Harrisburg, PA – Following the successful launch of the redesigned PA.gov one year ago, the Shapiro Administration has continued improving the site using data and user feedback — making it easier to read, more accessible, and more user-friendly across some of the Commonwealth’s most visited web pages.
The Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA) has published 85 optimized pages across four state agencies since December 2025, enhancing the most accessed web pages and creating a clearer, more accessible experience that prioritizes the needs of all Pennsylvanians.
These updates account for a majority of traffic on several agency websites — meaning thousands of Pennsylvanians each month are now accessing more user-friendly information and benefiting from a streamlined “no wrong door” experience that makes it easier to find the help they need.
At the same time, the Shapiro Administration has worked to save taxpayer dollars while modernizing digital services. The Office of Administration (OA) achieved $37 million in IT cost savings and cost avoidance through initiatives such as rightsizing recurring IT purchases, increasing cloud hosting and storage, securing vendor discounts, and using existing Commonwealth staff and resources for projects. This total includes $10 million in savings by CODE PA, which helps offset rising costs for IT products, services, and the technical debt of maintaining older systems — all while keeping the focus on delivering better digital services for residents.
“When we launched the new PA.gov last year, we focused on creating a single, cohesive online experience with easy-to-find information and intuitive navigation and design,” said OA Secretary Neil Weaver. “We are now taking a deeper dive into how we can make the Commonwealth’s web pages more thoughtful, concise, and clear to provide our residents with what they need to know quickly. We are creating a no-wrong-door experience that anyone can access and understand easily.”
To date, CODE PA has partnered with the Department of Corrections, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, Parole Board, and Farm Show Complex to analyze their most visited pages for opportunities to rewrite information into plain language that can be understood across a broader range of reading levels. Additionally, some pages were consolidated and their content reorganized to be more streamlined and intuitive. The review process also included checks for accuracy and digital accessibility. Finally, CODE PA is working to standardize page layouts and navigation across state agencies to create a more consistent experience.
The 2026-27 budget proposed by Governor Josh Shapiro earlier this month includes $3.7 million in additional funding for CODE PA to support the continued development of enterprise platforms for grants and permits and the creation of a single, secure login account that residents can use to access services across Commonwealth websites — reducing confusion and improving cybersecurity protections.
“We are continuing to evaluate, refine, and define what quality, helpful government content looks like, and understand how to best meet the needs of both Commonwealth agencies and the Pennsylvanians they serve,” said CODE PA Executive Director Sara Hall. “We want to make sure everyone can benefit from the wealth of resources available on PA.gov and that begins with delivering content that builds equity, clarity, and public trust.”
Progress is being measured through website analytics, including traffic patterns, user pathways, and time spent on key pages, as well as real-time feedback surveys embedded on pages throughout PA.gov. Projects include:
- The Farm Show Complex’s highest traffic pages were consolidated to make information easier to find and reduce duplication, with brand-new Plan Your Visit and Location and Parking pages ahead of the 2026 Farm Show to address common visitor questions before peak traffic periods.
- The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security significantly simplified its online presence by reducing the number of pages by nearly half, from 24 to 13, through consolidation and improved architecture. Readability was also improved while still preserving mandatory technical and statutory information.
- The Department of Corrections launched optimizations in December with improvements to approximately 40 pages making up 66 percent of its site traffic. The department improved readability overall, improved how information displays on mobile devices and smaller screens, and consolidated content as needed.
- The Parole Board improved the readability of 10 pages accounting for 59 percent of its web traffic. The board also reduced its overall page count and updated the Contact Us page for clarity which office a user should contact based on their needs.
The Governor’s Residence, Department of General Services, and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission are currently optimizing their pages on PA.gov. Additional agencies will continue to come online throughout 2026 as CODE PA expands its enterprise approach.
CODE PA also collaborated with state agencies on several projects over the past year that optimized content on PA.gov:
- A suite of new tools and technology for the Department of Human Services that allow Pennsylvanians to track their benefits applications in real-time, help the Commonwealth continue to reduce its SNAP error rate, and save millions in taxpayer dollars and thousands of hours in staff time.
- Updates to Department of Education pages that make it easier to navigate the teacher certification process in Pennsylvania. Multiple pages were redesigned to provide clear, step-by-step guidance on getting certified as a new teacher entering the field, when already credentialed in another state, getting a permit to substitute teach, and returning to teaching after time away.
- New tools for the Pennsylvania Overdose Prevention Program to get life-saving overdose supplies such as naloxone into communities faster, including more streamlined ordering forms, a clearer, easily accessible ordering webpage, and a new system that allows staff at the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to process orders more efficiently.
- A new application for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Keystone State ChalleNGe Academy providing for the first time the opportunity to apply online through a fast and simple process. A new eligibility checker allows individuals to confirm they are eligible for the academy before they invest the time and effort to submit a full application, and application instructions and questions were rewritten using plain language that is clear and easy to understand.
- The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons launched a fully online application for clemency, making the application process more accessible, streamlined, and empathetic. The new application can be translated into 17 other languages by simply clicking the “Translate” button at the top of the page.
One year after its launch, PA.gov continues to evolve — reinforcing the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to modernizing state government and delivering services that are easier, faster, and more secure for every Pennsylvanian.
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