Web Presentation Guide 5.1
Metadata for Websites
Action
Use the nine recommended Metadata elements, based on Dublin Core, when creating and maintaining your Web sites.
Why
Metadata makes it easier to find, maintain, and manage Web-based content within and across Web sites. As users enter search words, the search engines use metadata to find your Web site and specific information within it. Metadata also enables searching for non-textual files such as audio, video, or image content.
What
A multi-agency/entity team identified nine Metadata elements to include when creating Web sites. The team selected the primary elements from the Dublin Core recommendations and added additional ones necessary for searching, maintaining, and archiving HTML/XHTML Web-based content.
Scope
The Metadata Guidelines are for Web sites; they do not apply to Web-based applications, Geographic Information Technology, or other enterprise business areas that maintain their own set of XML-based descriptive metadata.
How
The nine recommended elements are:
| Element |
Definition |
Description/ Reference |
HTML/XHTML Example |
| Title |
A name given to the resource. |
Title is the name of the resource. |
<meta name="DC.title" content="Washington Apple Commission" /> |
| Description |
An account of the content of the resource. |
i.e., abstract, table of contents, reference to a graphical representation of content, or a free-text account of the content. |
<meta name="DC.description" content ="Washington's apple growers and businesses." /> |
| Subject.Keywords* |
Words that describe function, content, etc. to help a user find your site. |
Elements that define a comma-separated list of keywords/phrases. |
<meta name="DC.subject.keywords" content="apple growing permits, apple inspections, apple businesses" /> |
| Creator |
An entity primarily responsible for making the content of the resource. |
Agency Name followed by division or subgroup. |
<meta name="DC. creator" content=" Secretary of State - State Library " /> |
| Date.Created* |
The initial date of the document's inception. |
Dates should be in the form of YYYY-MM-DD. |
<meta name="DC. date.created" content="2006-06-20" /> |
| Date.Modifed* |
The date of the last content change. |
Dates should be in the form of YYYY-MM-DD. |
<meta name="DC.date.modified" content="2001-07-18" /> |
| Date.Reviewed* |
The date of the last review for accurate and/or up-to-date content. |
Dates should be in the form of YYYY-MM-DD. |
<meta name="DC. date.reviewed" content="2007-01-05" /> |
| Language |
A language of the intellectual content of the resource. |
Use the ISO 639-2 three letter codes. |
<meta name="DC.language" content="eng" /> |
| Format |
The physical or digital manifestation of the resource. |
Use the IANA MIME Media Types. |
<meta name="DC.format" content="html" /> |
*date.created , date.reviewed, date.modified are refinements of the Dublin Core 'date' element and keywords is a refinement of the Dublin Core 'subject' element.
Checklist: Browser Compatability
Resources
Related guide topics