While the policy domains and customer or user groups varied widely, all the projects can be categorized into three main service types.

Public access to a single service type. Most of the projects were collaborations to provide citizens and businesses easy access to one specific type of service. Several organizations both inside and outside government may be involved but the service itself is focused on one particular citizen or business need such as jobs or business registration. These online services simplify government by providing a one-stop access point to complete a process or obtain information that previously required visiting several government offices.

Public access to multiple services or information sources. The second type of service offered public access to multiple services and information sources. These generally involved portals that went far beyond a single theme such as paying taxes or finding work. Instead, they provided public access to national, state, provincial, or regional information and transactions on a variety of subjects.

Support for governmental operations. The third category of service supported the back office operations that underlie service delivery. These projects aimed to integrate processes, facilitate management, streamline workflow, and foster information sharing and re-use to improve service quality, accountability, and efficiency.