Glossary

Word	Definition
Above the fold	Content that is immediately visible to your audience once they land on a given page, without needing to scroll.
Accessibility	How well your web content can be accessed and received by all users, including users with a disability. Find more information on accessibility best practices.
Accessible design	We create websites that everyone, including people with disabilities, can easily use. Read more about accessible design.
Active voice	Resembles spoken language and gives a subject credit for an action. In active sentences, the subject is doing an action.
Alt text	Text describing the appearance of a visual element on a webpage. It is indexed by search engines (SEO) and read aloud by screen readers (accessibility).
Audience	People interacting with your website. Also called users and readers in this guide.
Automated posting	There are (paid) options, like Hootsuite, that automate posting so that you can prepare posts ahead of time to post later. Depending on your agency’s bandwidth and the nature of your posts, this method might make sense.

Word	Definition
Bias	Bias is when someone strongly believes something and ignores other people’s opinions. At the State of CT, we write fairly and without bias.
Broken links	If a hyperlink points to a resource that is no longer available, the link will break. This might be because the link itself has the wrong URL, or because the destination page no longer exists or changed locations. To avoid broken links, make sure to update links whenever a page location changes. To fix broken links, update the URL, add a redirect, or remove broken links altogether if the destination is no longer relevant.

Word	Definition
Click-through rate	The number of clicks your content gets divided by the numbers of times it is shown to users.
CMS	Sitecore is the Content Management System (CMS) we use for most CT.gov websites. A CMS is a software application that lets you create, manage, and change digital content.
Component-based design	Sitecore (CMS) uses components so designers don’t need to create a custom design for every page. This component-based design helps to reduce errors and ensure consistency across all the CT.gov websites. Learn more about Sitecore.
Confirmation bias	When you instinctively attach positive qualities to people who look or sound like you.
Conscious language	Language that promotes equity.
CTA	Call-to-action that requires a user to take an action. “Download Now” buttons, click-to-call icons, links, and forms are all examples of CTA’s. CTA’s should be visually highlighted, and content will likely be structured around these goals.

Word	Definition
Decorative images	Decorative images don’t add any unique content or message to a page. They are only used to accent a message or make a webpage more attractive. These types of images should be classified with an empty alt tag (alt="") to avoid audible clutter for screen readers.
Descriptive links	Links should plainly describe their destination. Making your links descriptive links makes content accessible and easy to understand. Find more information on descriptive links.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)	DEI is about creating a space where people of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities are given equal opportunities.
Document name	What you save the original document as in your computer.
Duplicate content	Content that appears in more than one place. If two webpages are too similar, search engines may see this as duplicate content.

Word	Definition
End user	The person actually using your website.
Equity	Fairness and justice to all. Equity is different and separate from equality and

Word	Definition
File name	Sitecore requires you to name your PDF when it is uploaded into the system to be used on webpages. Keeping your document and file names consistent will help keep you organized and help alleviate version-control problems.
Formatting	When we write for the State of Connecticut, we use specific formatting for our text, such as bulleted lists, dates, job titles, and more. Learn more about formatting your text.
404 (Four Zero Four)	When your browser can't locate a page, a 404 message is displayed. This might happen because a user clicks on a broken link, or because a page no longer exists or changes locations. Occasional 404s aren't detrimental, but too many can negatively impact both UX and SEO. To avoid 404s, monitor your website and create a plan if you're changing the structure or URLs. To fix 404s, try adding a redirect or removing broken links altogether if a page is permanently moved.

Word	Definition
Gender bias	The tendency to favor one gender over another. For our work, we should also avoid the tendency to pair things with specific genders.
Gender neutral	Not specific to one gender.
Government jargon	Using specialized terms known by government officials or professionals, without consideration for the users understanding. We should avoid using government jargon in our writing.

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Definition

Headings

Headings on a website help organize content and break up large blocks of text into smaller sections. This helps make it easier to read and understand the content. nd SEO. H1 (Heading 1): An H1 (also called a header or heading tag) is the most important heading on a page. It serves as the main title of a webpage that lets users and search engines know what the page is about. H2 (Subheading 2): Subheadings that break down sections under the main heading. Smaller in size than H1. H3 (Subheading 3) and H4 (Subheading 4): These cascade down as smaller subsections under H2. Headings also let search engines understand the hierarchy and importance of the content on a page. Learn more about creating headings and subheadings.

Word	Definition
Inclusivity	Inclusivity is a part of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). It means all people should be welcomed and respected, whatever their background, identity, or abilities. Learn more about our inclusivity best practices.
Intent	For users, the intent is the behavior or goal behind their actions, and why they’re visiting your site. For authors, the intent is the meaning or goal behind the words.

Word	Definition
Jargon	Jargon is words or expressions that make sense to an organization or a specific group of people, but perhaps not to the general public. We do not use government jargon on our sites to make our content easy for everyone to understand. Learn more about government jargon.

Word	Definition
Keywords	Words or phrases users input to search engines.
Knowledge base	Each CT.gov website has a Knowledge Base. The Knowledge Base is a library of targeted, plain-text articles that address a specific question or need. A knowledge base article is a great option for FAQs, how-to guides, and program fact sheets. They are a more accessible alternative to PDFs, can be updated in Sitecore, and work seamlessly with your website and chatbot.

Word	Definition
Links	Website links, also known as hyperlinks, are text or images that take users to another page or resource. Links can take users to another page on the same website (internal link) or to a different website (external link). Example of an internal link: Learn more about plain language guidelines. Example of an external link: Visit the official plain language website.

Word	Definition
Meta description	The description that shows under your title tag on the SERP. These sentences should further describe what your content is about.
Meta keywords	Meta keywords are inserted into the HTML code of your website. While they may help search engines understand your page content, their ranking impact is debatable. Website admins can insert meta keywords into our content management system, Sitecore.
Metadata	Metadata is information on the page that is invisible to users but helps search engines to find the content on our website. Learn more about metadata and SEO.
Mobile Devices (Writing for)	Many people access CT.gov resources using their mobile devices. Since mobile devices have a smaller screen, you need to write content that is easy to read and understand on small screens. Learn more about creating content for mobile devices.

Word	Definition
Numbers (How to Use)	Learn about the correct formatting for numbers.

Word	Definition
Orphan page	A page is orphaned if you don't link to it from any other page on your website. Orphaned pages can harm your website's SEO and make it hard for users to find the information. To fix an orphan page, add a link to it from another relevant page on your website.

Word	Definition
Passive voice	Often uses extra words and “helping” verbs that aren’t necessary to deliver the message. In passive sentences, the subject is being acted upon.
PDF	Type of file format (Portable Document Format). PDFs can be crawled by search engines and are the appropriate format to use for long documents, guidelines with tables, and documents that require printing. It’s important that they are formatted correctly and work for accessibility. Learn more about using file types.
People-first language	This focuses on the individual rather than their condition, disability, or other characteristic. For example, instead of saying "a disabled person," you would say "a person with a disability.”
Persona	Defined type of user with specific goals and behaviors. An audience can have many personas within it. For instance, if “parents” are identified as an audience, then one persona could be a parent who is re-entering the workforce after raising their child at home.
Plain language	A way of writing to your audience that’s simple and easy to understand. Avoid confusing language, government jargon, and long sentences. Learn more about writing in plain language.
Punctuation	When we write for the State of CT, we use specific punctuation, such as the Oxford comma. Learn more about using punctuation.

Word	Definition
No Results	No Results

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Reading level	We write for a 6th Grade reading level. Use the Hemingway app or the Flesch-Kincaid calculator to check your writing.
Redirect	Redirects are like traffic detours. They send users to the correct webpage if the original one was moved or renamed. Redirects are essential to maintain a smooth user experience if URLs change.
Redirect chains	A redirect chain occurs if a webpage redirects to another, which then redirects to yet another page, and so on. This can slow website speed and should be corrected. To fix redirect chains, you can use a single redirect instead, from the original page to the new page.
Responsive design	Dynamic changes to the layout of a webpage depending on a user’s device, behavior, etc. Responsive design makes websites faster and more accessible.

Word	Definition
Screen readers	Assistive technology that automatically reads written content aloud.
Sentence structure	Create small, easy-to-read content chunks and avoid lengthy sections of text. For sentences, keep it to 15-20 words. For paragraphs, aim for three to five sentences.
SEO	This stands for Search Engine Optimization. On-page SEO is the important process of optimizing the content on your webpage to be “searchable”. It includes optimizing your visible content as well as your “invisible” content, also known as your page’s metadata. Find out how to incorporate SEO into your content.
SERP	This stands for Search Engine Results Page. It is the page displayed by a search engine after a user enters a search query. Learn more about the importance of SERP.
Sitecore	This CMS houses most of the web content for our CT.GOV-Connecticut's Official State Website sites. Sitecore is where you can edit pages, add alt text, etc.
Sub-headlines	Lower in the hierarchy than top headlines, sub-headlines are the succeeding titles for the subsections of your content. If your top headline is an H1 in HTML, your sub-headlines will be H2’s, H3’s, etc.

Word	Definition
Technology terms	CSS – cascading style sheet email – one word, all lower-case, no hyphen home page – two words, all lower-case, no hyphen HTTP – hypertext transfer protocol HTTPS – hypertext transport protocol secure inbox – one word, all lower-case internet – one word, capitalized because it is a proper noun IP address – Internet protocol address; also known as IP number listserv – one word, all lower-case, no second “e” at the end online – one word, all lower-case, no hyphen outbox – one word, all lower-case RSS – really simple syndication sitemap – one word, all lower-case URL – uniform resource locator; a web address on the Internet web browser – two words, all lower-case webmaster – one word, all lower-case web page – two words, all lower-case website – one word, all lower-case, no hyphen web stats – two words, all lower-case XML – extensible markup language
Text speak	When someone writes how they would in a text message or other digital communication. We should avoid this in our writing while still remaining conversational.
Thin content	Content that provides no value to users.
Title tags	The content title that shows on the SERP.
Tone	Tone is the communication style or attitude of your writing. It can be official, informal, friendly, funny, or serious, among many other styles. You should be aware of the tone you are using because it can have a big effect on how readers understand your work.
Trolls	Online personalities that make deliberately upsetting/ damaging comments.

Word	Definition
URL	The address of a webpage. CT.gov is a URL.
UX	(User experience) How the user interacts with/experiences your web content.

Word	Definition
Voice	Voice is the combination of tone, word choice, point of view, syntax, punctuation, and rhythm that a writer uses.

Word	Definition
Website performance	There are many ways to learn how a website is performing. These include metrics such as how quickly the pages load, how much time users spend on the site, and more. Read more about website performance.

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No Results	No Results

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Z pattern	A style of webpage / print design that draws a reader’s eye downward and across the page using visual cues.