Sub-domains policy

Purpose 

This policy outlines the approval criteria for sub-domains of the University’s main domain ‘manchester.ac.uk’ (such as www.xxx.manchester.ac.uk or xxx.manchester.ac.uk). The intent is to ensure sub-domains are used effectively to support the University’s strategic goals, uphold its brand identity, and maintain consistency across digital platforms. 

Scope

This policy applies to any staff member or department requesting a ‘manchester.ac.uk’  sub-domain of the University’s domain for websites, systems, or other digital platforms.  Students wishing to request a new sub-domain must be sponsored by an academic or a member of staff.

Procedures and responsibilities 

Eligibility for subdomain approval

A sub-domain of ‘manchester.ac.uk’ will be approved only if the website, system or app supports one or more of the University’s core goals: 

• Teaching and learning – Enhancing student engagement, academic resources, and educational programmes. 
• Research – Promoting research initiatives, outputs, collaborations, and advancements. 
• Social responsibility, community engagement and outreach – Connecting with external audiences, partners, and communities aligned with the University’s mission, visitors attractions, etc 

Additionally, sub-domains may be used for marketing and student recruitment.  IT may also use sub-domains for operational systems, and database management that support University objectives, provided these systems contribute to an organised and user-friendly digital ecosystem.

Branding and visual identity compliance

All approved sub-domains must present a unified and professional appearance that aligns with the University’s visual identity. Websites using the University sub-domain must use standard branded templates.

If a sub-domain is used for a third-party or in-house developed web app or system, any website hosted on that sub-domain should follow the University’s visual identity and brand guidelines, wherever technically feasible. This includes, but is not limited to: 

• Logo usage – Ensuring correct and consistent use of the University logo and approved variations. 
• Colour palette – Adhering to the University’s specified colour schemes. 
• Typography and imagery – Complying with the University’s font and photography style. 

Sub-domains used primarily for internal IT purposes—such as system management, monitoring, database administration, and staging/testing environments—are exempt from branding compliance. However, IT applications that are publicly accessible University-wide, such as login pages, should apply the University branding as outlined above wherever feasible. 

Naming formats

• Sub-domains should be as descriptive as possible of the University activity/department they represent, for example www.graphene.anchester.ac.uk.  
• For systems and apps, the sub-domain could have format nameofsystem.manchester.ac.uk (without ‘www’), for example documents.manchester.ac.uk 
• Websites and blogs developed on the University's multisite platforms such as Wordpress and Shorthand will get a sub-domain of the formats sites.manchester.ac.uk/nameofsite or blogs.manchester.ac.uk/nameofblog or stories.manchester.ac.uk/nameofsite 
• Microsites developed as part of the Staffnet website will get a sub-domain of the format: www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/nameofsite.

Best practice

Sub-domains should: 

• be as descriptive as possible of the University activity/department they represent; 
• not exceed more than 30 characters (sub-domain part); 
• not use uppercase; 
• use hyphen as word separator, not underscore;
• not use acronyms or abbreviations unless widely understood by the target audience and when there is no good alternative;
• not use ‘manchester’; 
• not use trademarks or brand names; 
• not be used as redirects. Marketing URLs serve this purpose. 

Third parties

When a 'manchester.ac.uk’ domain is not technically possible, for example, when using a third-party domain, it will be useful to add ‘uom’ or ‘manchester’ to the domain to confirm its link to the University. For example:  https://manchester.service-now.com/esc  

External domains

 In cases in which a website is a joint venture or collaboration with an external organisation, an external domain (outside the ‘manchester.ac.uk’ domain) can be used. For example:  www.royce.ac.uk.  

Request process for sub-domains

Requests for sub-domains are usually restricted to digital teams, who are best placed to submit a suitable application to the relevant approving teams. Proposals for a new sub-domain should include the following:

• Purpose and relevance to one or more of the University’s strategic goals or operational needs. 
• Intended audience and primary content of the subdomain. 
• Brand compliance strategy detailing how the subdomain will align with University branding guidelines. 
• Maintenance and ownership – Identification of responsible individuals for content accuracy, security, and ongoing updates.
• alignment with the University’s strategy 
• need for content be published outside of the main University website 
• impact on Manchester’s information architecture and content strategy.