Page description (Usability)

Describes webpage content in a few words.

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    Impact

    (ScanGov impact)

    About

    A page description is a short summary of a webpage, usually shown in search results. It's set using the <meta name="description"> tag inside the <head> section of an HTML document. A good description is clear, brief, and tells users what to expect on the page. It also helps with search engine optimization.

    Why it's important

    Describes page content briefly, helping users understand what to expect and improving search engine results.

    User stories

    As a user browsing search results or sharing links, I want each page to have a clear and relevant description so that I can understand what the page is about before visiting it.

    Code

    <head>
  <meta name="description" content="Welcome to our website">
</head>

    Error

    (ScanGov messaging when a site fails a standard)

    Page description is missing or unclear.

    Guidance

    Indicators

    On this page