To ensure accuracy, information must be "single sourced" by linking to the official webpage that is the “owner” or origin of the information.
In other words, if you do not control and update the information you must link to the webpage or document that is always up to date.
A few examples of frequently used single sources include:
- program requirements and course descriptions in the catalogs
- academic calendars
- scholarship information
- PDF forms
Best Practices for Single-Sourcing
- Leverage Reusable Blocks whenever possible to share specific content in multiple areas of the website
- Do not recreate large sections of content word-for-word on multiple pages.
- Paraphrases of similar information—especially for introductory page content—are fine
- Repeating key phrases like "Contact [Department name] for more information." is also allowed
- Do not upload a new copy of a PDF if it already exists on another website. Link directly to the original PDF instead.
- Avoid manually creating a calendar of events on a webpage. Use a feed from the WSU Event Calendar instead.
- Do not duplicate course details or program requirements from the course catalog on a webpage. Link to the appropriate Catalog page with an evergreen redirect instead.
Reasons to Avoid Duplicate Content
- It's easy to forget to request updates made in multiple locations
- People will be confused if they find conflicting information from different sources
- Your team will spend more time explaining the correct information when students and staff email, call or visit your office with questions
- Duplicated content--especially from other websites-- could lead to copyright infringement litigation
- Duplicated content can hurt search engine optimization (SEO) efforts