Government Documents: Government Information

The govinfo website offers several enhancements to the way you accessed publications on the FDsys website. Here are some of the govinfo enhancements:

• Clean, mobile friendly design – try using govinfo on the mobile device of your choice.
• Linked related documents – link to select related documents right from the Details page for 7 collections
• Curated feature articles
• Quick and easy social sharing – look for Share buttons across the site
• Browse collections A-Z and by Category
• Sortable search filters – sort collections alphabetically, dates chronologically, and more
• RSS notification feeds
• Custom landing pages – see an example
• Link service and API – learn about all developer tools
• Customizable, open source search engine – making your results more relevant than ever
• Shorter, more user friendly URLs
• Expanded help information – includes tutorials and handouts
• New features based on your feedback – follow our progress through Release Notes

About govinfo

govinfo is free U.S. Government information for all

govinfo is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO), which is a Federal agency in the legislative branch.

govinfo provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.

govinfo replaced the FDsys website in December 2018

GPO launched govinfo in February 2016 as a beta website to replace its predecessor, GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys). Learn about the transition.

govinfo is more than a website

In addition to providing an advanced, metadata-powered search experience, govinfo also includes a content management system and a standards-compliant preservation repository.

These three components comprise GPO’s world-class system for the comprehensive management of electronic information:

1. Public access - GPO combines modern search technology with extensive metadata creation to ensure the highest quality search experience. Users can easily access documents for free by searching or browsing the mobile-friendly website.
2. Content management – GPO securely controls digital content throughout its lifecycle to ensure content integrity and authenticity. This includes the application of digital signatures to PDF files so users can verify documents have not been altered and are the official versions.
3. Digital preservation – GPO’s ISO 16363  certified Trustworthy Digital Repository ensures content is preserved for future generations despite technical failure, aging of hardware, or technological change.

What is the history behind Government information online from GPO?
In 1993, Congress passed the U.S. Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act (Public Law 103-40), which expanded GPO’s mission to provide electronic access to Federal Government information. In June 1994, GPO launched GPO Access, which provides online access to information from all three branches of the Federal Government. For more than 15 years GPO Access was America’s source for Government information online, but in 2009 GPO unveiled the next generation of Government information online with the Federal Digital System (FDsys).  In 2018, govinfo became the newest source.