Gov.uk
{{Lowercase title}}
{{short description|Official website of the Government of the United Kingdom}}
{{About|the Internet domain|the government|Government of the United Kingdom}}
{{Infobox website
| name = GOV.UK
| logo = Gov.uk logo.svg
| logo_size = 250px
| screenshot = Screenshot of gov.uk dated 2023-05-02.png
| screenshot_size =
| collapsible = yes
| collapsetext = Screenshot
| caption = Screenshot of gov.uk's landing page as of 2 May 2023
| url = {{URL|gov.uk}}
| commercial = No
| type = Government information
| registration = No
| language = English and Welsh
| content_license = Crown copyright
Open Government Licence
| owner = HM Government
| author = Government Digital Service
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2012|02|01|df=yes}}
| current_status = Online
}}
gov.uk (styled on the site as GOV.UK) is a United Kingdom public sector information website, created by the Government Digital Service to provide a single point of access to HM Government services. The site launched as a beta on 31 January 2012,{{cite news |title=Gov.uk service portal opens for public testing |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16832368 |newspaper=BBC News Online |date=1 February 2012 |access-date=17 September 2012}}{{cite web | title=Introducing the beta of GOV.UK| url=https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2012/01/31/beta/ | date=31 January 2012}} following on from the AlphaGov project. The website uses a modified digital version of the Transport typeface called New Transport. It officially replaced Directgov and the online services of Business Link on 17 October 2012. {{As of|January 2023}}, GOV.UK is the second-most-used government website worldwide, after Russia's Gosuslugi.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gosuslugi.ru/|title=Портал государственных услуг Российской Федерации|website=www.gosuslugi.ru|accessdate=Jan 25, 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites/category/law-and-government/|title=Website Rankings|website=www.similarweb.com|accessdate=Jan 25, 2023}}
The website was planned to replace the individual websites of hundreds of government departments and public bodies by 2014. By 1 May 2013, all 24 ministerial departments had their URLs redirected to gov.uk. {{asof|March 2022|post=,}} GOV.UK hosts pages for 23 ministerial departments, 20 non-ministerial departments, and over 410 agencies, public corporations, and other public bodies.{{Cite web |title=Departments, agencies and public bodies |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=gov.uk}}
History
The first ministerial departments and other organisations moved to the Inside Government section of gov.uk on 15 November 2012.{{cite web|last=Heywood|first=Jeremy|title=Launching Inside Government|url=http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/11/15/launching-inside-government/|publisher=Government Digital Service|access-date=15 November 2012}} On 12 December 2012, a further three departments migrated, bringing the total of ministerial departments to six out of a total of 24.{{cite web|title=The new home on the web for FCO, MOD, BIS and AGO|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-new-home-on-the-web-for-fco-mod-bis-and-ago|date=12 December 2012|publisher=Government Digital Service|access-date=31 December 2012}} By 1 May 2013, all 24 ministerial departments, as well as UK embassies around the world, had transferred to gov.uk.Williams, Neal (30 April 2013). "[https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2013/04/30/24-departments-later/ 24 departments later]". Government Digital Service. gds.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
On 16 April 2013, gov.uk won Design of the Year 2013 at the Design Museum awards.{{cite news|last=Wainwright|first=Oliver|title='Direct and well-mannered' government website named design of the year|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/apr/16/government-website-design-of-year|access-date=16 April 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 April 2013}} The Government Digital Service has also won a D&AD "Black Pencil" award for their work.{{cite web|url=http://www.dandad.org/awards/professional/2013/writing-for-design/20081/govuk/|work=D&AD|title=Writing for Design / Writing for Websites & Digital Design|publisher=Gov.uk}} In 2019, gov.uk won a D&AD "Wood Pencil" award for its Step-by-Step digital design pattern.{{cite web|url=https://www.dandad.org/awards/professional/2019/digital-design/231113/govuk-step-by-step-journeys/|work=D&AD|title=GOV.UK step by step journeys|publisher=dandad.org}}
In 2018, the Government Digital Service introduced the GOV.UK Design System, with the intention of having styles, components, and patterns in a centralised location to support government departments in utilising GOV.UK.{{Cite web |last1=Noakes |first1=Alice |last2=Hupe |first2=Amy |date=22 June 2018 |title=Introducing the GOV.UK Design System - Government Digital Service |url=https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2018/06/22/introducing-the-gov-uk-design-system/ |access-date=2022-03-17 |website=gds.blog.gov.uk |language=en}}
On 19 February 2024, gov.uk updated their logo to reflect the depiction of the crown as the Tudor crown used by King Charles III in his cypher and coat of arms.{{Cite web |first1=John |last1=Hand|first2=Ian|last2=Aikman |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68341982 |title=King Charles' crown appears in change of logo on government's gov.uk website|date=19 February 2024 |accessdate=21 February 2024 |work=BBC News}}
=Alphagov=
Alphagov was the project name of the experimental prototype website built by the Government Digital Service, which was launched on 11 May 2011 by the Cabinet Office.{{cite web |title=Government launches single government website prototype |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/government-launches-single-government-website-prototype |publisher=Cabinet Office |accessdate=3 July 2011 }}{{cite news |title=Work begins on Alphagov single government website |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8416250/Work-begins-on-Alphagov-single-government-website.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=3 July 2011 |location=London |first=Matt |last=Warman |date=30 March 2011}} The website was open for public comment for two months in order to judge the feasibility of a single domain for British Government web services.
Launched in response to the report by Martha Lane Fox, Directgov 2010 and Beyond: Revolution Not Evolution,{{cite web |title=Directgov 2010 and Beyond: Revolution Not Evolution |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/directgov-2010-and-beyond-revolution-not-evolution |publisher=Cabinet Office |accessdate=3 July 2011 }} published in November 2010, Alphagov sought to act as a proof of concept for the way citizens could interact with the government through a series of useful online tools that were more useful than published content alone.
As well as improving the 'citizen experience' of using government web services online, the project also identified the potential for £64 million in yearly savings on the central government's annual £128 million web publishing bill.{{cite news |title=New government web domain to save £64m, but at what cost? |url=http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/11/new-government-web-domain-to-save-64-but-at-what-cost/ |work=The Independent |accessdate=3 July 2011 |location=London |first=Kevin |last=Rawlinson |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716234722/http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/11/new-government-web-domain-to-save-64-but-at-what-cost/ |archive-date=2011-07-16 |url-status=dead }} The initial consultation period was completed in June 2011. A beta version was then created, which led to the launch of GOV.UK.{{cite news |title=Alpha.gov.uk to become beta |url=https://www.theguardian.com/government-computing-network/2011/jun/27/alpha-gov-uk-central-government-website-becomes-beta-version |work=The Guardian |accessdate=3 July 2011 |location=London}}
Login
The Government Gateway is gradually being replaced by GOV.UK One Login.{{Cite web |title=Using your GOV.UK One Login |url=https://www.gov.uk/using-your-gov-uk-one-login |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
- [https://data.gov.uk/ data.gov.uk]
- {{github|alphagov|gov.uk}}
- [https://accessibility.blog.gov.uk/ Accessibility.blog.gov.uk]
- [https://gds.blog.gov.uk/ Government Digital Service]
- [https://www.gov.uk/service-manual Government Service Design Manual]
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2024}}
Category:2012 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Government services web portals in the United Kingdom