City clerks often end up owning the website: posting agendas, notices and records, answering “where is that on the site?” If you’re part of choosing a new platform, these are the questions worth asking every vendor — including us. A printable version of this checklist is in our resources.
Accessibility
- Does the system block accessibility problems before publishing, or only report them afterwards?
- What happens when someone uploads an untagged PDF?
- Are the vendor’s own templates and widgets tested against WCAG 2.1 AA? Can they show results?
- Is there an accessibility statement and a way for residents to report barriers?
Ownership and exit
- Who owns the content and the design?
- How do we export everything if we leave? In what format?
- Can we use a design from any agency?
Daily work
- Can department staff edit their own pages without being able to change others?
- Is there an approval workflow, and can it differ by department?
- Can we schedule changes and set pages to come down on a date?
- How are agendas and minutes published?
Emergencies
- How fast can we put an emergency notice on the homepage?
- Can we send the same alert by email and text from one place?
- Does the emergency page stay fast under heavy traffic?
Records and security
- Is there a complete audit log of who changed what? Can admins edit it?
- Is two-factor sign-in required for everyone?
- Can we see the site as it was on a past date?
Cost
- What is the total over five years, including migration, training and support?
- What is included in migration: redirects, document remediation, staff training?