Navigating Government Websites and Portals
You need to renew your health card. Which website do you go to? Federal or provincial? ServiceOntario, Service BC, Service New Brunswick? Once there, can you find what you need, or do you click through screens that don't seem to lead anywhere useful?
For many Canadians, government websites are mazes—not because citizens are incapable, but because the sites are genuinely confusing.
The Fragmented Landscape
Government services in Canada are delivered by multiple levels of government, each with its own digital presence:
Federal: Canada.ca consolidates federal services, but programs like CRA (taxes), IRCC (immigration), Service Canada (employment insurance, pensions), and others maintain distinct experiences within the larger site.
Provincial: Each province and territory has its own government portal with different designs, organizations, and functionality.
Municipal: Cities, towns, and regional governments have their own sites for local services like permits, property taxes, and recreation.
For users, figuring out which level of government handles what—and then finding the right section of the right website—requires knowledge most people do not have.
Common Frustrations
Organization by Department, Not Need
Government sites often reflect organizational structure rather than user tasks. Finding information about starting a business might require visiting departments of finance, employment, economic development, and municipal licensing—each with separate sections and possibly separate accounts.
Task-based organization ("I want to...") serves users better than department-based organization ("Department of..."), but many government sites still default to the latter.
Search That Does Not Work
Government website search functions often return unhelpful results—outdated pages, internal documents, or results organized by recency rather than relevance. Users who cannot find what they need through navigation try search, only to find it equally frustrating.
Broken Links and Outdated Content
Government sites accumulate years of content, and maintenance often lags. Users encounter broken links, outdated information, and pages that no longer reflect current programs or policies.
Inconsistent Design
Different sections of the same government site may look and work differently, built by different teams at different times. Users must relearn navigation with each section.
Jargon and Complexity
Government content often uses terminology that is precise for bureaucratic purposes but confusing for users. Eligibility criteria written in legal language, acronyms without explanation, and complex sentence structures impede understanding.
What Helps
Life event organization: Sites organized around life events ("Having a baby," "Losing a job," "Moving to Canada") help users find relevant services regardless of which department administers them.
Benefit finders: Tools that ask questions and identify programs the user may be eligible for reduce the burden of knowing what exists.
Integrated accounts: Single sign-on across services reduces the need for multiple accounts and passwords.
Clear language: Plain language explanations, with technical details available for those who need them, serve more users effectively.
Mobile optimization: Sites that work well on phones serve users who primarily access the internet through mobile devices.
Tips for Users
While waiting for government sites to improve, users can employ strategies:
Start with search engines rather than government site search—Google often finds government pages more effectively than government search tools.
Call if stuck—government phone lines can often direct you to the right place faster than navigating websites.
Use benefit finder tools when available—they are often more helpful than browsing.
Check dates on information—government pages may be outdated, so verify currency before relying on content.
The Question
If government websites are the primary way citizens access services and information, then usability is not a nicety but a necessity. How should governments prioritize improving digital user experience? Should there be standards for government website usability, with accountability for meeting them? And how can citizens provide feedback that actually leads to improvements?