Be ready to publish a single source of truth when it matters most. See when to activate a dark site, what to include, and how to guide stakeholders to accurate updates.
What is a “dark site” in crisis communications?
a paid landing page used for lead generation
a hidden SEO page for ranking competitive keywords
a prebuilt, inactive website kept for emergencies that can be activated quickly
a regular blog category for thought leadership
When does a crisis microsite make particular sense?
when you have no approved messages or contacts available
when you want to boost organic rankings months ahead of a launch
when social platforms already show all necessary details
when stakeholders need a single source of truth updated in real time
Which content should be pre-approved on a dark site?
unverified rumors gathered from social media
password-protected investor data
holding statements, media contacts, FAQs, and boilerplate backgrounders
sales promotions unrelated to the incident
Which scenario is a common trigger to activate a dark site?
a routine product blog update
a quarterly all-hands meeting
an internal team offsite
a cyber incident or outage that disrupts normal channels
Which of the following is NOT a goal of a crisis microsite?
centralizing verified updates and statements
improving SEO rankings before any issue occurs
hosting downloadable media assets for press
providing clear contact routes for inquiries
What’s a good way to make coverage more accurate during a crisis?
share updates only via disappearing social stories
withhold timelines until the crisis ends
publish downloadable assets (logos, b-roll, fact sheets) on the microsite
ask reporters to copy text from third-party sites
How should updates be presented on a crisis microsite?
time-stamped posts that separate verified facts from what’s being investigated
crowdsourced updates without approval
only a single static statement for the entire incident
anonymous posts without dates
What’s the best way to drive audiences to the crisis microsite once live?
link it prominently from your homepage and official social posts
rely on algorithmic discovery alone
avoid mentioning it to control traffic
share the URL only in private groups
Which team discipline should approve dark site content before activation?
communications with legal and security input as needed
a crowdsourced public poll
no approval is required if the crisis is trending
only the social media intern
After the acute phase passes, what’s a sensible microsite next step?
leave the site live with no context
delete all posts to erase the incident
redirect it to a promotional sweepstakes
archive the hub with a final update and direct users to normal channels
Starter
Keep building the basics of dark sites & crisis microsites explained.
Solid
You’re on track—tighten techniques specific to dark sites & crisis microsites explained.
Expert!
Masterful command of dark sites & crisis microsites explained.
