---
title: Domain of One’s Own Overview
description: "### What exactly is a \"Domain of One’s Own?\" Yes, we know the name might seem unusual, but simply stated: *Domain of One's Own provides everyone in the UMW community with a free domain (a web address that **you** choose,…"
url: "https://dev.umw.domains/guides/domain-of-ones-own-overview/"
updated: "2026-06-16"
category: Getting Started
---

# Domain of One’s Own Overview

### What exactly is a "Domain of One’s Own?"

Yes, we know the name might seem unusual, but simply stated:

*Domain of One's Own provides everyone in the UMW community with a free domain (a web address that **you** choose, like “www.yourname.com”) and web hosting (a place to store the files and data for your domain).*

Once you claim a domain through Domain of One’s Own, it is **yours**. You can do whatever you want with it, and even take it with you when you leave UMW.

At other schools, you might find locked-down e-portfolio systems or other publishing platforms that limit your control. Here at UMW, we love giving people agency over their digital identities. A Domain of One’s Own is one way we do that.

If you aren’t familiar with how domains and web hosting work, we recommend reading [“Getting to Know Your Webspace”](https://dev.umw.domains/guides/getting-to-know-your-web-space/) to learn a little bit more about how it all works.

### What can I do on Domain of One’s Own?

Whether you are starting this account for a class or for your own project here are some examples of what you can do:

- Build a website using WordPress
  - This is far and away the most used application on DoOO. It allows you to easily write, share media, and with a few plugins layout your site just how you like it. Whether you are documenting your research, putting together your resume, or writing the next great American novel, WordPress is a great place to start. In fact, the majority of websites on the Internet are built using WordPress.
- Start a collection with Omeka
  - Omeka is another publishing tool that is especially geared toward building robust online digital collections.
- Run that open source project you found or write code yourself!
  - The way our server is set up gives you a lot of power to run your own code or hand code it (like it is 1995). If you are running your own code you'll want to read our [guide on the technical details of our servers](https://dev.umw.domains/guides/technical-details-what-is-the-server-set-up-like/) to find out if it is compatible with our setup.

We also have another publishing platform, Sites@UMW, that might be a good fit for your project. If you want to quickly get into using WordPress and don't need your own domain name or web hosting, then Sites@UMW might be a good fit for you. Learn more about the [difference between the DoOO and Sites@UMW in our guide.](https://dev.umw.domains/guides/sitesumw-or-domain-of-ones-own/)

***Reviewed by Abby Firestone 06/16/26***