Guide
Website change request template
Facts checked Oct 9, 2026
A website change request asks your web person for a new page, new words or a new photo. Send the page, the exact words, where they go and a deadline.
What to include
Whoever updates your site, a web person, your website company or a volunteer, can only do what the message says. Each of these saves a round of emails:
- The page. Copy its address from the bar at the top of your browser. For a new page, say which menu it goes under and what to call it.
- What to change. Say whether it's new, a replacement, or something to take down: "Replace the summer hours with the winter hours below."
- The exact new words, typed or pasted into the email, or attached as a document. Spell names, dates, prices and phone numbers exactly as they should appear.
- Where it goes. "Under the heading Opening hours, in place of the old list." If it's easier, attach a screenshot and mark the spot on it.
- Any photo or file, attached, at full size. Name the file so it's clear, like "town-hall-winter.jpg".
- Alt text for each picture: a sentence that says what the picture shows, for people who use a screen reader (software that reads the page aloud). "The town hall in snow, with the clock tower lit up." How to write good alt text.
- The deadline, and why: "By Friday, as the event is on the 18th." For something that must come down later (a sale, an event), say when.
- Who approves it. The one person who checks the result and says it's done, so changes don't get made twice by two people.
For the usual changes
- A new page
- Its title, the menu it goes under, all its words in one document, its pictures with alt text, and whether it should show up in search engines yet.
- Edit some text
- The page, the old words (copied), and the new words. Copying the old words means they find the right spot even on a long page.
- Swap a photo
- The page, which photo goes (describe it or attach a screenshot), the new photo attached, and its alt text.
- Add an event
- The name, date, start and end time, place with its full address, cost, who to contact, any sign-up link, and the date it can come off the site.
Send this to your web person
Not sure what to say? Copy this into an email, add your website's address, and send it.
Hi, Could you make this change to our website, please? The page: [copy the address from the top of your browser, or for a new page, the menu it goes under] What to change: [new, replace, or take down] The new words: [paste them here, exactly as they should appear] Where it goes: [for example, under the heading Opening hours, in place of the old list] Pictures or files: [attached, with the file names] Alt text for each picture: [one sentence saying what each picture shows] Deadline: [the date, and why] Can it come down later? [the date, if it's an event or a sale] Who approves it: [name] Please tell me when it's live, and I'll check it. Thanks
Tips for getting it right the first time
- One request per change. A separate email for each change is easy to track and tick off. Five changes in one message often come back with four done.
- Send words, not pictures of words. Words in a screenshot or scanned flyer have to be typed out again, and that's where mistakes creep in. Pictures of words are also hard for some visitors to read: they blur when zoomed, and the words can't be resized or recolored the way real text can. Paste the text, or attach a document.
- Paste from a plain document. Fancy fonts and colors from a flyer don't carry over well. Plain words let the site use its own style.
- Check the result. Open the page on a computer and a phone when they say it's done. Read every name, date and number, and click any new links. Screen sizes shows a page on a phone, tablet and laptop at once.
- Keep a list. A short list of what you asked for and when helps you chase anything that's stuck.
Reporting something that's broken rather than asking for a change? Report a website problem so it gets fixed, or fill in our free website bug report template.