Vanity URLs

Overview

Vanity URLs are designed to be easy to share, driving engagement and improving user experience. They serve as a strategic asset for enhancing user experience, improving SEO and increasing brand recognition.

At Penn Medicine, vanity URLs can help to:

• Improve patient access and experience: Vanity URLs make it easier for patients to find and remember important services or information.
• Improve marketing and outreach results: Vanity URLs can increase click-through rates and audience trust. They’re ideal for tracking campaign performance (via redirects with UTM codes behind the scenes).
• Enhance brand trust and professionalism: A branded, well-crafted vanity URL signals credibility and consistency, especially in a field where trust is everything. Patients may be more likely to click on a vanity URL than a long or generic third-party link.

Guidance

Refer to the following guidance when establishing and using vanity URLs.

• Ensure the target page for the vanity URL is managed by Penn Medicine or an affiliate: The URL of the target page must be located on a web property that is directly managed by the Penn Medicine web team. Vanity URLs for Penn Medicine managed sites are obtained through the vanity URL request process detailed below.
  
  Affiliate sites
  Vanity URLs for affiliate sites should be obtained by contacting the group that manages that site. Examples: https://med.upenn.edu/, https://www.upenn.edu/, https://pennovation.upenn.edu/, pennrehab.org/
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  External sites
  Vanity URLs that target a page on an external site are not allowed as the content quality and security is not within our control and we do not want to imply an endorsement by branding a link to such an entity as belonging to Penn Medicine. Examples: chemocare.com, https://www.heart.org/, https://www.cancer.org/
• Use clear, descriptive keywords that provide clarity and build trust: Use professional terms that inspire confidencee and explain the service. Focus on terms a patient is likely to search for or recognize quickly. Choose terms that clearly indicate what the page is about. Use layman’s terms rather than medical jargon when targeting patients. (e.g., /flu, /mammogram, /give, /urgentcare, /wellness)
• Align with campaigns: Tailor vanity URLs for:
• Service lines: /orthopedics, /cardiology
• Events: /healthfair, /5krun
• Campaigns: /getscreened, /stopthestigma
• Avoid trademark infringement or misleading claims: Make sure the URL does not imply false claims (e.g., /curecancer) or use restricted terms.
• Ensure ADA and HIPAA compliance: Vanity URLs must support accessibility by being easy for everyone — including users with disabilities — to use, type, hear, or say. Vanity URLs must not expose any Protected Health Information (PHI) in the URL path or query string. Refer to the following table for guidance on specific aspects of compliance.

• Limit use of vanity URLs to jump links: Jump links are intended for use as navigation within a page, where the user understands the context of the section of contennt with regard to the entire page content.  When using jump links for vanity URLs, it is important to keep in mind that page content and sections may change without notice which could cause a jump link to fail. The user will still end up on the correct page, just higher up, which may be confusing.  Following this guidance when using vanity URLs to jump links:
• Test across devices: Make sure the jump link works on mobile and desktop.
• Keep it simple and clear: Use link text like “Jump to Event Details” or “Go to Sign-Up Section.”
• Use descriptive anchors: On your website, add clear anchor tags (ids) to avoid confusing users.
• Use full URLs with the anchor: Like https://pennmedicine.org/page#section, not just #section.
• Use HTTPS: Always use secure (HTTPS) URLs, especially for health-related content. It builds trust and protects user data.