1 . Standard

The gov.nt.ca domain name must be used for all GNWT websites and only GNWT websites.

2 . Rationale

An organisation’s URL has a strong influence on brand recognition and trust. Users are more likely to click on search results that look official and search engines rank pages with solid domain names higher.

Using a consistent domain acts as the primary guarantor of the authenticity of the GNWT’s online content. Deviating from this domain also adds unnecessary costs, takes longer to set up and adds additional administration.

Conversely, the use of gov.nt.ca for websites of non-GNWT entities (or individuals in the case of email) can lead to confusion and misrepresentation.

3 . Guidelines

All GNWT websites, unless they have a marketing exemption, must use a sub-domain under gov.nt.ca. This applies to departments, programs, crown corporations, agencies, applications, initiatives and projects.

Directory-Style Domain Names

• The preferred way of setting up a domain name is to use a directory path under an existing domain (either under www.gov.nt.ca or another gov.nt.ca sub-domain).
  • This option is faster, cheaper, easier, more flexible, and reinforces the GNWT’s corporate identity
  • The only downside is that it’s not always technically feasible, as some sites must reside at the root path for technical reasons.
• Examples:
  • www.gov.nt.ca/conference2018
  • www.iti.gov.nt.ca/aep
• Paths are created by the Informatics Shared Service Centre (Lands).

Sub-Domains under gov.nt.ca

• If the directory-style option does not work, the next best option is to create a sub-domain under gov.nt.ca (either directly under gov.nt.ca or under a department sub-domain).
• Examples:
  • www.maca.gov.nt.ca
  • careers.hr.gov.nt.ca
• Websites owned by non-GNWT organizations must not use the gov.nt.ca domain name.
  • Example: www.spectacularnwt.com
• Sub-domains under gov.nt.ca are created by the TSC.

Other Domain Names

• Websites with a marketing exemption can also choose to use a different domain name (not under gov.nt.ca) although using the gov.nt.ca domain name is still an option.
• Examples:
  • www.pwnhc.ca
  • www.practicenorth.ca
• A .ca domain name should be used, unless there is a very specific requirement otherwise.
• All domain names must be purchased and registered through the TSC to ensure proper setup and continuity.

Secure Connections

• Websites with form elements (i.e. almost all modern websites) must use a secure connection. The URL should resolve properly using https.
• The TSC is responsible for managing certificates internally. If this does not exist, a certificate can be requested from the TSC.

Domain Names of Multilingual Sites

• For a multilingual site, the domain name must be in English and only English.
• For non-English, unilingual sites, the domain name can be in the target language of the website.

Domain Names for Email Addresses

Email addresses also use domain names, which follow the same rules as websites. Namely:

• Sub-domains under gov.nt.ca are not allowed for email addresses.
• Email addresses using gov.nt.ca must not be granted to non-GNWT employees and organizations, even if they are part of the GNWT network, use TSC email services, etc…

4 . References

• Policy on Email Use