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Stanford Sites

A self-service tool to build and manage websites at Stanford

Stanford Sites is a free, self-service tool for building and managing websites for university work. It offers design flexibility, integration with Stanford systems, and substantial functionality through Drupal. Websites are hosted in the cloud on a system designed for fast performance and high availability.

Stanford Sites is built on the latest version of Drupal. SWS releases new features, integrations, theme updates, and bug fixes every 8-10 weeks. All websites hosted on Stanford Sites receive these updates at no cost. Visit the Release Notes page for information on recent and planned updates.

Interested in building your website on Stanford Sites? Follow these quick steps to get started.

Features

Feature Group Websites Personal Websites
Simple web interface — knowledge of HTML is not required
Responsive themes that work well on all devices
Accessible themes that support assistive technologies for people with disabilities
Drupal modules that offer added features
Integration with SAML 2.0 for access control
*Note: Secure, access-limited intranets are available by request on a fee-for-service basis. Read about the intranet service.
Number of websites allowed Unlimited Limited to one
URL options Choose a unique website name and vanity URL (must comply with the university's Name Assignment Policy) URL includes SUNet ID username (e.g., sunetid.people.stanford.edu)
Annual renewals (you will receive an email when the time comes)
Archiving and retirement of un-renewed or abandoned sites

Designed for

  • Stanford groups, such as departments, centers, research groups, conferences, programs, labs, and student groups
  • Individual faculty, students, and staff

Requirements

A full-service SUNet ID

Data security

According to Stanford data risk classifications, this service is for low and moderate-risk data. It is not approved for high-risk data.

Stanford Web Services maintains the Stanford Sites platform following the minimum security standards as detailed below:

Please refer to these policies for additional guidance:

Automated backups

Acquia retains daily database backups for three days. In addition, Stanford retains backups in Stanford-managed AWS for up to 180 days.

Automated scanning tools

SiteImprove accessibility scanning can and should be used on your production website on Stanford Sites.

Use of other automated scanning tools (Qualys, etc.) is not permitted because it may have a negative impact on the performance of this shared hosting service. Please contact SWS for assistance if you want to use these scanning services on a test/development version of your site.

Rates

Free of charge

Get started

Get help

If you need help setting up your site, request assistance from Stanford Web Services. This support is available at below-market rates.

Other options:

Learn more

Knowledge articles and user guide

Training opportunities

Community of Practice

See also

Not what you’re looking for? See all options for hosting and publishing a website at Stanford.

Last modified October 27, 2023