NAAWS 5.0 Moves to New Microsite Ahead of September 2026 Effective Date

NAAWS 5.0 has moved to a new dedicated microsite, giving architectural woodwork professionals a more modern way to access, search and use the North American Architectural Woodwork Standards.

The new platform is now live at www.naaws.com and is designed for manufacturers, installers, architects, designers, specifiers, inspectors and others who rely on the standard in daily project work. NAAWS 5.0 becomes effective September 1, 2026.

The microsite marks a practical shift away from static manual-style access and toward a more flexible online standards experience. Users can create an account, log in, move through the standards by section, search for specific terms, bookmark frequently used content and access resources from one dedicated site.

The launch materials describe the change directly: “Because the standard you trust should be built for how you work.” The message reflects the central purpose of the update, which is to reduce time spent searching and make the standards easier to apply in real project conditions.

Speaking at the AWMAC National Convention 2026, Carolynne Yeomans, National Executive Director, said the new platform is about more than digitizing a manual. It is intended to support a more accessible, responsive and continuously improving standards system.

“The future standard is not simply about publishing information,” Yeomans said. “It’s about helping professionals find the right information at the right time.”

That approach is visible in the microsite’s core functions. Users can search by keyword, move directly to relevant subsections, print subsections, bookmark content and submit suggestions for review. The platform also allows selected articles to be copied and pasted for use in reports, helping users apply standards language more efficiently in documentation.

The suggestion function is especially important because it supports NAAWS as a living standard. According to Yeomans, submitted suggestions will be reviewed and answered, whether they are accepted, noted for future consideration or declined. That creates a more structured path for industry feedback and future updates.

NAAWS 5.0 was developed collaboratively by AWMAC and the Woodwork Institute. The updated microsite reinforces that partnership while giving the standard a stronger digital foundation for access, updates, print editions and future resources.

For users, the immediate steps are straightforward: visit www.naaws.com, create an account and begin exploring the latest version before the September 1 effective date.