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What's in a name? The good, the bad and the ugly of choosing a non-standard Ŀ; URL

We recently updated our guidelines and supporting documentation for Ŀ; domains and URLs. Get the low-down on best practices for choosing Ŀ; URLs and the steps to take to request approval.
Image by Photo by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash.

Domains are an important part of our online brand. When people navigate to a Ŀ; URL, they believe they've reached an official Ŀ; website that meets our standards and policies.

Tips for choosing a Ŀ; URL

There are a number important questions to ask when choosing your new domain or URL including:

  • Is the URL already in use?
  • Is the choice of URL too general?
  • Are there any negative implications to consider?
  • Is the URL an appropriate reflection of your department's purview?
  • Does the URL include an abbreviation or acronym?
  • Does the URL include jargon?

For detailed guidance about considerations when choosing a new URL see, Domains and URLs for Ŀ; websites.


Submit a request for a website with a standard and/or approved domain name or URL

For standard domain names and URLs (sites on Ŀ;-managed web platforms, such as WMS websites, and virtual host websites like juncker.lab.mcgill.ca), approval must be obtained from IT Services' Web Service Group. for a new site on one of these platforms will initiate the approval process.

Submit a request for approval of a non-standard domain name or URL

Approval for all non-standard domain names that include the word Ŀ; (for example, mcgillathletics.ca*) must be obtained from Communications and External Relations (CER).

* We usually discourage using this type of domain name because anyone could register a domain like “mymcgillsite.com” and use it to claim to be a legitimate Ŀ; entity. If we allow this practice, we make it hard for to users to distinguish legitimate sites from phishing schemes.


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