You’ve decided to run. You’ve (hopefully) signed up for ActBlue’s campaign website builder. And now, you’re staring at a blank page wondering where to actually start.
The hardest part of getting a campaign website live isn’t the technology. (We make that easy). Sometimes it’s knowing what needs to be in place before you hit publish. A site that goes live too soon can hurt you: voters who land on a page with a missing photo, placeholder text, or no clear way to donate will move on, and they probably won’t come back.
This checklist covers everything your campaign website needs before it’s ready for the public. Work through it in order, and hold off on launching until you can check every item off.
The campaign website checklist
1. A professional headshot
Your headshot is the first thing most visitors will notice, and it does a lot of work fast. It doesn’t need to be taken by a professional photographer, but it does need to be well-lit, in focus, and taken against a clean background. A blurry or poorly lit photo signals to voters that you’re not quite ready for the job, even if you absolutely are. If you haven’t taken yours yet, read our guide on how to get a professional campaign headshot, no photographer needed.
2. A candidate bio
Your bio is where voters decide whether they trust you enough to keep reading. It should open with why you’re running, the specific moment or observation that moved you to act, and connect your background to the challenges facing your district. Keep it between 150 and 300 words; longer bios rarely get read in full, and a tight, well-written bio is more persuasive than an exhaustive one.
Not sure where to start? Check out our 6 tips for writing your candidate bio.
3. A clear statement of what you’re running for
This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many campaign websites bury it! Visitors should know within the first few seconds what office you’re seeking, what district you represent, and what election you’re running in. A few examples:
- Jane Smith is running for Seat 3 on the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees in the November 2026 election.
- John Rivera is a candidate for Worcester City Council, District 4, in the 2026 municipal election.
- Maria Chen is running for Mecklenburg County Commissioner, District 2, in November 2026.
4. Your core issues
Voters want to know what you stand for before they donate, volunteer, or put a sign in their yard. Your issues page doesn’t need to be exhaustive, but it should clearly communicate your two or three top priorities and why they matter to your district. Here’s what a specific position might look like across a few different races:
- School board: “I’m running to restore the arts and music programs that were cut from our elementary schools in 2022, and to make sure future budget decisions include meaningful input from parents and teachers.”
- City council: “Our neighborhood has waited six years for the sidewalk repairs on the east side of Miller Avenue. I’m running to make infrastructure accountability a non-negotiable part of how this council operates.”
- County commissioner: “Too many families in this county are one medical bill away from crisis. I’m running to expand access to mental health services and ensure our public health budget reflects what residents actually need.”
5. An endorsements page
Endorsements do work that your own words can’t. When a respected local official, organization, or community leader vouches for you, it tells voters they don’t have to take your word alone.
List endorsers with their name, title, and (with permission) a short quote about why they’re backing you. Group them if it makes sense: elected officials, local organizations, unions, community leaders. Even a handful of well-chosen endorsements early on can grow into a page that becomes a real asset by election day, so start it as soon as you have your first one and keep it current.
6. Press and media mentions
A simple “In the News” section does double duty. For voters, it signals that your campaign is being taken seriously by outlets beyond your own website. For journalists, it’s often the first thing they check to see how other reporters have covered you, and it makes it easier for them to justify covering you next. Link out to the original articles rather than reposting the full text, and keep the list up-to-date as coverage comes in.
7. A donate button
If your campaign website goes live without a functioning donate button, you’re leaving money on the table from day one. Every page of your site should have a clear, visible path to your donation form, not just your homepage. Test the donation flow end to end before you launch, including on mobile.
Using ActBlue’s Website Builder? Your site connects natively to ActBlue fundraising, so your donation forms, supporter data, and website are all part of the same ecosystem. It also integrates with Action Network, Mailchimp, and Mobilize (and more!) which means the supporters you capture on your website feed directly into the tools you’re already using to run your campaign.
8. A volunteer sign-up form
Donations aren’t the only conversion that matters; voters who aren’t ready to give money may be willing to knock doors, make calls, or put a sign in their yard. A simple sign-up form, name, email, phone number, and a few options for how they’d like to help, captures that interest before it disappears.
9. An events page
If you’re holding town halls, canvass launches, fundraisers, or meet-and-greets, put them somewhere voters can actually find them. A simple, dated list works fine; it doesn’t need a full calendar integration. This is also where the volunteers you just captured in your sign-up form find their next step, so keep it updated as events are added or change.
10. Contact information
Make it easy for voters, journalists, and potential endorsers to reach you. At minimum, include a campaign email address. Don’t use your personal email or phone number; instead, set up a dedicated campaign contact before your site goes live.
11. A mobile-optimized layout
Most voters will see your site on their phone, probably from a link they tapped on social media. Before you launch, pull up your site on your own phone and walk through it the way a voter would. Check that your headshot loads cleanly, your donate button is easy to tap, and your bio doesn’t require zooming in to read. If anything feels clunky, fix it before you publish.
12. Fast load times
A mobile-friendly layout doesn’t help much if the page takes ten seconds to appear. Most visitors, especially ones tapping in from a social post, will bounce before a slow site even finishes loading, and every one of those is a lost donor or volunteer. Compress your images before uploading them, avoid embedding heavy video directly on high-traffic pages, and test your load time on an average phone connection, not just your office wifi.
13. A clean, simple domain name
Your domain should be your name, your name plus your office, or some clear variation. Avoid hyphens, abbreviations, or anything that requires explanation. If your preferred domain is taken, adding your state, district, or election year is a clean fix. Secure your domain before you announce; once your name is public, someone else could register it!
14. At least one additional campaign photo
Your headshot anchors your bio page, but your homepage and other sections benefit from additional imagery. A photo of you at a community event, talking with a neighbor, or somewhere meaningful in your district gives your site warmth and context. Even one additional photo taken in the same session as your headshot will go a long way.
15. Social media links
If you have active campaign social media accounts, and you should, even if it’s just one platform, link to them from your campaign website. Make sure those accounts are set up and have at least a few posts before you link out to them. A social profile with no content is almost worse than no profile at all.
16. A privacy policy
If you’re collecting donor information or email addresses, you are legally required to have a privacy policy on your site in most states. It doesn’t need to be complex, but it does need to exist.
17. Campaign legal disclosures
Campaign websites are subject to disclaimer requirements that vary by state and the type of office you’re seeking. Most states require language along the lines of “Paid for by [Campaign Name]” to appear on your site. Check your state’s campaign finance rules before you launch and make sure the required language is in place. This isn’t the kind of thing you want to fix after the fact.
18. A meta description and page title
This is the text that appears in search results when someone searches for your name or your race. Most website builders, like ActBlue’s, let you set this manually. Write one to two sentences that include your name, the office you’re running for, and your district. It takes five minutes and makes your site significantly easier for voters to find.
ActBlue Website Builder: launch-ready, by design
Voters, donors, and potential endorsers form opinions about candidates fast. A complete, professional website from the moment you go public signals that your campaign is organized and worth backing. In a down-ballot race where name recognition is everything, that signal matters more than most first-time candidates expect.
ActBlue Website Builder is built for candidates like you, with templates that already know what a campaign needs, fundraising built in from day one, and no tech skills required. Get online and start building support from the moment you launch.
Get started now, for just $40/month.
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