How Domain Mapping Works
Domain mapping can combine the benefits of a custom subdomain with the ease of hosting on WashU Sites.
Some WashU Sites can be approved for domain mapping. Domain mapping changes what web address people see when they visit your site, without changing where your site is actually hosted.
Think of domain mapping as laying a URL mask on your website …
For example, your URL may be sites.wustl.edu/yoursite. Once domain mapping is processed, people can also visit your site at yoursite.wustl.edu (your domain-mapped URL). These visitors will never see the URL sites.wustl.edu/yoursite. Your site still exists at sites.wustl.edu/yoursite, but domain mapping has “masked” its URL with yoursite.wustl.edu.
Examples
Homepage
- WashU Sites URL: sites.wustl.edu/bears
- Domain-Mapped (Public) URL: bears.wustl.edu
- After domain mapping, bears.wustl.edu displays the website you created at sites.wustl.edu/bears. They are perfectly synced.
Subpage
- WashU Sites URL: sites.wustl.edu/bears/sports
- Domain-Mapped (Public) URL: bears.wustl.edu/sports
- After domain mapping, bears.wustl.edu/sports displays the website you created at sites.wustl.edu/bears. They are perfectly synced.
How to get started
If you’re interested in domain mapping, start with the Washington University subdomain guidelines, then contact University Marketing & Communications or WashU Medicine Marketing & Communications.
Related guides
Moving or Replacing an Existing Website
If your new WashU Site is replacing an existing website, you’ll need to take a few additional steps to get ready for launch.
Planning Redirects When Replacing a Site
If you already have a website, launching a new site will break many or all of the links and bookmarks to the pages on your old site.
Setting Redirects When Replacing a Site
If you already have a website, launching a new site will break many or all of the links and bookmarks to the pages on your old site.