CarlSites: Creating Your Site

Getting Started

Carleton College provides students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to register a domain name and create a digital presence through CarlSites. You can easily install applications such as WordPress, Omeka, Scalar and other applications to your own domain, and use this space to create your digital identity and express your creativity.

Your domain name is a unique Web address (e.g. yourname.sites.carleton.edu) that can be used to build out your own digital presence. As you make your choice, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• Choose a Domain You Can Live With: You should pick something that you won’t find embarrassing in the future. A good rule of thumb is to pick a domain that you would be comfortable putting on a future job application.
• [Optional] Include Your Name in Your Domain: Choosing a domain name that includes your name may make it easier for you to achieve higher rankings in search engines when someone queries your real name.
• Your Domain Name Must Be Available: If you’d like to check availability before you actually sign-up, we recommend using whois.com.

Getting Setup

Before you get started, please review our CarlSites Domain Ownership Agreement. You may also want to take a look at our article on Exploring Your CarlSite Options which covers what you can do with your CarlSite, such as installing a web application, creating a stable site, and site mapping.

1. Once you’ve reviewed the guidelines, download a copy to your device
2. Sign, date, and rename the file to include your first and last name
3. You can proceed to fill out this interest form and email your signed agreement to at@carleton.edu.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and fill out the Request Form.

Additional Domain Options

If you would like a different domain name that does not include “sites’carleton.edu,” you have 2 additional options. Please indicate in the interest form if you are interested in the options outlined below.

1. Buy a top-level domain from Reclaim Hosting: It is easy to create your own top-level domain. This allows you to select a URL for your web.site that is easy to remember and share. While you are at Carleton, this is available for a nominal cost (currently $15/year). You can continue to use this domain after leaving Carleton, although the cost may increase.
2. Connect an existing domain to your cPanel: If you already have an existing domain that you’ve previously registered elsewhere, simply point your domain’s nameservers to ns1.reclaimhosting.com and ns2.reclaimhosting.com. Please contact Reclaim Hosting for more information.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, submit a ticket and an Academic Technologist can help you.

Created by Paul Claudel Izabayo '25, 12/1/22. Last updated by Mauricio I. Reyes Villanueva ‘25, 02/27/2024