Free Website Options
ITS provides these resources for publishing information on the web. There is no charge for using these services:
- Sites at USC: Sites at USC is a high-quality, self-service option for building, hosting, and maintaining public websites at no cost, and is available to faculty and staff.
- Data Security: Websites created through Sites at USC are public sites and not approved for storing or transferring legally regulated or high-risk information.
- Google Sites: Google Sites allows USC faculty, staff, and students to create free, custom websites using their USC-provided Google accounts.
- Sharepoint Sites: For sites that need restricted access (USC, school/department, or team only), faculty and staff can create private SharePoint websites. These sites can also be used as a secure place to store and organize documents and files.
Departmental Options
- While ITS offers hosting on Sites at USC and Google sites, some campus units choose to run their own web publishing options. Please contact your unit’s administrator to find out if your department has an alternative for you to consider.
Fee-based Website Options
- Third-Party Services: There are many third-party web hosting and web design services that faculty, staff, schools, and units can use to help them create websites. Examples (not recommendations) include wordpress.com or web design firms. Once the site is created and hosted, users can request a USC website address (also known as a URL).
Sites at USC
Sites at USC is a high-quality, self-service option for building, hosting, and maintaining public websites at no cost.
Features
- Custom websites and blogs (No coding required!)
- USC graphic identity-compliant website themes
- Easy-to-edit site templates that include commonly used pages and best practices
- WordPress CMS
- 24/7 email support and extensive support knowledge base
Eligibility
- All current USC faculty and staff can request sites, students can be added to sites as editors.
Pricing
- Sites at USC, Google Sites and SharePoint are free services.
Helpful Links
- For information about how to request a USC URL, go to: https://itservices.usc.edu/how-to-request-a-usc-url/
- For information about how to request a redirect to a USC URL, go to: https://itservices.usc.edu/how-to-request-a-redirect-from-www-usc-edu/
- Access Sites at USC through sites.usc.edu and click Get started to check your eligibility. Once you have confirmed your eligibility, click Request a website! to request your site. Your request will be reviewed within three business days, and if approved, you will be able to access and begin editing.
- Get general help with using the USC themes at sites.usc.edu/get-help.
- Get complete platform documentation at help.edublogs.org/.
- General WordPress training is available at lynda.com. See sites.usc.edu/lynda for suggested learning paths.
- Open a Request Ticket for websites on the ITS Service Portal.
- Search for How-To Instructions and knowledge-based articles on the ITS Service Portal.
ITS Support
- The ITS Service Desk provides support to the USC community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Call (213) 740-5555 and choose option 2 to receive assistance.
- Report an Issue on the ITS Service Portal.
- Search for information on the ITS Service Portal.
- Email consult@usc.edu for support from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.