Division Website Updates and Request Submission Instructions

For all update requests include the following:

• Email title includes the division's number (e.g., “Div. 30: leadership update”).
• URL(s) of existing pages to be updated.
• MSWord document of the existing page with changes detailed with the Track Changes feature. View instructions on how to create a tracked changes document (PDF, 368KB).
• Or you can list small changes in an email, with descriptions of exactly where on the page they should go.

For example:

Before submitting content to be added to your website, review the website to make sure that content (or similar content) does not exist on the website already. An effective way to do this is to conduct a keyword search for the content. For example, if you would like to promote a membership campaign, it is preferable to add a section to the existing membership page rather than create a new page that essentially duplicates most of the content that is on the membership page already.

All requests to post new content must include the following:

• A final copy of the content to be posted.
• A description of the content's purpose. (New award, event, announcement, etc.)
• All binary files (e.g., PDF, PPT, DOC) will be posted in the format received. APA will not edit the file or convert the file's format.

For new content, rather than specifying exactly where on the website you would like the new content to be placed, please explain the objective you are trying to achieve with the content and we will be happy to find the best placement for you. This will reduce the back-and-forth discussion needed before work can begin.

Editorial Note

• Minor edits may be made to comply with Associate Press (AP) style. 
• Left navigation, right rail and carousel slide updates are restricted by APA standards. 
• Final determination of the location of content will be made by APA's divisions web content specialists and the APA website editor.

Newsletter issues must be submitted with a fully completed Division Newsletter template (DOC, 883KB). Work will not begin until a completed form has been received. 

If you have any questions about the template's instructions or newsletter production, please email APA's divisions web content specialists.

What is a project request?

Project requests involve substantial changes or large-scale updates to your division website.

Examples of project requests can include but are not limited to:

• website changes involving posting multiple, new webpages that need to go live at the same time; 
• requests to visually refresh or redesign a webpage or webpages; 
• updates that have multimedia, such as video or image, components;
• extensive edits, such as adding new sections to the website or restructuring existing web content;
• changes that require programming updates, such as but not limited to the creation of a secure, password-protected directory or the addition of a new division newsletter, separate from existing division newsletters; or
  
• other changes that go beyond typical website updates or new content postings.

If you think that your website update request may go beyond a regular update, please contact APA's divisions web content specialists as soon as possible to let them know that your division is considering a project. They can help you determining how best to achieve the goals of the project on your division website.

Questions to answer when beginning a project:

When initiating a website project, thinking through these five questions can help guide you and ensure you send all the necessary information to the divisions web content specialists so they can best meet your needs:

1. Why does your division need this project? 
2. Who is the intended audience? 
3. What message is your division promoting? 
4. Where do you see this project going? 
5. When does this project stop, if at all?

If you need additional help thinking through these questions, please review our advice for division web liaisons. 

About project timelines:

The timeline for a project request will depend on the nature of the request. When you submit a project request, one of APA's divisions web content specialist will work with you to determine the extent of the request and provide you with a timeline of when you may expect the request to be completed. In general, please allow at least two weeks to complete projects, though some projects may be completed sooner and some may need more time, depending on the nature of each project.

YouTube videos on division websites

APA will embed YouTube videos on division websites either as standalone videos or as video playlists. However, the division must maintain its own YouTube Channel and upload videos to that channel. APA cannot post videos that are submitted as mp4 files or as videos posted on Vimeo, Google Drive or other video hosting platforms. We can only embed and post videos that are available on YouTube. 

Information needed to embed YouTube videos

Divisions that wish to have a YouTube video or playlist included on their website should submit:

• the link to the video(s) on YouTube, 
• the video embed code(s), 
• the title(s) of the video and any accompanying explanatory text describing the video(s). 
• If the division also has a transcript of the video(s), the transcript should also be submitted, though a transcript is not required.

Production deadlines for video postings

APA aspires to posted video updates with its standard turnaround time of 3-5 business days. However, because the process for embedding a video on a division website is more involved than the process for making text edits, APA may require additional time to embed and post the video. The deadline for when the division can expect the video to be posted will given to the division at the time that their video update request is acknowledged by APA’s web team.

Divisions with questions about posting video or creating a video playlist or that would like additional information about setting up a YouTube Channel should contact updates@apa.org.

Work begins once all needed information has been provided by the division website liaison.

Exceptions to Production Timelines

APA makes every effort to abide by the production timelines listed above. However, during particularly busy periods or circumstances outside our control, we may require additional time to complete division website update requests, though such instances are rare. During programming updates to APA web properties, including division websites, APA may also institute “freezes,” that is, periods of time in which new updates cannot be made. Freezes are also rare. When these circumstances do occur, we will notify the division as soon as possible and provide a new estimate of when the updates will be completed.

Urgent Updates

Urgent projects, such as those that have a financial, legal or important public relations impact, may be given next-day completion priority, subject to review. To facilitate identifying and addressing urgent projects, please include “URGENT” in the email's subject line.

If there is a problem with the work on your submission, whether it is incorrect or missing, please contact APA's divisions web content specialists with specific details about the problem, including the date of the original submission and any assigned project numbers.