Configure the Homepage for GOV.UK Design System Service Portal

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated June 1, 2026
  • 1 minute to read

    • By default, the GOV.UK Developer Toolkit provides a homepage that is complaint with GOV.UK design standards. This page contains widgets and other components that enable UK constituents to access cases, announcements, and helpful content, and quick navigation to detailed views and actions. You can use this page as-is, or you can configure the default widgets on the page to meet your needs.

    Before you begin

    Role required: admin

    About this task

    By default, the GDS Service Portal experience begins on the homepage for authenticated users when referenced by the URL suffix (/ukgds). The homepage houses several widgets and page components that contain the major information and actions that users see when they access the portal or log in. Each homepage widget offers different interaction options for accessing detailed information and completing actions.

    GDS Portal Branding Editor.

    The default GDS Service Portal homepage contains the following widgets that can be toggled on or off, rearranged, or edited to fit your portal needs.
    Table 1. UK GDS default homepage Widgets
    Widget Description
    Header Contains GDS logo and branding, Global navigation links (Home, Search, My Work, Reports, Tasks, Calendar, Approvals, Notifications), a search bar for content lookup, and access to authenticated user profiles.
    Portal Banner with Quick Links Contains a personalized greeting message, customizable call-to-action button, and search functionality for services and articles.
    Case Cards Display recent case updates in card format. Include timestamps and status indicators.
    Quick Links Cards for common actions (e.g., Create procurement request, Incident report). Links to guides and tutorials.
    Browse Catalog Cards Grid or card layout for service categories (Driving licence application, Child benefit application, Report an issue, etc.).
    Knowledge Links Showcase popular articles with engagement metrics (views, likes, comments).
    Catalog Quick Links Highlight frequently accessed services for quick navigation.
    FAQ Expandable list of common questions with answers
    Footer Links for support, resources, legal information, and social/connect options.

    Procedure

    1. Navigate to All > Service Portal > Service Portal Configuration > Designer and from the pages list, select UK Government Portal Homepage.
    2. Add or delete existing widgets, or select the edit icon edit icon to modify page properties such as titles, quick links, colors, and images.

      GDS Portal Homepage Editor.

    What to do next

    For more information on how to edit widgets that appear on a page in the Service Portal Designer, see Configure the GOV.UK Design System Service Portal Pages. For more information on portal pages, see Create and edit a page using the Service Portal Designer.