FAQs

Most YaleSites are on Drupal 7, which is being retired. The new platform will use the latest version of Drupal. This exciting platform evolution is a result of Yale’s technology infrastructure investment. 

Site builders will be able to move from customizations that are difficult to maintain. Instead, they will use pre-built, Yale-branded components and layouts to build beautiful sites. Accessibility and analytics tools are included in the platform. 

In addition, Drupal is evolving from complicated upgrades to a model that pushes out new updates regularly. So future upgrades will be easier and more seamless.  

The new Drupal platform will simplify the user experience for:  

• Building and maintaining sites. Components, layouts, taxonomies, and views make it easy to create beautiful, impactful websites. 

• Ensuring accessibility requirements. A built-in tool shows editors how to improve accessibility. 

• Adhering to Yale identity standards. Design components have Yale’s identity built in. 

• Evaluating site analytics. A metrics tracker is integrated. 

The new YaleSites platform includes a new design system on the latest version of Drupal. Users will be able to create websites that are simple to build, easy to maintain, and are accessible. While the process of building websites will be different, we are committed to empowering the YaleSites community to build dynamic websites with confidence. 

All YaleSites on Drupal 7 will need to be rebuilt using the new, flexible, more effective platform. Resources to rebuild depend on a site’s pre-determined upgrade pathway. 

The YaleSites team analyzed each site to assign upgrade pathways. Factors include site size, complexity, and how it was initially built.  

Potential upgrade pathways are: Self-service, Supported Build, Vendor Supported, and Archive. 

Self-service 

• The department that owns the site will be responsible for rebuilding it on the new platform. Timing is at their discretion and will likely be determined by available resources.  

• Technical expertise is not necessary to build an accessible and Yale-branded site. Departments who do not rebuild right away will be supported on D7 until the rebuild occurs. 

Supported Build 

• Sites in this pathway do not need the customization and resources a vendor would provide. They will be rebuilt through a combination of ITS and department site owner efforts.   

• Departments who do not rebuild right away will be supported on D7 until the rebuild occurs. 

Vendor Supported

• Sites in this pathway were most likely built by a vendor for D7. These sites are complex and need outside support to maintain their functionality.   

• Any sites on Yale servers must have a long-term support agreement with the vendor. 

Archive 

• Outdated sites will be archived on archive.org. If necessary, they can be restored. 

Our team analyzed each site and categorized based on size and complexity. We also took into consideration how the site was initially developed. For example, vendor-built sites will likely require an outside vendor for the rebuild. If a site was built with department resources, then those resources will develop the new site as well. 

Summer, 2023 

It’s never too early to audit current site content and develop new content. The YaleSites team will be offering training to help guide the development process. Please be on the lookout for training invitations.

Once the upgraded platform is launched, the timing for self-service rebuilds is at the discretion of the department. Sites that do not upgrade in the short term will be hosted and supported via a long-term support agreement.

It depends on your rebuild plans, as well as the level of customization. If you are planning to rebuild your site soon after the new platform launches, it may make sense to wait and see if new features and components can be used in place of your planned customization.

If you are able to wait until late summer ‘23, you can be one of the first to create a site using the new upgraded YaleSites platform. If it’s important to create a site prior to then, you can still build on Drupal 7 and rebuild your site on the new platform at a later date.

Yes. A tool called Editoria11y makes it easier to make changes to content without introducing accessibility barriers. 

It alerts editors of accessibility issues and provides clear direction for fixing problems. 

A broad array of trainings and resources will be available in several formats. Topics include: 

• content auditing 

• writing for the web 

• SEO 

• composing with platform components 

• site analytics 

• and many others. 

We will soon allow users to sign up for a mailing list for updates about the project, including scheduled trainings.

When past training sessions are made available, you will be able to find them in our training and resources section. 

A long-term support plan is in place for sites that don’t rebuild right away. 

A redirect strategy is vital to maintain search engine rankings, user experience, link equity, and prevent duplicate content. There are different types of redirects:

• Self-service redirects: The new platform will include monitoring capability that will let self-service builders and editors create redirects for important content and know if a redirect issue exists within a site. Redirect training will be available. If you need assistance, please submit a ticket.
• External redirects: If you move your site off of the YaleSites platform be aware that a redirect plan is a crucial component of your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. It’s strongly recommended that you work with your new service provider to properly implement redirects.