Find answers to common questions about the Integrated Web Platform (IWP). For questions not answered here, email iwp@ucanr.edu.
General Questions
Why was Site Builder replaced?
UC ANR's former Site Builder platform was outdated, built on aging proprietary technology, and presented significant design and maintenance limitations. The overall web presence was inconsistent and difficult to navigate, with over 700 websites of varying quality.
IWP addresses these issues by providing:
- Modern, stable technology with improved security
- A consistent content model and branding framework
- Better discoverability through structured content and taxonomy
- A unified experience for staff, researchers, educators, and the public
How does IWP benefit UC ANR?
- Resolves technical issues and provides stability with modern technology
- Improves discoverability of UC ANR content and knowledge
- Provides a structured content model for better organization
- Facilitates outreach with members of the public
- Advanced search through the content hub
- Promotes UC ANR branding consistency
- Consistent structure with dynamically displayed content instead of hundreds of difficult-to-maintain individual pages
- Content curation and standardized tagging instead of unlimited unmanageable tags
Some sites built on a similar model include Penn State Extension, University of Maryland Extension, Princeton University Press, and Stanford University.
Will my website offer all the functionality I had in Site Builder?
Not all custom assets and features migrated automatically. The IWP team worked with site owners on mission-critical features. Drupal's foundation is designed to support future enhancements as resources and needs allow.
What features are not supported in IWP?
- Installation of Drupal modules on demand
- Replication of all Site Builder and Blogs asset types
- Subscription functionality outside of blogs
- ANR Portal features such as Surveys and Collaborative Tools — these are unaffected by IWP and continue to work through the Portal
- Private or password-protected sites and pages
- Individual page-level access provisioning
- Redirecting an entire group to another site
What features are planned for future enhancement?
- Additional content types (Pages, Articles, Collections) with further enhancements over time
- Additional group types (Advisor, administrative, county offices) with type-specific editing controls
- Structured user roles to support improved content moderation, including a group publisher role
To submit a request, use the IWP enhancement request form.
What if I have a question or need assistance?
Email iwp@ucanr.edu. For individual guidance, schedule a 1-on-1 appointment through Stephen Dampier's Calendly.
Migration Reference
What was not migrated to IWP?
- ArcGIS Map
- Census Data
- CIMIS Weather
- Comments — existing comments from Site Builder and Blogs
- Custom Search — replaced by IWP content hub search
- Datastores — recommend exporting to a platform such as AirTable and embedding via iframe
- eXtension Content
- Newsletter Subscribers
- Survey Tool Integration — surveys continue to work through the Portal
- Custom Site Builder assets — widgets built for individual sites or units, including the Universal Review System, custom databases and media players, and custom survey result pages
- Removed and inactive pages and assets — back up any needed content to Box or a similar cloud service
- Sites hosted on other platforms — WordPress, SiteFarm, UC IPM Cold Fusion
- Calendar functionality — events created in the calendar asset were migrated as an Events content type in Drupal
- Unused images and files — only files actively in use on published pages were migrated
ANR Portal applications were not affected by the migration and remain unchanged: ANR Survey Tool, Mailing List, Collaborative Tools, Bibliography, Repository, and Volunteer Management Systems.
How do I archive content that did not migrate?
- Determine where you want to keep archived content — Box, SharePoint, or Google Drive.
- Capture your pages using a browser save (Windows: Ctrl+S; Mac: Command+S) or a screen capture tool such as Awesome Screenshot.
- Save pages as .html files or print to PDF with background images enabled.
- Upload saved files to Box, Google Drive, or your preferred cloud storage.
What happened to private or password-protected sites?
Private sites were migrated as unpublished. If published, they will be publicly accessible — there is no way to restrict access to sites or pages in IWP. For protected content, use Box, Teams, Collaborative Tools, or Google Drive. See cloud storage options for more information.
What happened to Surveys?
Surveys are not integrated into IWP but continue to work through the ANR Portal. You can link to survey URLs or embed surveys using an iframe in IWP.
Will existing UC ANR URLs still work?
Yes — bookmarked ucanr.edu URLs continue to work. Subdomains such as ucce.ucanr.edu have been redirected to migrated sites on IWP. If you experience any issues, email iwp@ucanr.edu.
Will QR codes still work?
Yes, as long as the underlying URLs did not change. Portal tools such as QR Code and Squisher are unaffected by the migration.
Should PDFs be converted to HTML?
PDFs were migrated but we strongly recommend converting PDF content to HTML pages wherever possible. HTML pages are more accessible, perform better for search engine optimization, and are easier to read on mobile devices. Documents that are primarily text convert easily. Focus conversion efforts on key content you want to be most findable and accessible.
Do images need alt text?
Images without alt text were still migrated, but alt text is required for accessibility and improves search engine optimization. All images should have descriptive alt text. Title attributes and captions can also be added for additional context.
What happened to Google Analytics data?
Existing analytics data is accessible through your individual Google Analytics account. Individual Google Analytics properties were not migrated to IWP. IWP has a new sitewide Google Analytics property — individual site and group owners can be added as read-only users. To request access, file an IT help ticket or use ServiceNow.
What happened to newsletters built in Site Builder?
Newsletter content was migrated as Collections, with each issue as an Article. There is no newsletter tool in IWP — we recommend MailChimp or Constant Contact for newsletter distribution going forward.
Blogs
Where did existing blog content go?
Active blogs were migrated to IWP as a Blog Group type in Drupal. Blog content is available via search through the content hub.
What happened to blog subscribers?
Subscriber migration was assessed on a best-effort basis. Subscribers may need to re-subscribe to related topics in the new system.
Content Governance
What is content governance?
Content governance is a set of guidelines that determine how UC ANR content is created, managed, and published on ucanr.edu.
Why is content governance needed?
Without enforced workflows and content review processes, content becomes inconsistent, outdated, and difficult to find. Content governance ensures content is readable, accessible, search-engine optimized, and brand-aligned.
Will staff still have control over their own content?
Yes. UC ANR employees and authorized volunteers continue to have control over their sites, blogs, and content. Content governance is not intended to restrict dissemination of information — it is a best practice for managing and optimizing web content so more people can find what they need.
What does content governance look like for UC ANR?
- User roles and responsibilities and content creation and moderation workflows are defined in Drupal.
- Requests for new sites, blogs, and taxonomy additions must be submitted for approval by Strategic Communications and implemented by IT. Appeals may be escalated to the Content Governance Council.
- Periodic content audits are performed to ensure content is high-quality, on-brand, and aligned with UC ANR goals and policies.
What is the Content Governance Council?
The Content Governance Council (CGC) determines and delivers UC ANR's content governance strategy and makes final decisions on business processes and enhancements related to ucanr.edu. The council is composed of members from across organizational departments, programs, and institutes, deriving its authority from UC ANR senior leadership.
Volunteer Access to IWP
How do volunteers get access to IWP?
The UC Master Gardener or UC Master Food Preserver Coordinator (ANR employee) must submit an IT ticket including the volunteer's name and email address. Once access is provisioned, the coordinator or an existing site administrator grants the appropriate site-level permissions. All volunteer access is reviewed annually.
IWP is an active project and all recommendations and requirements are subject to change.