Web Presentation Guide 5.1
External Links

Action
Include an external linking policy statement regarding the purpose of the Website, the conditions under which the agency will place or allow external links, and the process the agency will use to monitor external links.

Why
Agency Websites are not intended to be open public forums. External content on pages operated by the state will be permitted in accordance with the Executive Ethics Board (EEB) Advisory Opinion 04-01.

What/How
Include a purpose statement with an assertion that the agency Website is not intended as a public forum. Review, copy, and modify the Access Washington External Content Web page to create a policy statement to reflect individual agency purpose, authority and business. Review proposed changes with the Office of the Attorney General if significant modifications are made to the template language.

Checklist: External Content

	Topic	Complete
a.	Include on the agency Website an external linking policy, which contains a statement of the purpose of the agency's Website, the conditions under which the agency will place or allow external links, and the process used to monitor the external links.
b.	Review, copy, and modify the Access Washington external linking policy to create a policy statement to reflect individual agency purpose, authority and business.
c.	Review proposed changes with the Office of the Attorney General if significant changes from the model language have been made.
d.	Monitor external links on the agency's Website consistent with the process described in the adopted policy.

Resources

Executive Ethics Board Advisory Opinion 04-01	Executive Ethics Board (EEB) opinion concerning links to external Websites.
Access Washington external linking policy	Review, copy, and modify the Access Washington External Content statement Note: This statement should be used as a guideline only as it has not been updated to reflect the EEB opinion listed above.