Organisation website structure
An organisation website must not only formally meet requirements, but also be convenient for people. A clear structure helps residents, parents, pupils, visitors to cultural institutions or business representatives quickly find the information they need, while helping the organisation itself ensure transparency, consistency and compliance with legal requirements. That is why menu titles should be precise, short and easy to understand, avoiding overly detailed wording or wording typical of internal administration.
For public-sector organisations in the EU – municipalities, schools, museums, libraries, social services centres or other public bodies – website structure is also important for accessibility. Information must be easy to reach for users with different needs, including people with disabilities, older visitors or those browsing on mobile devices. A properly planned structure also helps ensure compliance with GDPR, public disclosure, transparency and digital accessibility requirements.
Mandatory website sections
An organisation website must clearly set out the mandatory sections. Their titles may be adapted to the organisation’s activity, but the content must remain easy to recognise and access. It is important that the user can intuitively understand where to look for contact details, legal documents, services or data protection information.
- Structure and contacts
This section provides information about the organisation’s departments, responsible staff, their functions and contact details. For example, a school may clearly list the administration, support specialists and class tutors, while a municipality may list departments, district offices and responsible specialists.
- Legal information
This section should publish laws, draft legal acts, research and analyses, information about legal breaches and monitoring of legal regulation. This section is especially important for transparency and accountability, as it allows the public to see which documents guide the organisation and how decisions are made.
- Areas of activity
This section presents the organisation’s main functions and responsibilities. A library may describe reader services, educational activities and collection management here, while a museum may describe exhibitions, collection care and cultural education activities.
- Corruption prevention
This section is for information about preventive measures, responsible persons, reporting options and related documents. Clear information increases trust in the organisation and helps ensure transparent public administration.
- Administrative information
This section publishes regulations, planning documents, pay information, bonuses and awards, public procurement, budget execution and financial statement sets, information about the supervision of economic entities and official cars. This is one of the most important sections in public bodies, as it is directly linked to public disclosure and accountability to the public.
- Services
Here the services provided by the organisation, how to access them, deadlines, required documents and contact details for enquiries must be clearly described. It is important for residents or visitors to the organisation to quickly understand what can be done online and when it is necessary to come in person.
- Open data
If the organisation publishes open data, it must be presented clearly and in a way that is easy to use. This section is especially relevant for municipalities and other institutions that publish data about activities, budgets or service delivery.
- Personal data protection
This section must contain information about personal data processing, data subjects’ rights, contacts for privacy matters and privacy notices. Compliance with GDPR is not just a formality – clear information helps people understand how their data is processed.
- Links
Links to related systems, partner websites, electronic service platforms or pages of higher-level institutions may be provided here. It is important that the links are current, working and help the user complete an action without additional searching.
The structure can be expanded, but mandatory parts cannot be omitted
If needed, the organisation may expand its website structure with additional sections. For example, a school may have separate sections for pupils and parents, a museum may have sections for exhibitions and education, and a library may have sections for events, subscribed databases or reader card information. However, all mandatory sections must remain if they apply to the specific organisation.
If certain information or a service is not relevant to the organisation or it is not required to provide it under legal acts, this must be clearly stated in the relevant section. It is important not to leave empty pages or unclear menu items – the user must see an explanation of why the information is not published or the service is not provided. Such a solution helps maintain trust and shows a responsible approach to public communication.
Convenience, accessibility and compliance
A good website structure must be user-oriented. This means the menu must be consistent, pages easy to find, and the most important information accessible in a few clicks. It is also important to follow digital accessibility principles: use clear headings, a logical content hierarchy, understandable link titles and ensure that the website can be used on different devices and with assistive technologies.
A public body website is an official source of information, so its structure must help not only publish information, but also ensure compliance with legal requirements. A properly planned website helps implement the principles of transparency, accessibility, GDPR and good public administration, while giving visitors a clear, reliable and convenient experience.