Mercury Web Templates
The Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing and UFIT Web Services have partnered to create the new Mercury web templates for the campus community. The templates can be downloaded for use on various platforms and are available with varying levels of technical support.
- Base code bundle (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) – Self Service Only
- TerminalFour Templates – UFIT full support
- WordPress Templates
- Hosted UFIT Multisite option – UFIT with limited support (technical users only)
- WordPress Theme + Plugins option – Self Service
UFIT Hosted Web Content Management
This option is for UF clients in UFIT hosted environments who would like to receive support setting up their templates. To get started, contact UFIT Web Services.
Get Started with WordPress Multisite
Self Service
This option is for UF clients who have their own development support and will not need support from UFIT Web Services. When downloading the WordPress template, please unzip the folder to access the Readme file before attempting to install.
Note: Users need to be connected to the campus network, either on campus or via VPN, in order to access the pages for the linked assets. To be able to download these assets, users must have an active GatorLink and password.
Template Documentation
Note: For UF Health entities, including the health colleges, centers and institutes, please refer to the UF Health Web Services website for available web templates and resources.
Mercury Updates
The Mercury templates are undergoing ongoing maintenance. To learn more, please visit the Mercury Updates page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do campus units benefit from using the templates?
UF colleges, departments, centers, institutes, offices, and other campus units will be able to use pre-built templates that align with the updated UF brand. The templates will be flexible, and each editor can use use/hide modules within the template that are/are not applicable to them.
Templates will be available in multiple formats, so campus units can choose whether to use Terminal Four, WordPress multisite, or HTML to build their website.
These templates will be available to colleges, departments, centers, institutes, offices, and other campus units. While the use of the templates is not mandated, their implementation is encouraged to protect the integrity of the UF brand.
Note: If the templates are implemented, each party will be responsible for the set-up, content creation / migration, launch, and maintenance of their own website.
Will colleges, departments, centers, institutes and other units be required to use the templates?
Using the new templates is not required but strongly encouraged to retain brand continuity. The templates are also meet current accessibility standards.
What if I am not using a CMS?
Colleges or departments that do not use a CMS will still be able to leverage the base tech stack (HTML, CSS, and JS) developed for the project templates.
Will there be a cost for using Tier 2 and Tier 3 templates?
No – however, units may incur additional costs if they have an outside vendor implement the template for them or work on website assets such as copy, videos, images, etc.
For the migration of content to the new templates, what type of work will designers and content managers be expected to do?
Each college, department, center, institute, and administrative unit is responsible for installing their own template, migrating their content, setting up analytics and launching their own site.
SCM will work with the marketing agency to develop documentation that outlines:
- How the template should be installed and used
- Issues and bug fixes
- Specs for images, character limits, etc.
- Specs for each content module and how to update it
What is the difference between Tier 2 & 3 templates?
When it comes to the website builds and features, Tiers 2 and 3 are functionally the same; everyone will be able to access the same components. Tiers 2 and 3 are use cases, where Tier 2 refers to college websites and Tier 3 are websites of departments, administrative units, centers, institutes, etc.
Where can I access the Tier 2 & 3 templates?
Templates for Tier 2 & 3 are available above. A GatorLink login will be needed to access the base code files and WordPress template.
If a marketing agency/vendor is setting up the template for a UF client, the UF client is responsible for downloading the template files and documentation and sending that to the vendor.
Who can help me get started with the new Tier 2 & 3 templates?
Visit the GitLab Repository via the Brand Center to download template files and access documentation. For brand questions, please contact SCM. For technical questions, please contact UFIT Web Services.
Note: Each unit is responsible for setting up their own instance of the template – this particularly applies to those who opt to use the HTML files only or for those who opt to use WordPress in a single site instance.
How can my marketing agency/vendor access the templates?
If a marketing agency/vendor is setting up the template for a UF client, the UF client is responsible for downloading the template files and documentation and sending that to the vendor.
Can I modify the templates?
It is not encouraged to modify templates so as not to disrupt brand continuity. Custom blocks and integrations can be made within the template if the base template does not meet a unit’s specific functionality needs.
Modifying the look of the templates or components with the intent of positioning them as the official UF templates or distributing them is prohibited. Templates or components cannot be modified in a way that misrepresents the UF brand identity or violates the UF Accessibility Policy. Agencies or vendors assisting any unit with setting up their official UF template are prohibited from using Copyright or Designed By [Vendor’s Name] language on the site or claiming the design as theirs in their portfolios.
Can a marketing agency or vendor modify the templates?
It is not encouraged to modify templates so as not to disrupt brand continuity.
Modifying the look of the templates or components with the intent of positioning them as the official UF templates or distributing them is prohibited. Templates or components cannot be modified in a way that misrepresents the UF brand identity or violates the UF Accessibility Policy. Agencies or vendors assisting any unit with setting up their official UF template are prohibited from using Copyright or Designed By [Vendor’s Name] language on the site or claiming the design as theirs in their portfolios.
What is the difference between the self service and UFIT hosted web content management options?
The self service option is for those on campus who have internal technical support from their own development staff or an agency, and who will not need ongoing support from UFIT Web Services. Self service clients will be able to have access to the Base Code Bundle (HTML, CSS and JavaScript files) and the WordPress templates for single site installation.
The UFIT hosted web content management option is for those on campus who would like to receive support from UFIT Web Services to set up their template instance. UFIT Web Services will only be supporting the TerminalFour and WordPress Multisite templates.
What if I missed one of the Mercury Web Templates information sessions?
A recording of one of the information sessions can be viewed below. If there are additional questions, we encourage users to use the contact form on this page.
Do you offer any live WordPress and/or TerminalFour trainings?
TerminalFour
UFIT will offer live Terminalfour training sessions for the UF community. Please continue to check the UFIT training calendar website to see scheduled training dates.
For additional information regarding the Mercury web templates, please visit the Brand Center.
WordPress
From October 2023 to March 2024, the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing (SCM) is facilitating live WordPress training sessions with Stamats, the vendor that SCM and UFIT partnered with to create the new Mercury web templates.
These live training sessions will occur once a month and they will be an hour and a half long. All training sessions will be identical so users do not need to attend all of them. Below is the schedule of all training sessions as well as registrations links for each session.
October 26, 2023
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
November 30, 2023
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
December 21, 2023
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
January 25, 2024
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
February 22, 2024
1:30pm – 3:00pm ET
What happens if I cannot attend a live WordPress training session or if I have a new staff member after March 2024?
If you were unable to attend the live training, you can watch the recorded session below.
I'm adding a Gravity Form to my website, but it looks odd. How do I fix it?
The Mercury form styling is not designed for use with the Orbital Theme. In the settings for Gravity Forms, select Default Form Theme instead of Orbital Theme. If the Gravity Forms 2.5 Theme can be chosen, choose that.
Additionally, in the Gravity Forms settings, make sure that Output HTML5 is turned on.
Is there a resource available to create mockup designs that incorporate the Mercury theme look?
Yes. UFIT Web Services has developed a Design Kit that units may use to generate mockups prior to development. Note that this resource is only available to users with a GatorLink. Visit the Design Kit web page to learn more.