What are web records?
There are certain pieces of website content and/or pages that are considered web records. Dynamic home pages (such as GSA.gov, Acquisition.gov, GSAAdvantage.gov, etc.) are considered web records. Interactive website content and public input related to the website and delivered via the website are also considered to be web records. It’s important to note, however, that not everything that appears on a website is a web record.
Web records are also the written or electronic materials that document the what, when and how a website is managed. Any material, including written documents (governance, reports, memoranda, promotional pieces, letters, etc.) or design documents (wireframes, sites designs, etc.), dealing with the creation, management and maintenance of a website is considered to be a web record.
By law, website managers need to maintain web records. The rules governing the maintenance of federal records cover web records. A formal “records schedule” establishes categories of records, determines how long categories of records must be kept, and, by extension, informs when the records may be deleted or destroyed. Document ownership determines responsibility for record management. Documents and other content which is disseminated via the website are records but they are not typically considered web records. This content belongs to the entity that created it and had it posted on the web. The creating entity maintains the record.
Web records schedule
There are a number of unique and distinct categories of documents (web records) that belong to the office that hosts, creates or manages a website. The schedule for how long each category of records will be retained on the website has been established for the categories in the table below. Note that offices may keep records longer than specified by the schedule.
| #
|
Item
|
Schedule
|
| 1
|
Press releases and news stories
|
We remove them from this website seven years after the end of the fiscal year when issued.
|
| 2
|
Blog posts
|
We remove them from this website seven years after the end of the fiscal year when issued.
|
| 3
|
Congressional testimony
|
We remove them from this website 15 years after the end of the fiscal year when issued.
|
| 4
|
Speeches
|
We remove them from this website seven years after the end of the fiscal year when issued.
|
| 5
|
Directives and orders
|
We remove them from this website when cancelled. We retain them on our intranet site for 15 years after cancellation.
|
| 6
|
Executive orders
|
These are convenience copies that we can remove at any time.
|
| 7
|
Informational page
|
Files on the pages are convenience copies that we can remove at any time. We remove pages when the content is no longer valid, duplicated elsewhere, or redesigned elsewhere. We remove pages that are set offline 90 days after they were set offline.
|
| 8
|
Dynamic homepage
|
We remove content when it is no longer valid, duplicated elsewhere, or redesigned.
|
| 9
|
File asset versions
|
We do not store or keep file versions.
|
Administrative Web Records
| #
|
Item
|
Schedule
|
| 1
|
Templates, style sheets, and code that determine site architecture
|
We may destroy them when superseded or no longer applicable.
|
| 2
|
Website design records
|
We may destroy them when they are one year old.
|
| 3
|
Web management and operations records
|
We may destroy them when they are two years old.
|
| 4
|
Site maps
|
We may destroy them when they are no longer applicable.
|
| 5
|
Customized software configuration files
|
We may destroy them one year after termination of the software use, and all information in the system has been transferred or deleted.
|
| 6
|
Metrics — inventory of web activity
|
We may destroy them when they are two years old.
|
| 7
|
Log files
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We may destroy them when they are superseded or no longer applicable.
|
| 8
|
Usability records, including test designs and usability testing reports
|
We may destroy them when they are one year old.
|
| 9
|
“Contact us” web communication from the public commenting or requesting information
|
We may destroy them three months after we resolve the issue or fulfill the request.
|
| 10
|
Other transitory files — routine requests for information or publications
|
We may destroy them when they are three months old.
|
U.S. General Services Administration