What Goes Where? - Extension IT platforms

A guide to using Extension’s blended technology platforms.

With a multitude of choices in Extension, UW-Madison, UW System, Extension employees, new and old, are often confused about where to put content online. This guide serves as an overview of supported platforms and their recommended uses.

   

Websites (Public)

Extension hosts a robust WordPress environment with integrated Extension branding. Our current web strategy consists of 3 major components.

  • Extension home - Institutional information such as our mission, highlighted programs, news, events, staff directory, and Institute landing pages that act as a portal to our educational Topic Hubs.
  • Topic Hubs - Generally organized by Extension Programs, Topic Hubs consolidate the programs and information of educators throughout the state into a topically focused hub of everything related to that topic.
  • Extension County Office websites - Our local connection is what differentiates Extension from other UW outreach programs. Extension County websites provide information about local programming and staff. 

For more information about public-focused websites, please contact the Extension office of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement.

Websites (Internal)

Extension leverages two primary platforms for internal, employee-focused websites.

Office 365 SharePoint/Teams (Extension Intranet)

Extension has built a robust intranet in SharePoint for internal websites, business workflows documents, newsletters, team collaboration (MS Teams), team calendars, and more, with a robust search that customizes results based on your individual affiliations.

For information on getting a SharePoint website, contact Kevin Graeme in the Office of Digital Solutions.

Extension Handbook (KnowledgeBase)

Built on UW-Madison’s KnowledgeBase platform, the Extension Handbook is a one-stop shop for Extension Employee Policies and Procedures.

YouTube/Video content

Extension maintains a centralized YouTube channel for hosting educational videos. Extension also has a separate channel for internal, employee-focused videos. For information see:

Social Media

Extension has central social media presences for both Facebook and Twitter. If you have an Extension program that you would like to have highlighted on these, contact the Extension office of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement.

Additionally, various Extension programs and counties run audience-targeted social media which are handled on an individual basis.

Online Courses

As part of UW-Madison, Extension utilizes Canvas as the Learning Management System for online courses. Canvas can be used for both public education as well as internal employee training.

See: Canvas - Extension Canvas Courses

Document storage and collaboration

UW-Madison provides multiple platforms for both cloud-based documents and local network file storage. To try and help simplify when to use which, we provide the following guidance:

MS 365 OneDrive

Best for:
  • Personal work documents
  • Full integration with Windows and MS Office
Sharing:
  • Can be shared outside of UW
  • Can be individually shared, but will disappear if owner leaves
Capacity quotas:
  • 2TB - Payroll Employees
  • 100GB - Zero-dollar Appointments
Data classification allowed
  • Public
  • Internal

MS 365 SharePoint/Teams

Best for:
  • Institutional knowledge and official documents
  • Desktop-integrated file storage for Institutes and teams
  • Full integration with Windows and MS Office
Sharing:
  • Generally limited to Extension employees and UW partners
  • Persists even when individuals leave
Capacity quotas:
  • 50GB*
Data classification allowed
  • Public
  • Internal

Google My Drive

Best for:
  • Personal work documents
Sharing:
  • Can be individually shared, but will disappear if owner leaves
  • Can be shared outside of UW
Capacity quotas:
  • 25GB*
Data classification allowed

Google Shared Drive

Best for:
  • Program/Workgroup files
  • Persists even if individuals leave
Sharing:
  • Members can be added to the Shared Drive
  • Can be shared outside of UW
Capacity quotas:
  • 25GB*
Data classification allowed

Box

Best for:
  • Collaborating with other UW departments that have standardized on it
Sharing:
  • Members can be added to the Shared Drive
  • Can be shared outside of UW
Capacity quotas:
  • 50GB
Data classification allowed

* May be increased on a case-by-case basis.

** Must have properly configured access/sharing settings. (i.e. Specific individuals, not generic share links).

*** Only SecureBox folders configured with the involvement of the Office of Cybersecurity may be used when working with Restricted data.

Related info

Many other options exist on campus for file storage and management for specialized needs such as sensitive research data. Contact Extension's Office of Digital Solutions (ODS) for guidance.

Online Meetings and Webinars

Zoom

  • Primary tool for video conferencing used in Extension

  • Best video quality

  • Use when working with public clients and partners

MS Teams

  • Fully integrated with Microsoft tools

  • Easy to schedule meetings through Outlook

  • Quick for individual person-to-person meetings

 


Related materials

Visual chart of these and more.

Screenshot of the downloadable PDF diagram

Download visual What Goes Where chart as PDF



Keywords:
websites WordPress SharePoint Teams Canvas LMS YouTube onedrive 
Doc ID:
123296
Owned by:
Kevin G. in Extension Handbook
Created:
2023-01-05
Updated:
2025-09-19
Sites:
Extension Handbook