Before applying for the Green Light Award, please check to make sure that the website you’re submitting is qualified to win this award by reading the Disqualification Criteria. Each site submitted for consideration will be graded upon the following criteria in five categories:

Coding Errors/Readable Code - (4 points) Some browsers can’t read the code in "Frame Sets." If you use "Frames" for your pages, there should be a "No Frames" version so that it can be read by browsers with "Frames" turned off. Zero points will be given to those sites that make it hard for us to verify the code.

Links - (4 points) All links within the site (internal) should be functional. We will deduct a point for every internal link that is broken. We will also deduct points if more than 10% of the outside (external) links are not working. To verify the integrity of your links we recommend that you download Xenu Link Sleuth.

Maintenance - (3 points) The site needs to show that it is well maintained and regularly updated. There should be a date showing when the last updated occurred on the site’s home page. If this date is more than two months old these points will not be awarded. Maximum points in this criteria are given to sites with links to the updates.

ALT Tags - (3 points) The ALT image attribute should be used on all graphics. This is because all browsers are not created equal - some do not see all of the images. It is also an easy way for visitors to recognize what the graphic is, especially if for any reason it is missing. At least the text will then inform them what is supposed to be there. Here’s an example for adding the "ALT" attribute to image links:

Horizontal Scroll - (2 points) Any horizontal scroll bars that we see at 1024 x 768 resolution will result in a reduction of these points.

Loading Time - (2 points) Each of the pages on your website should load in under 15 seconds with a broadband connection. No one wants to sit around waiting for a page to load, especially if there is very little or no content to read while the pictures are loading. If a page takes a long time to load with no content, then the visitors are just going to get tired of waiting and not bother with the site.

Browser Compatibility - (2 points) Is your site viewable in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera? We will be checking your site to see if it loads properly in these browsers. Not everyone uses the same browser and you don’t want to limit accessibility to your site.

The decision to issue the Green Light Award is based on your point score of the above criteria. 70 out of a possible 106 points are needed to win the Green Light Award. The decision of our judges is final. Wining recipients will be notified by email.

There is a two month waiting period for resubmitting a site for reconsideration.