Organisation website information index
On an organisation’s website, an information index is an important tool that helps visitors quickly understand the website structure and find the information they need more easily. This is especially relevant for public-sector organisations – municipalities, schools, libraries, museums and other organisations whose websites publish many different documents, service descriptions, news and contact information.
The information index should clearly and consistently present the structure of the main website pages. It should be easy for the visitor to see where to find information about the organisation’s activities, the services provided, administrative information, public procurement, legal acts, staff contacts or frequently asked questions. Such an index not only improves the user experience, but also helps ensure transparency and accessibility of information.
Why is the information index important?
Public-sector websites often have to meet not only information-provision requirements, but also legal compliance requirements. A clear information index helps residents, parents of pupils, visitors to cultural institutions or community members find relevant information more quickly without having to contact the organisation separately. This reduces the administrative burden on staff and increases service accessibility.
In addition, a properly prepared index contributes to website accessibility. For people with disabilities, older visitors or users with lower digital skills, a clear page structure is especially important. The information index should be easy to access from the main menu or footer, and its title should be clear and easy to understand.
What is worth including in the information index?
- The main website sections. The index should include the most important pages, for example, “About the organisation”, “Services”, “News”, “Contacts”, “Legal information” or “Documents”. This allows the visitor to see the overall site map in one place and quickly go to the relevant section.
- Subsections and the key information blocks. If the website is larger, it is useful to show not only the main menu items, but also their most important subsections. For example, on a municipality website this may include social services, education, area planning or submission of residents’ requests, while on a school website it may include education plans, admissions, timetables and support for pupils.
- Links to the information most often searched for. In practice, visitors often look for specific documents, working hours, registration forms or contacts of responsible staff. Therefore, it is worth setting aside space in the information index for links to the pages used most often, so that the most important information can be reached as quickly as possible.
- Additional navigation information. The index may include links to the website search, accessibility information, privacy policy, cookie settings and other important information pages. This is especially important when the organisation processes personal data and must clearly inform visitors about GDPR compliance.
Accessibility and compliance with requirements
The information index should be prepared so that it is easy for all visitors to use. Unclear titles, excessive technical terms and a complicated structure should be avoided. Links must be clearly marked and logically grouped, and the index itself should use properly marked-up HTML structure so that assistive technologies, such as screen readers, can recognise it.
It is also important to ensure that the information index is kept up to date at all times. If new pages, services or document sections are added to the website, the index must be updated so that it does not drift away from the real website structure. An outdated index misleads visitors and reduces trust in the organisation’s digital channels.
Public-sector organisations should remember that a website is not only a means of providing information, but also an important part of public services. Therefore, the information index should be seen not as a formal requirement, but as a useful tool that helps residents, communities and partners use the organisation’s published information quickly and conveniently.
A properly created information index contributes to a better user experience, greater transparency and more effective communication. Whether it is a small library website or a large municipality portal, a clear, logical and accessible website structure always creates greater value for the visitor.