Managing Cochrane websites

This guidance supports better connections between websites and establishing a more unified online presence for Cochrane.  It applies to:

  • any website that is hosted on the cochrane domain
  • any other microsites or project sites that are created or maintained by Cochrane 

Before setting up a Cochrane website

New websites should only be created if owners have the capacity and content to maintain an active and engaging website. 

Before proposing a website, Cochrane Groups/ Project owners should define:

  • Audiences: Who are they trying to reach (e.g., patients, researchers, policymakers, funders, media)? Why is a website the most effective channel?
  • Needs: What do they need to communicate? Why is a separate site necessary vs. a section on cochrane.org?
  • Proposed content: What information would be presented on the website? How would this be structured? What is the amount and depth of content that will be present? How often would this be updated?
  • Capacity: Do they have the capacity to manage and update the website? Do they have someone who can be a named website owner?  

Maintaining a Cochrane website

Once websites are set up, we expect that they are maintained in line with Cochrane’s guidelines and policies. We expect that all Cochrane websites must:

  • be known to the central Cochrane team
  • have a named contact as website owner
  • carry a Cochrane logo
  • follow Cochrane’s brand guidelines
  • be as accessible as possible, ideally meeting the WCAG 2.2 guidelines
  • be reviewed by the website owner at a minimum of every 6 months
Managing Drupal

We have produced a Group Website Guidelines and Admin Manual for webmasters* to help Groups manage their websites:

  • Guidelines: The part of the manual provides webmasters a checklist of items and instructions on how to maintain and get their group's website up to Cochrane standards. It is very important that each site is well maintained so that visitors find current and accurate information that reflects the hard work that is put into producing Cochrane Reviews.
  • Admin Manual: This part of the manual explains webmasters how to use the admin interface to perform all usual operations required when managing a website.

* Note: this version of the admin manual reflects the latest changes that came in place after the update of the Drupal platform to its latest version (Drupal 11).

Writing content

Web users like to be presented with small chunks of information.  

  • Aim for 2–3 sentence paragraphs  
  • Vary the length of paragraphs  
  • Use plenty of white space  
  • Break up long sentences into two or more separate sentences  
  • Use bullet points for lists  
  • Start with the most important information and follow with supporting details

Headings

Headings help make content easier to find and read.  

  • Use Drupal’s built-in headings, bolding text is not a substitute for headings!  
  • Use headings in structured way (e.g. H1 will be your page title, H2 should be used for sub-headings, H3 for sub-sub-heading etc.)
  • Use subheadings to divide your content logically into short chunks
  • Make page titles and subheadings clear, meaningful and descriptive – they should describe the content that is underneath them
  • Avoid using too many heading levels (if you are using Heading 6, is there too much information on your page?)

Writing

  • Use plain English and avoid jargon and technical language where possible  
  • Avoid duplication – do not repeat content, link to it instead  
  • Avoid italics and underline as they’re hard to read online  
  • Write in the active rather than the passive voice  
  • If using downloadable files, ensure they are well-written, consistent and accessible.

Links

  • Use descriptive words for links – not full URLs or ‘click here’  
  • If you are using or linking to downloadable files, indicate in the link what type of file people can expect e.g. You can find more about this in our training resource [PDF].

Images and video

  • Include alternative text for any images that you use – Drupal should prompt you for this
  • Avoid using animation and complex graphics to give information – information in images should be describable in alt text  
  • Don't embed YouTube videos – instead use a linked image (example) 
  • See our guidance on selecting and getting images for more information

Need more help?

Archiving a Cochrane website

A website should be archived when:

  • the objectives have been met or project concluded
  • there is no capacity to maintain the website
  • content becomes outdated or duplicated by cochrane.org

The process of archiving will be undertaken with the central team and will involve reviewing and migrating content (where appropriate), setting up redirects, and archiving the website. 

Updated September 2026.