Oxford Fresco

Oxford Fresco is the new CMS platform being developed for the University’s websites, and the platform now hosts a number of live sites, including Fresco Home, Fresco Help, and the Migration Toolkit. While the core features are in place, new functionality and design improvements will continue to roll out as the platform evolves, with the overall aim of offering a stable, secure, and flexible content management system. The current development focus is on 'look and feel' enhancements, ensuring a clean and intuitive experience for users of the platform.

Why are we doing this?

Fresco represents an opportunity to future-proof the University’s web infrastructure by replacing the Mosaic platform, which will be reaching end-of-life on 31 October 2026. After that point, it will not be possible to operate Mosaic websites, and as a result, the initial focus for migration will be on websites currently built on Mosaic. 

In the longer term, all units, including those not currently using Mosaic, will be encouraged to adopt Fresco. The platform will provide a unified solution for departments, colleges, and other University units, offering improved design consistency, governance, and accessibility. It is hosted centrally by IT Services, so local units won’t need to manage their own infrastructure. 

Fresco vs. Oxweb: What’s the difference? 

Both Oxweb and Fresco will host public-facing content, though they differ slightly in their purpose. As a general guide, key institution-wide content (e.g. admissions) will sit on Oxweb. Other sites, including those owned by departments, research groups, and some colleges, will move to Fresco. The University's new Digital Content Strategy will guide where content should sit, and a new Web and Intranet Governance Group will be responsible for overseeing the creation of new content across these platforms. 

Platform development

Fresco: Look and feel 

Design elements of Fresco are developing and evolving over time, and improvements to the platform's look and feel are the current focus of the project. The underpinning aim is making Oxford websites easier to use and navigate, while still giving each site its own identity. Fresco will provide a flexible design system with shared layouts, fonts, and components across the University. Think of it as a uniform, not a straitjacket - giving visitors a familiar experience wherever they go, while allowing your site to reflect its own character. This consistency will help staff, students, and visitors find and share information more easily. 

The development approach 

The WebCMS team is building Oxford Fresco using an agile, iterative approach, with development structured into fortnightly sprints. This means that although Fresco currently offers simple, core functionality only, the offering will continue to grow and evolve with time. These sprints are grouped into larger release waves, each introducing new or enhanced platform capabilities. For recent developments in Fresco, check out the platform's latest release notes.

Development priorities are shaped by feedback from content owners, editors, and technical teams across the University. This collaborative and user-centred process ensures that the platform continues to improve in ways that reflect real-world requirements and use cases.  

In response to user feedback, Fresco’s development in the current phase has shifted towards front-end improvements, with greater emphasis on the elements users interact with day to day. Enhancements to layout, styling, and overall usability are being prioritised to create a cleaner, more intuitive experience.

What’s coming and when? 

The Fresco roadmap outlines the planned development and release waves. It is a live document, which will be updated fortnightly, and will continue to evolve in response to feedback, emerging needs, and technical development. 

To stay up to date regular progress, our Release Notes highlight with the latest functionality and fixes on Fresco from the last two weeks, including 'look and feel' enhancements.

View the latest edition of the roadmap to understand what’s coming up, and see the latest functionality and fixes in the Fresco Release Notes.

Migrating from Mosaic

When your site can migrate 

When your site will be able to move to Fresco depends largely on which features you need to operate effectively. Sites with simpler requirements will likely migrate earlier, while others will need to wait until more advanced functionality is released. The migration team have now contacted most Mosaic Site Owners to arrange migration start months. If you are a Site Owner expecting to need your site beyond October 2026 and haven't received a migration email, please contact us at mosaicmigrationsupport@it.ox.ac.uk.

What you should be doing now

There are a number of things you can be doing now to prepare your site for a smoother migration down the line. We encourage you to work through our Pre-Migration Checklist, which outlines the essential technical requirements and recommended best-practice improvements designed to minimise risk and reduce the effort involved in migrating from Mosaic.

Information for new sites

Fresco is now accepting new site requests via a newly established request process. As part of our aim to streamline content across the University and improve the user experience, those requesting new sites should review the criteria and submit an IT Self-Service request. From there, the request will be reviewed by a Web and Intranet Governance Group, which includes representation from across the collegiate University. 

Although Fresco is now the preferred platform where possible, we understand that functionality and design elements are developing over time, and therefore Mosaic sites may be provisioned where necessary. Learn more about the new site request process.

Pricing

At a general level, Fresco will use the same charging model as the University’s existing web platform, Mosaic. More information can be found on the new Fresco Pricing page.

Project Governance and Control 

The project falls under the governance for the Transforming Oxford’s Digital Communications Programme. For more information please see the Programme Governance page.

Fresco is developed and run as a product in line with the University’s Digital Delivery model, which you can learn about through this video: Transforming how we deliver digital services at Oxford.

Further Information

If you have any further questions, please check our recently updated Frequently Asked Questions or, if you are unable to find what you need there, please email us at transforming digitalcommsprogramme@it.ox.ac.uk.