Website 101 and beyond

Let us help you make the most of your UW website. Whether you’re new to the world of websites or looking for a refresh, the team is here to help their partners create platforms to showcase the stories that make the University remarkable.

Use this section for guidance on updated software, tools, themes, policies and guidelines. Dig deeper into using WordPress, online giving forms, alert banners and more. An effective website that connects with users is only a few clicks away!

Questions? Contact uweb@uw.edu.

Related resources

* Requires a GitHub account through UW GitHub enterprise service

WordPress theme

We maintain the UW WordPress theme, which is available for any UW school, college, department, or center to use. Visit our documentation library for information about and how to use the theme. If you are new to WordPress, we encourage you to review the WordPress Essentials Training on LinkedIn Learning, which is free to all students, faculty, and staff through the Career Center. Web developers familiar with WordPress can find resources and information on our UW GitHub account.

Learn more about how to use our WordPress theme

Storytelling modules

Storytelling modules (STMs) are a feature that can be added to your WordPress Editor, allowing you to easily design and create captivating pages for audiences. Check out the pages below to see just some of the things that are possible with STMs.

Interested in using these on your site? If your site is hosted by Web Strategy, reach out to uweb@uw.edu to request activation. If your site is on sites, you can enable it from the Plugins section of the WordPress admin. If you are self-hosted elsewhere and you have a GitHub account through the UW GitHub enterprise service, you can download STM directly here. (Note: if you are not logged into your UW GitHub enterprise service account you will get a 404 error on this link.)

Learn more about how to use our Storytelling Modules

Alert banner

The UW Alert Banner is a means to provide important, and in some cases emergency, information to website visitors. Information comes from the UW Alert System. The Alert System is responsible for SMS, e-mail, phone, and other push-style notification options.

When active, the banner displays a brief “alert” on any page where you have pasted the code (see the installation section below). The banner links to our emergency blog, which contains more details about the emergency or event that triggered the alert. The blog also has links and resources that could be useful during non-emergency situations.

Learn more about adding the banner to your site

Online giving forms

University Advancement provides a quick and easy way to embed an online giving form on your website. The form will allow your visitors to select a fund and make a gift with a major credit card. The form is very customizable and can fit a variety of needs and uses.

Learn more about adding the online giving form to your website

Web hosting

University Marketing and Communications provides eligible units with free, centralized WordPress web hosting. Our hosting service provides units with a branded WordPress site and a “www.washington.edu” address. This hosting service is provided free of charge and comes with support and training for content authors.

UW Information Technology offers many different web hosting options for campus units. Their options range from open hosting platforms to specialized servers and everything in between.

Learn more about your options for web hosting

Websites