Many health.gov pages link to other websites. ODPHP prioritizes linking to other federal agencies’ websites for evidence-based content, whenever possible. Rarely, ODPHP will link to non-federal websites that have useful evidence-based information or resources, when comparable federal information or resources are not available.
ODPHP considers the following criteria when deciding to link to content on other sites:
- Does the site provide clear information about the organization’s mission, structures, and policies?
- Does the site include information about who is responsible for creating and maintaining it?
- Does the site clearly state its purpose and intended audience, and provide information that’s relevant to that audience?
- Is the information on the site reliable, current, and unbiased?
- Does the site clearly differentiate between advertising and non-advertising content?
- Note: ODPHP may link to web content supported by an organization that accepts advertisements on its site, as long as the ads on the site don’t undermine ODPHP’s mission or goals, and the content itself is ad-free.
- Does the site protect users’ personal information?
ODPHP may give preference to sites and resources that meet these criteria and:
- Are easy to find and use
- Are regularly evaluated for user satisfaction and overall usability
- Provide disclaimers and a linking policy
Exit disclaimers
An exit disclaimer graphic appears next to every non-federal external link found on health.gov and microsites, per HHS web polices.
Linking to a non-federal site does not mean that HHS or any of its employees or partners endorse the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site.
