Skip to content
Web Strategy Documentation Library

Archive Banner

Why label your archived web content with an archive banner?

Using the archive banner clearly identifies your archived content and warns people that they are looking at information that may not be up-to-date or accurate. Also, the ADA Rule on Digital Accessibility requires the University’s web content to be accessible starting on April 24, 2026. However, if web content meets all four of the follow criteria, it is “archived web content” and is not required to meet the accessibility standards:

  1. It was created before April 24, 2026 or reproduces the contents of other physical media created before that date; and
  2. It is kept only for reference, research, or recordkeeping; and
  3. It is not altered or updated after the date of archiving; and
  4. It is organized and stored in a dedicated area or areas clearly identified as being archived.

Example: Use the archive banner on a web page that holds minutes for a meeting that took place in 2024, is no longer updated or referenced, but must be available on a website for recordkeeper purposes.

Should I archive my page or delete it?

When deciding whether to archive a page, consider:

  • Do people who visit your website go to this page? Look at page analytics.
  • Is information on the page required by a law or policy to be available for the public to access?
  • Does another page share the same, or more current, information?
  • Is this information helpful for the people who use the website?

If the answer to some or all of these questions is “no”, consider deleting the page rather than archiving it. Redundant, outdated, and unhelpful information make it harder for people to find information. Larger and more complex websites are also more time-consuming to maintain.

Learn about Archived Web Content and the ADA digital accessibility rule

The ADA Title II digital accessible rule states that archived web content does not need to comply with accessibility standards. For more detailed guidance, see Guidance on Archived Web Content

Individual accessible format requests

While archived web content is not required to be accessible, a public entity may have to provide that content in an accessible format upon request from a specific individual to comply with the entity’s existing obligations under other regulatory provisions implementing title II of the ADA. See the DOJ rule on digital accessibility, paragraph 34.

Using the Archive Banner WordPress plugin

Install the plugin

If your website is hosted on UMAC’s WordPress platform, known as “CMS,” please send an email to uweb@uw.edu to ask to have the plugin installed. Otherwise, please following these instructions to use the plugin on your site:

  • Download the latest version of the plugin from GitHub: https://github.com/uweb/uw_archive_plugin
  • Once downloaded, log into your WordPress website and click on the “Plugins” menu option.
  • From the “Plugins” page, click the “Add New Plugin” button at top of the page.
  • From the “Add Plugins” page, click the “Upload Plugin” button at the top of the page.
  • Use the file upload box to find the Zip file you downloaded from the GitHub repository and click “Install Now”
  • After the plugin installs, click the “Activate Plugin” button.

Review the plugin settings

When you first install the plugin, there are default settings that must be changed. To change those settings, follow these instructions:

  • Click on the “Archive Banner Options” menu in the left sidebar in the WordPress editor.
  • On the page that appears, update the “Default name” and “Default email address” to match the person who should be the contacted for all/most pages.
  • If you do not wish to use the default text, check the box next to the default statement.
  • Save your changes.

Using the plugin

The plugin can be used on any page in your site by checking the in the “Add ‘Archived Content’ banner below title” box. There are additional options you can set. Follow these instructions to use those options:

  • For any page you wish to use to display the archive banner, edit the page and look to the bottom of the right hand sidebar for a widget titled “Add ‘Archived Content’ banner below title.”
  • To active the banner, check the checkbox.
  • If you have additional information, or if you have different contact for the page, enter that information in the respective fields.
  • When finished, click the “Update” button in the “Publish” box to commit the changes.