Policy on Tufts.edu Domain Names

Updated April 14, 2025

All websites for entities Tufts University must be hosted on a Tufts platform and have a “tufts.edu” domain name.

University Communications and Marketing approves all web domain names that end in “tufts.edu.” We review name requests to ensure that each clearly communicates a site’s identity or purpose while respecting the university’s broader name use concerns. We can provide guidance on name selection and suggest alternatives when appropriate.

Scope

All primary domain names, i.e. website urls in the format of “xyz.tufts.edu”, fall under this policy. Primary domain names will only be approved for organizations under Tufts University and not individuals (faculty, staff, students), student groups, or entities outside of Tufts University.

Pre-existing Tufts-related websites with a URL that is not a tufts.edu domain name can continue to use their URL for communications purposes, but they will redirect to an “xyz.tufts.edu” domain.

Policy Statement

All primary domain names must be submitted to UCM through the domain request form for review. Requested domain names must be specific to the entity’s website; a generic domain name that could apply to other entities at Tufts will not be approved unless it is an official university brand website. Your domain name request must also conform to the Tufts Name Use policy.

We do not approve multiple, similar domains intended to avoid user typos or confusion. For example, we will not approve both mysite.tufts.edu and my-site.tufts.edu.

Things to know about primary tufts.edu domain names

• All primary domain names must be approved before they can be used. Please submit the domain request form to obtain approval.
• Since it may take up to 14 business days to get approval, please make the request early in the process.
• The university is no longer granting website domains that begin with www.tufts.edu/. You must request it in the format of .tufts.edu. So, www.tufts.edu/mysite will not be approved, but mysite.tufts.edu may be approved pending review.
• We do not set up primary domains that redirect to other domains. The domain name must resolve to your website. If you want a redirect domain, please use our Go Script (go.tufts.edu) URL shortening service. 
• We do not approve multiple, similar domains intended to avoid user typos or confusion. For example, we will not approve both mysite.tufts.edu and my-site.tufts.edu.
• You should know where your site is or where it will be hosted before you request a domain.
• Your domain name must conform to the Tufts Name Use Policy.
• An extremely generic domain name is not likely to be approved if it could apply to other entities at Tufts. For example, we would not approve research.tufts.edu to a specific department or unit.