My Maine.gov User Guide
What is My Maine.gov?
My Maine.gov makes it fun and easy to customize your experience. My Maine.gov provides a secure and private login so you can create a customized Maine.gov page and/or set up email notifications to best serve your needs. We will continue to add new content options and features to both the custom page and email notification services. Your free My Maine.gov account gives you access to both services with the same username and password.
Available Features
Customized Home Page
Customize the content you want to see on your Maine.gov page! Content options and features include:
- save and access your favorite links from your page
- view featured Online Services and “How Do I?” links
- see current weather conditions and forecasts for any Maine locations
- view the latest state agency press releases
- view upcoming public state meetings
- view the latest winning lottery numbers
- see links to featured government websites
- view new Maine photos every season
- customize the page layout and content selections
Email Notifications
Get the latest news, alerts, and updates from Maine state government delivered directly to your email. Subscription to email notifications is free and you may unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time. Some of the notifications can be customized for your local area or your interests. You may receive email notifications to any email address, including mobile devices.
Notification options include:
- Emergency Citizen Alerts
- Maine.gov Press Releases
- Maine.gov Public Meeting Calendar
- Maine Weather Forecasts customized for your area
- Personal Reminders for any event
- "Watched" Page Alerts
How to Get Started
You may use the custom page service, the email notification service, or BOTH, with your free My Maine.gov account. To get started, choose the service you'd like to try first:
If you already have a My Maine.gov account, simply log in and start setting your preferences for the service you selected. If you don't have an account, you'll be prompted to create one, then you can start using the service.
Creating and Managing Your Account
It’s easy to create a My Maine.gov account. Your information is kept secure and private (privacy policy).
- Enter your email address and choose a password.
- Enter a password hint. This will be used to retrieve your password later if you forget it.
- (Optional) Provide your name and a screen name for your page greeting.
That’s it! Your account will be created and you can immediately start using the service you selected. You'll receive a confirmation by email of your account. You will need to respond to the email in order to activate your account - this prevents others from fraudently using your email address.
Lost Password
If you can't remember your password, just click the "lost password" link below the login area. You'll be prompted to provide your password hint and answer. If your email address and the answers to those questions match your account, you'll be immediately provided a new password. You can change your password at any time by editing your account information (see below).
Updating Your Account Information
You may update your account information at any time. First, log in, then select the link to "Edit My Account". You may edit your email address, password, password hint, or any of the optional information. If you change your email address you will need to confirm the new address by responding to the confirmation email from Maine.gov.
"Remembering" Your Login
When you log in to use a My Maine.gov service, you have the option of selecting "Remember Me". This will create a "cookie" in your browser so that your login information will be pre-filled the next time you visit the page. Note that if you use a different computer or browser for your next visit, you will need to enter your login information.
Unable to Log In
If you're having trouble logging in to a My Maine.gov service, read the followig tips. First, be sure you are entering the correct email address and password to log in. See above if you've lost your password. Be sure that your CapsLock is not on (on your keyboard) when typing in your password. If you've done all this and still can't log in, you may have cookies turned off in your browser. Cookies need to be enabled in order to use My Maine.gov. See our Cookies Help page for additional information.
How to Create a Custom Maine.gov Page
Create your own Maine.gov page with the features you use most. It's fun and easy!
Go to http://www.maine.gov/portal/customize/. If you're not logged in, you can still view the sample custom page. Log in to begin saving your preferences for your own page. Not every topic may be of equal interest to you. You have the ability to change the layout of your page and decide which content modules are to be displayed. If you change your mind, you can always go back and change your page at any time.
Change the Layout
You can move content modules around on the page to create the layout you like. Simply click on the blue heading area of a module, until your cursor displays crossed arrows, then hold down the mouse while you drag the module up, down, or across columns to the location you want.
Add, Edit, or Remove Content Modules
- Removing a Module
To remove a module, you may select the "Delete" link next to the heading for that module, or you may use the "Add/Edit Content" link in the upper right of the page to view a list of all content modules and turn off those you don't want to see. Note: If you remove a module, you will lose any customization of the module that you may have set up. If you add the module back to your page later, you will need to customize your preferences again for that module.
- Editing a Module
Some content modules may be edited or customized (see below for details). Those that can be customized will display an "Edit" link next to the heading of that module. Simply select the "Edit" link to see all the options for that module.
- Adding Content Modules to the Page
Too see all of the content modules available and add new modules to your page, use the "Add/Edit Content" link that appears in the upper right of your page. You'll see a list of all modules, and you can turn any of the modules on or off.
Content Modules Available
The following content modules are currently available for your custom page. More modules will be added in the future.
- My Links
You may save up to 10 of your favorite links to view on your Maine.gov page. To add a link, enter the link name (the name of the site or the text you want to see for this site) and the link URL (bring up the site in your browser, then copy the site address from your browser). Another convenient way to add links is to use the Maine.gov Toolbar that appears at the top of all Maine.gov web pages. As you browse Maine.gov, if you find a page you wish to save, simply click the "Add Page to My Links" icon in the toolbar and that page will be added to your Links module (you need to be logged in to your My Maine.gov account). You can choose for your links to open in a new browser window if you wish by checking the "open links in new browser window" option. You'll see a list of any links you've already added under "Current Links", and you can delete or edit any of them.
- Maine Government News
Stay up to date with Maine state government. Through our centralized news system, you can see the latest news headlines from Maine state agencies on your page. This module does not have any customization options, but you may add or remove it from display on your page.
- Public Meeting Calendar
Through our centralized meeting calendar, you can see a list of upcoming state government meetings that are open to the public (participating agencies). This module does not have any customization options, but you may add or remove it from display on your page.
- Maine Weather
View current weather conditions or forecasts for one or more Maine locations on your custom page. To add a location, select a town from the list or provide a zip code. You can add as many towns as you wish to see on your page. Current conditions are displayed automatically, and you can also choose to see a five-day forecast.
- Maine Lottery Numbers
See the latest Maine lottery numbers on your page. This module does not have any customization options, but you may add or remove it from display on your page.
- How Do I
By default, your page will include featured Maine.gov ”How do I…?” tips. These are commonly asked questions and answers for a variety of topics in state government. You may customize this module by selecting a category of tips that you would like to see on your page. Up to 10 tips will be displayed on the page.
- Maine Scenes (Photos)
Photos from the current season's Maine.gov photo contest will be displayed on your page. Each time you visit or refresh the page, you'll see a different scene.
- Maine Facts
A random rotation of Maine trivia facts will be displayed on your page. Each time you visit or refresh the page, you'll see a different fact. This module does not have any customization options, but you may add or remove it from display on your page.
- Seasonal Links
Each season, we select a set of Maine.gov websites or pages to feature, related to travel, recreation, and safety during that season. This module does not have any customization options, but you may add or remove it from display on your page.
- Online Services
Your page will automatically include a list of currently featured Maine.gov Online Services. This module can not be edited or removed. Online services are government websites that allow you to complete a transaction with a government agency online, such as making a payment, filling out a form, or searching a set of records.
How to Use Email Notifications
Get the latest news, alerts, and updates from Maine state government delivered directly to your email. Subscription to email notifications is free and you may unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time.
Go to http://www.maine.gov/portal/notifications/. Log in to set up your preferences for notifications. You may return to the notifications site at any time to change your preferences.
Setting Up Notifications the First Time
The first screen allows you to view your overall email preferences. You may specify up to two email addresses where you wish to receive notifications. By default, your primary address is the email address you use for your My Maine.gov account login. If you wish to change this address, you need to edit your My Maine.gov Account. You may also set up an alternate address - this can be used for a wireless device (as long as it has an email address), since you can control the format of messages. If you set up both a primary and an alternate address, all notifications you subscribe to will be sent to both addresses. After you set up or change email addresses, you will receive a confirmation email from Maine.gov - you will need to reply to the email to activate the addresses for notifications. This prevents someone from fraudulently using your email address. The next step is to select the notification services you wish to subscribe to, and customize them if needed (see below for options).
Changing Notification Preferences (Returning Users)
If you've already set up notifications, you can return at any time to change your preferences. Go to http://www.maine.gov/portal/notifications/ and log in with your My Maine.gov account. You'll see a menu screen that gives you the options of changing your email addresses, changing notification preferences, managing your Watches Pages, and managing your email reminders. Select what you would like to do from the menu.
Notification Services and Options
- Emergency Citizen Alerts
Receive emergency alerts issued by state officials, including public health alerts, Amber alerts, homeland security alerts, and State office closures.
- Maine State News Releases
Receive press releases from state agencies. You may choose how often you want to receive notification - either immediately when the article is released, or batched into a daily summary email. You may also select the agencies whose news you wish to receive from the list of participating agencies.
- Weather Forecasts
Receive daily 5-day forecasts issued by the National Weather Service, for one or more Maine locations. You may select one or more regions to subscribe to.
- Public Meeting Calendar
Receive weekly notification of upcoming state agency meetings open to the public. You may select one or more agencies from the list of participating agencies. Notification will be sent each Monday morning for that week's meetings. Note: More agencies will be joining the calendar, so you may want to check back and update your preferences.
- New Maine.gov Online Services
Receive an email when a new state online service is available. You'll discover new ways to save time by using Maine.gov online services, such as searches, licenses, applications, and payments.
- New Maine.gov Photos
Receive an email when new seasonal photos and ePostcards are available on Maine.gov.
- Watched Pages
You can "watch" any page on Maine.gov and receive an email when the page is updated. To add watched pages, you may log in and then select "Manage Watched Pages" from the menu. You'll see a list of any pages you are currently tracking. You can add watched pages by entering the site/page name and address (URL) (note: only Maine.gov pages can be watched). Another convenient way to add watched pages is to use the Maine.gov Toolbar that appears at the top of all Maine.gov web pages. As you browse Maine.gov, if you find a page you wish to track, simply click the "Watch This Page" icon in the toolbar and that page will be added to your Watched Pages notifications (you need to have Watched Page notifications enabled first for this to work). NOTE: My Maine.gov checks daily to see if watched pages have been updated. Our system checks all aspects of the page and if anything has changed, it sends notification. The change may be something minor or not apparent to you. If you have selected a page that contains dynamic content, such as automatically updated photos, our system may detect updates every time it checks the page. This would result in an email to you every day, but the actual text or content of interest on the page may not have changed. We recommend removing this type of page from your Watched Pages list.
- Personal Reminders
Create and manage personal email reminders. You can use our suggested reminders for government events (renewing your car registration, pay property taxes, etc.) or create your own reminders for any event. To create a reminder, log in and select "Manage Reminders" from the menu. You'll see a list of any upcoming reminders you have already created. To create a new reminder, select one of our pre-built templates for common government reminders, or click the "Create New Reminder" button. On the next screen, you'll need to provide the event title, date, time, and when you want to receive the email reminder. You can also optionally provide a message and/or link, and set up the event as recurring if desired.
Using My Maine.gov Across State Government
You can take further advantage of your My Maine.gov account through the blue Maine.gov Toolbar at the top of nearly all Maine state government websites. As you’re browsing, use the toolbar links to email a page to a friend, add a page to your links module on your custom page, or select a page to “watch” for email notifications.
