Application: frontend

Serves the homepage, transactions and some index pages on GOV.UK

• GitHub: frontend
• Ownership: #govuk-navigation-tech
• Category: Frontend apps
• Links:
  • Sentry (error tracking)
  • App dashboard: request rates, errors, durations
  • Kibana App Logs (Production, last 3 hours)
  • Kibana Worker Logs (Production, last 3 hours)
  • Argo CD (frontend)
  • Argo CD (draft-frontend)

Relevant manual pages

• Setup maintenance mode

Example pages rendered by frontend

• Sign in to your Universal Credit account
• Check the MOT history of a vehicle
• HMRC online services: sign in or set up an account
• Get information about a company
• Tax your vehicle
• Check if a vehicle is taxed
• Universal Credit
• Check the MOT status of a vehicle
• Verify your identity for Companies House
• View or share your driving licence information

README

Frontend renders the citizen-facing part of content items stored in the Content Store, and some hard-coded routes.

Formats

Format	Schema/Document Type	Live example(s)
AB testing	hardcoded	https://www.gov.uk/help/ab-testing
Answer	answer	https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates
Asset placeholder	hardcoded	https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/placeholder
Calendars	calendar	https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays
		https://www.gov.uk/when-do-the-clocks-change
Call for evidence	schema: call_for_evidence	https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/credit-union-common-bond-reform
		https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/safety-of-journalists-call-for-evidence
		https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/review-of-civil-legal-aid-call-for-evidence
Case studies	case_study	https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/aiding-capability-decision-making-for-the-royal-navy
Consultation	consultation	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/soft-drinks-industry-levy
Cookies	hardcoded	https://www.gov.uk/help/cookies
Corporate information pages	corporate_information_page	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/forensic-science-regulator/about
		https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/forensic-science-regulator/about/accessible-documents-policy
Detailed Guide	detailed_guide	https://www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-devolution
Document collection	document_collection	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statutory-guidance-schools
Fatality notice	fatality_notice	https://www.gov.uk/government/fatalities/corporal-lee-churcher-dies-in-iraq
Field of operation	field_of_operation	https://www.gov.uk/government/fields-of-operation/united-kingdom
Fields of operation	fields_of_operation	https://www.gov.uk/government/fields-of-operation
Find electoral office	hardcoded	https://www.gov.uk/contact-electoral-registration-office
Find local council	hardcoded	https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council
Foreign travel advice index	travel_advice_index	https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Foreign travel advice	travel_advice	https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/azerbaijan
Guidance	detailed_guide	https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Guide	guide	https://www.gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services
Help index	hardcoded	https://www.gov.uk/help
Help	help_page	https://www.gov.uk/help/browsers
History	history	https://www.gov.uk/government/history/10-downing-street
Homepage	homepage	https://www.gov.uk/
HTML Publication	html_publication	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/car-show-me-tell-me-vehicle-safety-questions/car-show-me-tell-me-vehicle-safety-questions
		https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-temporary-shortage-list/skilled-worker-visa-temporary-shortage-list
		https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/usa-apply-for-a-uk-visa/apply-for-a-uk-visa-in-the-usa
Get involved	get_involved	https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved
Gone	gone	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/greenhouse-gas-conversion-factors-for-company-reporting
Licence finder	schema: specialist_document	https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/premises-licence
	document_type: licence_transaction	https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/zoo-licence
Local transaction	local_transaction	http://www.gov.uk/school-term-holiday-dates
		http://www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction
News Article	news_article	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-personal-independence-payment-amendment-regulations-2017-statement-by-paul-gray
Place	place	http://www.gov.uk/register-offices
		http://www.gov.uk/register-offices
Publication	publication	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2016-documents
Roadmap	hardcoded	https://www.gov.uk/roadmap
Service Manual guide	service_manual_guide	https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works
Service Manual homepage	service_manual_homepage	https://www.gov.uk/service-manual
Service Manual service standard page	service_manual_service_standard	https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-standard
Service Manual topic	service_manual_topic	https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery
		https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-research
		https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/helping-people-to-use-your-service
Service toolkit page	service_toolkit_page	https://www.gov.uk/service-toolkit
Simple smart answer	simple_smart_answer	https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle
		https://www.gov.uk/contact-the-dvla
Specialist Document	schema: specialist_document	https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/veterinary-services-market-for-pets-review
		https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation-to-aw189-g-fsar
		https://www.gov.uk/protected-food-drink-names/pitahaya-amazonica-de-palora
Speech	speech	https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/motorcycle-testing
Statistical Data Set	statistical_data_set	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/local-government-pension-scheme-funds-summary-data-2011-to-2012
Topical Event About Page	topical_event_about_page	https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/western-balkans-summit-london-2018/about
Transaction start page	transaction	https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
		https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax
		https://www.gov.uk/find-a-job

Nomenclature

• format: our phrase for a type of content

Technical documentation

Frontend is a Ruby on Rails application and should follow our Rails app conventions.

See the CONTRIBUTING guide for more information.

Dependencies

• alphagov/static - provides shared templates, styles, and JavaScript
• alphagov/content-store - provides raw data for rendering formats
• alphagov/local-links-manager - provides council info lookups
• alphagov/locations-api - provides postcode lookups
• alphagov/places-manager - provides places lookups (e.g. for find-my-nearest)
• alphagov/publishing-api - this app sends data to the content-store

Running the application

You can use the GOV.UK Docker environment or the local startup.sh script to run the app. Read the guidance on local frontend development to find out more about each approach, before you get started.

If you are using GOV.UK Docker, remember to combine it with the commands that follow. See the GOV.UK Docker usage instructions for examples.

If you are using the startup.sh script, first run static and execute the following command:

PLEK_SERVICE_STATIC_URI=http://static.dev.gov.uk ./startup.sh --live

which uses a local copy of static and content from production.

Note that you will have to have GOV.UK Locations API running locally. A valid dataset will have to be loaded for Locations API or postcode lookups will not succeed. This is part of the standard GOV.UK data replication steps.

Running the test suite

bundle exec rake

Further documentation

• Calendars
• Elections

Licence

MIT Licence