Promotional Elements

What Are These Elements?

An effective webpage links to other parts of your website.

Linking to other content might be its main purpose (e.g., a homepage or main landing page) or it might be secondary (e.g., a page with great info about hiking in a given park might also feature links to ranger-led walks).

While text links get the job done, you might find it more appealing to advertise your links with big, representative images. The many promotional elements shown on this page serve related, though often slightly different, purposes; but all are meant to be eye-catching.

Instructions for each element are linked under the examples of each lower on this page.

Content Promo Element

This element is automatically on every page, below the main body content, right above the page footer. You may choose to use it or not use it. It is composed of four square images that advertise other parts of your website; ideally, the content promos either relate to the purpose of the webpage, or they link to pages that touch on major themes / underpinnings for your park (or program/subject/etc).

The intent behind content promos is that you rarely change them, because they are highlighting content that is foundational for your site.

To see an example of the content promo in action, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Feature Grid (Prioritized) Element

The example immediately below shows one possible configuration of the feature grid element.

This is a very customizable element. It can have 1 to 5 rows, and each row is made up of 1, 2 or 3 features. The ability to create a visual hierarchy is what makes it "prioritized." This element is on every homepage by default.
green northern lights dance above tree tops on a clear night
Get Inspired

Discover the many unique and wild wonders of Alaska's national parks, preserves, and places through one of our themed trip itineraries.

float planes docked along the shore of an inlet in turquoise waters
Start Your Adventure

Kick off an experience of a lifetime in Alaska's national parks by browsing things to do during your trip.

a sow and cubs on the beach at Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park
Discover Nature and Science

Learn more about the dynamic ecosystems found in Alaska's parks and the scientists who manage them.

woman hangs salmon to dry as part of subsistence practices
Stories of Subsistence

Learn why and how rural Alaskans depend on fish, wildlife and plant resources.

a map of beringia, the area of land that once connected Alaska and Russia
Beringia

Alaska and Russia were joined by the Bering Land Bridge. We continue to foster cultural exchange in Beringia.

woman driving an old snowmobile, pulling a sled
Explore the Past

Explore Alaska's historic places, culture, and traditions.

rangers stand with a group of colorfully dressed children in the rain with their tongues out
Be the Future

Begin your quest: Choose your path to discover Alaska’s treasures.

Feature grid (prioritized) instructions (NPS only) | Return to top of the page

Graphic Grid Element

A graphic grid must have at least 2 features. Features display in rows of 3.

Unlike the feature grid shown above, all of the images within a graphic grid are equally sized, regardless of whether a given row has 1, 2 or 3 features in it. This allows for a bit of extra space below each feature, where more details can be given (i.e., to explain why a visitor might want to click that feature).

An optional header can be used (as shown in the little black banner above the features).

Activities Near or On the Park Road

Graphic grid instructions (NPS only) | Return to top of the page

Important Links Element

The example below comes from Denali's website. The element offers an optional header, optional descriptive text, and a little panel on the right side that features links to other pages on your site.

This element works well as a sort of section-level table of contents; in the example below, you can see how it features links to pages within the accessibility trip planning part of Denali's website.

For People With ...

Plan An Accessible Visit

Denali is largely wilderness without trails, designated by Congress to remain a "primitive" area in many respects. The National Park Service strives to make the park as universally accessible as possible. However, extra obstacles will be encountered because of the remote, wilderness nature of this special place.

If your questions concerning accessibility are unanswered after reading information in this section of our website, please contact us.

Also, learn about the The America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass—or more simply, the Access Pass—which provides a wide range of discounts on activities and services when you visit federal lands.


Important links element instructions (NPS only) | Return to top of the page

Rotating Features Element

You may place 2 or more images into this element and it'll automatically rotate between them. Each image should link to some other part of your website (or another part of nps.gov).

Unlike most other elements, you can only have one rotating features element per page. If you have more content to promote, you might consider some of the other elements featured on this page.
Rotating features instructions (NPS only) | Return to top of the page

Site Grid (Manual) Element

This element lets you advertise other websites on NPS.gov in a grid pattern (thus, "site grid"). The "(manual)" part of its name refers to the fact that you manually select what sites you want to feature.

A few suggested uses for this element:
  • A park wants to advertise subject sites that relate to that park's mission statement / enabling legislation / etc. (e.g., Denali might want to advertise the Wilderness subject site, and subject sites about wildlife).
  • A park wants to advertise other park websites that are nearby or have some affiliation (e.g., Gettysburg might want to advertise other parks in the southern PA / MD area, or other Civil War-related parks).
  • A subject site wants to advertise parks affiliated with that topic (e.g., the Bears subejct site might want to include parks with lots of bears).
Note: A website (subject, org, park, or other type) must first create its own site feature (NPS only) before anybody else can advertise that site via this element!

Parks of the Central Alaska and Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Networks

These parks belong to two of the many "inventory and monitoring" (I&M) networks across the country. Each I&M network facilitates research in a group of parks, furthering our understanding of America's shared places.

Site feature grid (manual) instructions (NPS only) | Return to top of the page

Solo Image Promo Element

The example below illustrates the solo image promo element. Unlike other promos, a single image is used, but it can link to one or two different destinations.

In the example below, the larger button links to a page on Denali's website that explains the park bus systems. The smaller button, as its link text suggests, takes you to a reservation website. This allows a single feature to serve two audiences; one unfamiliar with the bus options, and one familiar and ready to reserve, but who hasn't made it to the reservation website yet for some reason.


Solo image promo instructions (NPS only) | Return to top of the page

Solo Text Promo Element

Seen below, the solo text promo is similar to the solo image promo ... but with big, centered text and white space. It works well on a page where you've already got lots of images, and where the text and white space will be visually attention-getting.

Unlike the solo image promo, the solo text promo only has one link.

Choose Your Adventure

Do you already know what bus trip you want? Head over to our concessionaire's website. They manage most of the buses in the park (both narrated and non-narrated types), and you'll reserve your tickets through them.

Otherwise, read the rest of this page to decide which bus is for you.

Reserve A Bus Now

Last updated: July 22, 2021

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