PWP Custom Domains

PWP Custom Domains esembrat3

Professional Web Presence was retired as of the end of July 2020.  It has become Sites @ Georgia Tech.  Please visit Sites @ Georgia Tech for documentation and information on that service.

 

The process for requesting a new domain for your PWP site depends on what the requested new domain is!

Use the following three cases below to determine your next steps.

I'm requesting subunit.department.gatech.edu!

You can have this domain without much headache. Please see the subunit subdomain documentation for the process to request and attach a new subdomain to PWP.

I'm requesting subunit.gatech.edu!

There's one more step in the process that requires campus approval for a subunit.gatech.edu domain! Please see the subdomain documentation for the process to request and attach a new subdomain to PWP.

I'm requesting a non-Georgia Tech domain (domain.com, etc)!

PWP does not allow non-Georgia Tech domains. Please see the documentation on non-Georgia Tech domains for more information.

PWP Custom Domain Name Best-Practices

PWP Custom Domain Name Best-Practices
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Please see the Domain Name Guide for terminology definitions.

We highly recommend that you use a custom sub-domain name within the department that is most closely associated with your website and/or your employment at Georgia Tech.  It is usually quicker and easier to obtain this kind of domain name, which looks like subunit.something.gatech.edu, where "subunit" is most any name except "www" (which is reserved as an alias for the unit's top-level domain).

If your website is for a major unit of Georgia Tech or a very high-level project or activity/event, then you can request a custom top-level domain name, but these requests have to be approved by Institute Communications, and this approval process may take a while.  So, you should consider using a sub-domain name (see the previous section) if one could work well enough for your website.

PWP Custom Domains & absolute URLs

PWP Custom Domains & absolute URLs
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When adding a new subdomain to a PWP website, please be mindful of existing absolute URLs that may be pointing to the old domain, as the old domain will not function once the PWP website has been updated.

This functionality was added as part of the Spring 2019 spring cleaning initiative.

Fix

To fix this, replace absolute URLs on PWP pages and menu items with relative URLs.

 

Issue text

Please note that any absolute URLs that pointed to the old domain may have to be updated, as PWP websites support a maximum of one domain/URL per website.

PWP Custom Non-Georgia Tech Domains

PWP Custom Non-Georgia Tech Domains
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Due to Institute policy changes, Professional Web Presence will no longer support the use of outside domain names on PWP sites (names that do not end with ".gatech.edu"). Existing outside domain name assignments will be left in place for a limited time, but those site owners will be asked to eventually move their sites elsewhere or switch to a ".gatech.edu" domain name.

PWP Domain Request (Subdomain) Procedure

PWP Domain Request (Subdomain) Procedure
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Request a Custom Georgia Tech Top-Level Domain Name

Please note that Top-Level Domain names (also known as third-level DNS entries) will require approval from Institute Communications.  You can seek approval before submitting your request to OIT, or otherwise OIT will reach out to them to get approval before adding your requested domain name to the DNS system.

To obtain a custom top-level domain, you must open a support ticket with OIT.  Please use the preceding link and select the "DNS Entry or Change Request" option under "Service Type".  Paste in the following message under "Please enter a brief description", replacing "something" with the actual name that you want:

Subject: Request for New DNS CNAME something.gatech.edu

Hi,

I would like to request the custom domain name something.gatech.edu be created as a CNAME for pwp.gatech.edu. The purpose of this domain name is for a new website to represent [insert here a description of your major unit or high level project, activity, or event].

Please assign this request to OIT DNS team for setting up the CNAME and have them route to the "Professional Web Presence" service area after the CNAME is in place.

Thank you,

Your Name Here

After receiving notice from that your domain name has been added to the campus DNS system and assigned to your PWP website, you should be all set.

Subject: Request for New DNS CNAME something.gatech.edu

Hi,

I would like to request the custom domain name something.gatech.edu be created as a CNAME for pwp.gatech.edu. The purpose of this domain name is for a new website to represent [insert here a description of your major unit or high level project, activity, or event].

Please assign this request to OIT DNS team for setting up the CNAME and have them route to the "Professional Web Presence" service area after the CNAME is in place.

Thank you,

Your Name Here

After receiving notice from that your domain name has been added to the campus DNS system and assigned to your PWP website, you should be all set.

PWP Domain Request (Subunit) Procedure

PWP Domain Request (Subunit) Procedure
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The process below outlines the creation of a sub-unit subdomain for Georgia Tech's PWP service. Sub-unit domains take the form of domain.unit.gatech.edu.

Step 1. Request Sub-Domain Creation through Unit CSR/IT Support

To obtain a custom sub-domain, submit the following message to your local department, school, unit IT or CSR support through their standard support channel.

Please replace "subunit.something" with the actual name that you want:

Hi,

I would like to request the subdomain subunit.something.gatech.edu be created as a CNAME for pwp.gatech.edu. Please let me know when this subdomain has been added to campus DNS.

This message is intended for the local unit CSR/IT for domain and CNAME creation. If wrongly routed, please return to the proper unit.

Thank you,

Your Name Here

Step 2. Request Sub-Domain Assignment through PWP

Once your local IT support has notified you that they have set up your subdomain name, the next step is to submit the domain request to PWP for your PWP website.

Submit a new custom domain assignment request to the PWP administrators ( webpresence@gatech.edu ). Be sure to include both the custom domain name you had created and the current URL for your PWP website.

Please replace" subunit.something" with the actual name that you want:

Hi,

I would like to request the subdomain subunit.something.gatech.edu be added to PWP website pwp.gatech.edu/site-name. Please let me know when this subdomain has been added to campus DNS.

This message is intended for the PWP group for domain assignment. If wrongly routed, please return to the proper unit.

Thank you,

Your Name Here

Warning! Do not request a PWP custom domain assignment request until you have received confirmation that your new (sub-domain name) has been added to the campus DNS system.

The PWP staff cannot assign the name to your site before it is in DNS, as doing so would completely lock you out of your site until DNS is properly updated.