# Article with explainer text

An article with explainer text (or simply, “Article”) presents information on a certain theme, topic, or idea. People often arrive here after visiting the landing page or after searching for a specific piece of information. Articles shouldn’t include any kind of form.

## Guidance

### When to use

If you’re presenting detailed information on a specific topic or theme that has already been contextualized by a landing page. Some topics that can be nicely represented on this type of page include guides or how-tos, technical documentation, and program descriptions — in short, any subject that requires in-depth explanation.

## Guidelines
- Do not include [forms](/patterns/Forms/forms/) on Article pages.
- You may choose to include other CMSDS components in an Article page, aside from what’s shown in Figma. Consider the Article layout as a starting point, not a limitation.
- Consider avoiding components that require user interaction to reveal content, such as accordions. The intent is to display in-depth information openly.

### When to consider alternatives

Don’t use an article page to introduce your users to your agency or organization — a landing page is better suited to that purpose. The level of detail present on article pages can overwhelm users who are just becoming acquainted with your organization.

### Usage

- Use a precise headline to quickly communicate your page’s purpose. If the page content is especially complex, you may consider using a subheadline to further clarify its meaning.
- Write concise copy. Favor short sentences (and paragraphs) over longer ones, and use straightforward language, avoiding jargon. Remember, copy blocks don’t need to be long to be comprehensive.
- For guidance on specific components, see the page markup for the individual components.

### Used in this pattern

- [Grid](/foundation/layout-grid/layout-grid/)
- [Inverse base styling](/foundation/base/)
- [Typography](/foundation/typography/overview/)
- [Vertical Navigation](/components/vertical-navigation/)

## Accessibility

The Article layout is provided here as documentation and guidance, not as a
coded component.
- Content designers should ensure that their content meets their product’s content writing guidelines for clarity and ease of understanding.
- Visual designers and engineers should adhere to the accessibility guidance of components included on pages using the Article layout.

### Accessibility testing
Components included on Article pages should be tested for accessibility according to their documentation.

This page, as a whole, should be tested to ensure that there are no focus traps and that navigation from section to section is as expected.