All requests for fourth‑level subdomains of med.wisc.edu (e.g., example.med.wisc.edu) require review by the SMPH Office of Strategic Communications.
Subdomains of smph.wisc.edu are not to be used by any group.
These guidelines are supplementary to the university’s domain name options and procedures and the website domains policy.
School-level Domain Criteria
Subdomains of med.wisc.edu may be created for programs that meet one or more of these criteria, pending approval by SMPH communications and leadership:
- Have long‑term viability and are not dependent on funding renewal
- Support multi‑unit or interdisciplinary collaboration
- Involve multiple faculty leaders and/or span multiple departments within SMPH
- Represent a strategic priority of the school’s dean
- Convey broad, interdisciplinary efforts that align with the strategic priorities of the entire school
A med.wisc.edu subdomain is not appropriate for:
- Projects that include multiple university units outside of SMPH and do not meet any of the requirements listed above
- Faculty/researcher-specific projects
- Labs and research groups
- Limited-term or grant-funded initiatives
Other Domain Options
- Third-level domains (e.g., example.wisc.edu) are reserved for specific use cases
- Other options for fourth-level domains include sites.wisc.edu, labs.wisc.edu, studies.wisc.edu and yourdepartment.wisc.edu
- Non‑wisc.edu domains are generally discouraged because they lack the brand and reputational benefits of university affiliation and introduce additional expense, maintenance and security risks
Domain Name Dos and Don’ts
Keep it short, relevant to the subject matter, easy to spell, and memorable; avoid hyphens and complex words- Rather than an acronym, choose one or two short words that provide context (e.g., sohe.wisc.edu recently updated their URL to humanecology.wisc.edu)
- Avoid names and acronyms that are already in common use — this can lead to brand confusion, competition for search result placement, and may even have legal consequences (start with a Google search)
- Avoid duplicating information that is already implied in the URL (e.g., UW may not be needed because the URL already contains wisc.edu)
- More guidance on selecting a domain name
Compliance and Maintenance
Units are responsible for maintaining accurate content and ensuring compliance with SMPH and UW–Madison minimum web standards and accessibility requirements.
Request and Review Process
Email communications@med.wisc.edu early to discuss your needs and confirm whether a subdomain of med.wisc.edu is appropriate. Provide a brief description of the initiative, its leadership, and how it meets school‑level domain criteria.
Early consultation will help avoid website launch delays. Requests are reviewed for strategic alignment, naming clarity, and long‑term sustainability.