How to Use This Site

Online Services
Recommended Browsers
Skip Navigation, Skip to Search, Shortcut Keys, Access Keys and the Tab key
Navigation Tools
Hyperlinks
Search Tools
Scrolling
Buttons
Microformats

OK.gov provides the residents of Oklahoma with several online services that are created as a means to provide convenience to their lives. In order to use these services you must have cookies enabled on your browser. A complete list of our services can be found by clicking the online services link on the left navigation area or by clicking this link, Online Services.

A browser is software that enables personal computer users to navigate the World Wide Web and perform various operations once linked to a site. The two most often used are Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

The OK.gov web site is best viewed with Internet Explorer 7+ or Mozilla Firefox 3+. Other browsers or older versions of the browsers listed above may have difficulty rendering certain pages correctly or as intended.

To determine which browser is installed on a computer, PC users should click "Help" on the top browser top menu, and select "About Internet Explorer/Mozilla Firefox" on the menu item. Mac users should select the "Firefox" menu and click "About Mozilla Firefox."

A Skip Navigation link has been added to this site for screen readers so that their users can advance to the main content of OK.gov's Web pages. A Skip to Search link has also been added that allows a user of a screen reader to skip directly to the Search section.

Shortcut keys have been provided by both Mac and Windows Operating Systems to be used for navigating the Web. Press the ALT key plus another designated key on your keyboard to access these functions.

• Your home page: ALT + HOME keys
• Previous page: ALT + LEFT ARROW keys
• Forward page: ALT + RIGHT ARROW keys
• Refresh page: F5 key

Access keys allow users to type specific keys to jump to defined links within a Web site. Many of today's current browsers support access keys. On Windows platforms you can press ALT + an access key; on Macintosh platforms you can press Control + an access key. OK.gov has provided the following access keys to help ease your experience navigating our Web site.

• OK.gov Home Page: access key A
• Skip Navigation: access key B
• OK.gov Search box: access key C
• Agency Directory: access key D
• Calendar: access key E
• Newsroom: access key F
• Site Map: access key G
• Help Desk: access key H
• Family and Health: access key 1
• Legal and Public Safety: access key 2
• Online Services: access key 3
• Education and Training: access key 4
• Government Resources: access key 5
• Recreation, Travel, and Transportation: access key 6
• Business and Employment: access key 7
• Oklahoma Interactive Map: access key I
• Policies: access key J
• About Oklahoma's Web Portal: access key K
• Feedback: access key L

The TAB key can be pressed repeatedly to jump to specific links in a sequential order within a Web page.

There are multiple methods for effective navigation through the OK.gov Web site.

Top Navigation

The top navigation bar, which is consistent on the home page and consecutive pages, gives you direct access to the Agency Directory, the State Event Calendar, the Newsroom, Site Map and the Media Center.

Footer Navigation

The footer or bottom navigation bar, which is consistent on the home page and consecutive pages, gives you direct access to OK.gov's Contact, Help Desk, Policies, About Oklahoma's Web Portal and Feedback.

Main Navigation

The OK.gov site is organized into eight categories: My Government, E-Services, Employment, Business, Education, Residents, Visitors and About OK. Each category contains related links and information for each Category group.

Bread Crumbs

Bread crumbs, located at the top of every page, tell you where you are and how the information is structured.

The bread crumb to this page is HOME / Help Desk / How to use this Site

This navigation tool allows you to see and learn the hierarchical structure. Each level is a direct link to the indicated page, so you can use it to back up to previous pages.

Hyperlinks are links from one part of an Internet page to another page, typically with links becoming more specific. On OK.gov, all hyperlinks are denoted with text that changes with cursor interaction.

If you are having trouble locating information through the traditional means, i.e. the communities or topics, you can try OK.gov's Search Tools.

Searching the OK.gov Portal searches the entire portal and web sites that are hosted through the portal.

SoonerSearch, run through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, searches all state agency web sites.

Searching "How Do I...?" queries the database of frequently asked questions and answers with direct links to information.

If you are still have trouble locating information, try the OK.gov Site Map, which lets you browse all content by structured hierarchies or perform a search of the entire map with a keyword search.

If you have tried all the resources listed above to no avail, contact specific agencies for related questions or you contact the OK.gov HelpDesk.

In some instances, you may need to scroll vertically to see a page in its entirety.

Buttons are images on the OK.gov portal that are active and linked to an alternate source or page. You can click on the button or its accompanying hyperlink to reach your desired destination.