DAP tracking code installed if required
Why it matters
OMB M-17-06 requires that federal agencies participate in the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) to provide government-wide visibility into how citizens use federal web properties. DAP data informs funding decisions, identifies underserved populations, and powers analytics.usa.gov — the public dashboard of federal web traffic. A site without DAP installed contributes zero data to this shared federal analytics infrastructure, making it invisible in government-wide reporting and preventing OMB from tracking whether the agency's digital services meet performance standards. The absence of DAP also typically means the agency has no analytics at all.
Severity rationale
Low because missing DAP tracking violates OMB M-17-06's analytics participation requirement and removes the site from government-wide digital service performance measurement, but does not directly expose citizens to privacy risk or block service access.
Remediation
Add the DAP tracking script to your root layout's <head>. Replace YOURAGENCY with your agency's DAP identifier, obtained from the DAP team at analytics.usa.gov.
// app/layout.tsx
export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
return (
<html lang="en">
<head>
<script
src="https://dap.digitalgov.gov/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=YOURAGENCY"
id="_fed_an_ua_tag"
async
/>
</head>
<body>{children}</body>
</html>
)
}
Verify installation by checking that the script tag renders in the HTML source of the deployed page, and that your agency appears in the DAP agency list. If your agency has a documented DAP exemption, record it in your accessibility statement or compliance documentation.
DetectionPro
The detection method for this pattern is part of AuditBuffet Pro.
The full method (what to look for, pass and fail conditions, and how results get reported) ships inside the Government Web Standards Audit. The pattern definition, severity rationale, and remediation remain openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
External references
- external · omb-m-17-06 — OMB M-17-06 — Digital Analytics Program (DAP) implementation required for all federal public-facing websites
- external · 21st-century-idea-act-sec-3 — 21st Century IDEA Act § 3 — Analytics requirement for federal websites to measure customer experience
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from gov-web-standards·automated