicable)?
  • Have you prepared necessary communications for your audience regarding the launch of your site?
  • Do you want to request that a copy of your old website be stored by the Stanford Web Archiving Service?
  • Have you saved a copy of any old content or files that have not been moved to the new website that you may want to access later?
  • Are you prepared to archive or delete the old Drupal 7 website? (See the note below for information on why this is important.)

 Ready to launch?

After you complete the pre-launch content checklist and logistics are in order, you are ready to launch your site.

How to launch a site

If you are a client, you will receive assistance from your project team in Stanford Web Services, including Google Analytics, redirects setup, testing, vhost request and post-launch monitoring.

If you are a self-service site, we are happy to assist with getting your domain name in place.

Submit a site launch request

Not sure which path is best for you? Request help via the Services portal.

Launches  are scheduled on Monday - Thursdays during business hours only! During peak periods, some dates may not be available. When you are ready, simply submit the Request Site Launch Form, and a team member will respond to coordinate the launch details.

Retiring your old website

After June 30, 2022, the Stanford Sites Drupal 7 service will be retired and any sites remaining on the service will no longer be available. To avoid interruption in service, request the removal of unused or old Drupal 7 websites on Stanford Sites once a new Drupal 9 site has replaced it.

Stanford Web Services can assist with removing the Drupal 7 site as part of your launch request, or you can submit a separate request to delete a website through the form below.

Submit a request to delete your website