Download
complete service offering 
1. Description of Service
A friendly URL (Universal Resource Locator) is an easily remembered, short URL for portal pages that tend to have long, complex URLs. It provides a Mass.Gov URL for state web assets that are not hosted directly on the www.Mass.Gov server. It is a key marketing component for fostering a "Single face of government." Mass.Gov offers two types of friendly URLs: top level URL and virtual directory URL.
Mass.Gov top level friendly URL:
These URLs are reserved for high profile marketing campaigns. When choosing a name, select a name that could be used as a brand name. Choose a name that:
- Customers will easily associate with your agency, service or program
- Customers will easily remember
- Is relatively short, simple, meaningful and easy to spell
- Does not have another strong meaning in the marketplace
Mass.Gov virtual directory friendly URL:
A virtual friendly URL provides agencies with the ability to use a URL that is more concise than a standard portal-generated URL. The difference between a top level friendly URL and a virtual directory friendly URL is that there is an extra slash in the virtual URL.
- Virtual directory friendly URLs are only available for portalized sites.
- Once the virtual directory is in place, the customer can create multiple virtual directory friendly URL's without needing to go through change control.
DNS must be in place before making request.
Support services include:
- A Service Account Manager to answer any questions or concerns regarding ITD Services.
- Services offered through our Operations Office; including Change Management and customer access to incident management via email, phone (CommonHelp)
- The online COMiT service management portal
2. Service Targets/Hours of Availability
Service Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Service Availability | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Friday excluding holidays. Customer works with Mass.Gov IA Team to finalize appropriate friendly URL |
| Request Fulfillment | Implementations executed 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm every Wednesday.
|
Planned Maintenance | Mass.Gov Environment: Maintenance is performed weekly in a 4 hour window every Wednesday, between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm, excluding holidays. During this time, services are not impacted. |
3. Service Reporting
Currently, there are no reports available for this service.
4. Service Requests
Description | Lead Time-Business Days | |
|---|---|---|
| Request a "Friendly" Mass.Gov URL | A friendly URL is a marketing tool used to promote a service or program. The URL brings customers to a specific page on a website that either contains information about the service or provides access to the service. This service request includes:
| 14 Days |
*For new service requests only. To manage existing requests, please log into COMiT.
5. Customer Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the customer to work with the lead Information Architect to select appropriate top level friendly URLs or virtual directory names and to submit your request no later than Friday of the previous week. If you are requesting a top level friendly URL for a new server, that server must have an actual server (or host) name.
For your convenience, you may view a detailed list of customer responsibilities. 
6. Chargeback Rate Information
For more information on Chargeback, including an overview of the program as well as current and previous fiscal year rates, please visit our Chargeback Services webpage.
The costs pertaining to this service offering are currently funded out of ITD's Operating Funds. No additional detail is available for review.
Updated September 13, 2012
Published August 14, 2009
Created April 29, 2009: Information provided by the Mass.Gov Team