U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Communication Standards and Guidelines

RedDot Content Management System

We are currently in the process of transferring EERE's Web site content into the RedDot Content Management System (CMS). A Web CMS is a tool designed to streamline the creation, organization, and management of Web content by separating the editable content from the layout of that content. The CMS also introduces workflow and approval processes to help editors, developers, and QAers keep their content up-to-date, accurate, and standards compliant.

Use the documents below to learn more about RedDot's content editing capabilities and to ensure that all content that you create in RedDot meets EERE standards:

User Guide to the RedDot Content Management System

(PDF 1.8 MB) Download Adobe Reader.

Comprehensive, step-by-step guide to SmartEdit, RedDot's Web site editing interface. The guide can be printed or used online like a Web site. Updated versions of this guide will periodically be released and posted here. 

SmartEditor QA Checklist

(PDF 60 KB) Download Adobe Reader.

When you have added new content or made changes to existing content in RedDot, you must check to make sure it meets EERE standards and the accessibility guidelines set forth by Section 508.  Use the SmartEditor QA Checklist to make sure you've met these requirements. To see what a properly coded page looks like on the EERE site, view our sample page.