Getting Started

Please read the following before you begin work on your new site:

• VPN Access Required to Log In When Off Campus - You must be on campus or logged into KU's VPN service to access all KU CMS Sunflower sites. See KU Anywhere for information about KU's VPN service, including installation on workstations and personal machines.

• Learn About KU CMS Sunflower – Much has changed from the previous KU CMS. We strongly recommend doing a deep dive into KU CMS Sunflower before you begin building your site – see cms.ku.edu and KU CMS Workshops for extensive information. In many instances, it will not be possible to copy and paste pages from your old site into your new site without significant content revision. We recommend you learn about KU CMS Sunflower and plan your pages first, then revise your content, and then begin building your new pages.

• Workshops - CMS Training Workshops are provided regularly. Please register in advance. See Workshops Calendar for information including registration.

• While in Development Your Site Cannot Be Found By Search Engines – KU CMS Sunflower sites in development cannot be searched by search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing). No additional action is required.

• Accessibility - As a public institution in the State of Kansas, all KU websites are required to comply with the State of Kansas Web Accessibility Requirements. KU website administrators should ensure that every page on their sites meet the guidelines. See Accessibility for more information, including guidelines and best practices.

• Site Migration Plan – No matter how many pages you are working with, creating your new KU CMS site and migrating content from your previous site is a sizeable task. To assist you, we are providing a step-by-step Site Migration Plan.

• Site Approval Checklist – Before you begin work on your new KU CMS site, please review the Site Approval Requirements Checklist. The checklist details all the requirements you will be asked to verify compliance of on your site prior to requesting approval. We strongly recommend reviewing the checklist before you begin work to avoid having to go back through your site to correct issues after the fact.

• Request Site Approval and Launch – Once your site is finished, submit the Site Approval and Launch Request Form to request site approval and launch.

• Important Resource Documents

  Please take the time to review these helpful resource documents before you begin work on your new site – and throughout your development process:

  • Accessibility Checklist
  • Web Writing Checklist
  • CMS Tips

• Where to Find Images for Your Site - The photography team at KU Marketing & Communications has provided a wide variety of beautiful images for use on CMS websites. See University of Kansas Brand Photography to download high-quality images from collections of campus beauty, academics and research, student life, and KU spirit.

• Join the CMS Team in Microsoft Teams - CMS Users across campus are joining our Teams channel to ask questions, share ideas and collaborate. Join the community.

• Help
  • For general assistance and site migration, contact KU Web Services at webservices@ku.edu
  • For assistance with web writing, site organization, section selection and user experience, contact our User Interface/User Experience Team at uiux@ku.edu