This handbook provides CAES and UGA Extension website content managers with the resources needed to manage, edit, and publish official websites.
What is a Web Content Manager?
A web content manager handles the overall website content strategy and presentation while ensuring ongoing digital accessibility compliance.
Duties of a web content manager:
- Responsible for overseeing the organization and publication of content on a website
- Focuses on the overall structure, flow, and presentation of web content
- Ensures the site is user-friendly and aligned with the brand
- Confirms accessibility compliance when adding text, images, videos, and documents
- Monitors site visits and other web traffic using web analytics
Web content managers for CAES and UGA Extension websites must complete required tasks and trainings.
Overview of Responsibilities
If you work with CAES or UGA Extension web content, the following tasks are your responsibility.
- Review the CAES Web Publishing Policy
- Complete the required training to get started
- Ensure ongoing digital accessibility compliance
- Produce quality web content
- Create web images using Canva for Teams
- Know when to add accessible PDFs on your website
- Use the website pre-launch checklist before publishing
- Remove outdated content, including images and documents
Training Courses
Required Training
These two courses are required for CAES and UGA Extension website content managers. Additionally, web content managers must thoroughly review the CAES Web Publishing Policy and the Digital Accessibility Handbook.
Self-Paced Web Accessibility Course
This self-paced course is required for all new and existing CAES and UGA Extension website content managers. Web accessibility is a fundamental principle of inclusion and equal opportunity.
WordPress 101 Course
During this required instructor-led session, you will learn everything you need to know about requesting, setting up, and editing your WordPress website.
For County Office Websites Only
Self-Paced AEM 101 Course
This self-paced course is required for all new employees assigned to update a UGA Extension County Office website using Adobe Experience Manager (AEM).
Keep Learning
Self-Paced PDF Accessibility Course
This self-paced course is available to all CAES and UGA Extension faculty and staff. If you plan to distribute digital PDF documents on a website, by email, over social media, or any other digital means, this is a required course.
Training Opportunities
Join professionals from the Office of Information Technology for webinars that will help you learn both the basics and best practices for web and digital accessibility and how to use standardized online tools.
Resources, Software Guides and Tools
WordPress
We use WordPress to create site templates, ensuring consistency and professionalism for CAES and UGA Extension websites.
Accessibility Compliance
Digital accessibility ensures that all users, regardless of ability, can access and interact with content online. Compliance with federal regulations is required by April 24, 2026 for CAES and UGA Extension.
Quality Web Content
When producing web content, CAES and UGA Extension experts are expected to:
- Establish authority with content backed by research and a strong brand reputation
- Write quality web content that builds trust and credibility with our audience
- Ensure web content is accurate, informative, and easy to understand
- Produce digital products (i.e. videos, podcasts, PDFs) that meet ADA Title II compliance requirements
Our articles will help you learn the skill of producing quality web content.
Images and Using Canva
Images used on your website should:
- Be high quality. Do not use photos that are grainy, pixelated, blurry, too small, etc.
- Be optimized for web use
- Comply with any copyright terms and conditions
- Have a signed likeness release consent form
- Provide alternative text, a brief description of an image’s content, for accessibility purposes
Recommendation
Currently, we recommend using the JPG (or JPEG) format for photographs with PNG files being used only if needed for logos. Ultimately, images on your website should never be larger than 500KB in file size.
Our ready-to-use image templates in CAES Canva for Teams make sizing images to the appropriate resolution and dimensions for your website incredibly simple.
Image resources:
MailChimp for Digital Newsletters
We recommend and support using MailChimp to manage, produce and send digital newsletters.
PDFs
PDFs are convenient for formatting for print, but they aren’t ideal for digital distribution. If the content is distributed digitally, content managers should be aware that making PDFs accessible requires extra effort.
Video and Audio
Any video or audio file published on CAES and UGA Extension websites must be made accessible to those with disabilities. We recommend YouTube as a video host.
YouTube Channels:
Web Analytics
We are in the process of transitioning how we report website analytics. If you need custom web stats, please contact us at caesweb@uga.edu.
Become a Content Manager for an Existing Website
We are happy to help new content managers get started with gaining access to edit an existing CAES or UGA Extension website. The site owner should make the request or submit approval for the request after submission. All required training must be completed before editing and publishing rights are granted to the new content manager.
Submit a Service Request
Go to the online intake form and follow the instructions below:
- Login using your UGA MyID and password
- Click the “Request Service Button”
- Under How can we help you?, select “Support for an Existing Website”
- Answer all required questions and submit the ticket
Request a New Website
The CAES Office of Information Technology uses the WordPress website creation tool to create site templates for use by faculty and staff, ensuring consistency and professionalism for CAES and UGA Extension websites. We provide initial site setup, comprehensive training, and ongoing support.
Tutorial video: How to request a new WordPress site
Submit a Service Request
Go to the online intake form and follow the instructions below:
- Login using your UGA MyID and password
- Click the “Request Service Button”
- Under How can we help you?, select “Create/Redesign Website”
- Answer all required questions and submit the ticket
Website Pre-Publishing Checklist
Whether you’re launching a brand-new website, adding a new section, or publishing a single page, use this pre-launch checklist to ensure everything is in place before publishing.
Page Structure
Before launching, ensure the following:
- All pages are organized in a logical and intuitive order
- Important pages include a clear and compelling call to action
- Navigation is user-friendly, allowing visitors to move through the site easily
- Never use tables to lay out content visually on a page; tables should only be used to structure data
Content Review
- Proofread all text carefully to eliminate grammatical and spelling errors
- Ensure that headings have been used correctly to meet accessibility guidelines
- Optimize each page with relevant keywords to improve search visibility
- Ensure text has sufficient color contrast against the background
- Identify and fill any missing content before the site goes live
- Replace all placeholder text with finalized, high-quality content
- Ensure PDF documents meet accessibility standards
- Ensure tables are properly formatted for accessibility
Media Check
- Ensure all images include alt text for accessibility and SEO benefits
- Compress images to optimize loading speed without sacrificing quality; we recommend using CAES Canva for Teams
- Ensure videos are captioned and audio transcripts are provided
- Use video hosting services such as YouTube to embed video content
Link Check
- Ensure links are accessible and focus on making the link text clear, descriptive, and informative
- Test all internal and external links, including buttons, to confirm they lead to the correct destinations
- Fix any typos, outdated links, or missing pages that may cause navigation issues
Contact
Do you need help with your existing CAES or Extension website? Do you want to request a new website?