Terms of use

TUM institutions listed in TUMonline, as well as organisational units that belong to TUM, can create web presences using the TYPO3 CMS provided by the Central Information Technology (ZIT). The prerequisite for using this service is the agreement to the following terms of use during the website request process.

A. Service and functionality scope

The Central Information Technology (ZIT) provides a fully installed TYPO3 website:

• The website owners determine the content structure of the website and design its content.
• The corporate design of TUM cannot be altered through individual customizations.
• Updates and maintenance are centrally managed and cannot be controlled independently.
• In addition to the core functions of TYPO3, extensions are available, including interfaces to other TUM systems. These extensions will be installed as needed.
• If there is a general need, ZIT will evaluate changes to existing functions or the introduction of new ones. Individual add-ons for solely single websites are not possible.
• Our user management is based on a flat permission concept without administrator rights, focusing on simplicity in management.

Almost all institutions at TUM are entitled to implement their content using ZIT's central TYPO3 offering. Excluded are the institutions 

• of the Department of Clinical Medicine and
• Campus Straubing, which have their own offerings for web presences. 

For specific requirements, TUM offers specialized systems, such as wiki.tum.de for knowledge management and knowledge transfer, or www.events.tum.de for event management. Additional TYPO3 websites on the same topic are generally not necessary in these cases. Instead, content is presented entirely on the respective platforms.

B. Setting up websites

The integration of content into the navigation menus of existing websites takes precedence over the creation of new, standalone websites.

The following rules apply:

Chairs or professorships will be integrated into overarching websites (e.g., a TUM School website like www.ed.tum.de). The existing website can be expanded with subpages and submenus in its own navigation structure. Independent header labels (organisational units) and sidebar entries are permitted (example: www.ep.mgt.tum.de/wup/).

Regardless of organisational affiliation, content can also be consolidated on thematic websites, for example, for specific research programs. Applicants must coordinate the necessary conceptual and organisational preparations with the relevant organisational units. This also applies to schools and faculties that do not use ZIT's central web services for their main web presence and do not have a TYPO3 website to host their subunits.

Standalone websites are generally only established for larger or higher-level organisational units, such as faculties, schools, departments, or integrative research institutes.

Examples: www.arc.ed.tum.de/arc/ or www.tcf.tum.de.

C. Consolidation of web presences

In order to reduce the effort required for operation and maintenance, a consolidation of web presences into a manageable number of larger TYPO3 installations is being pursued.

The following measures for consolidation will be implemented: 

• Previously established web presences with their own domains will gradually be merged into faculty or other overarching TYPO3 installations. If no suitable overarching web presences are available, these can be set up. The transfer of content will be carried out in coordination with the TYPO3 team at ZIT.  
• If there are no remaining contacts for a web presence, ZIT will reach out to the responsible Information Officer (IO). In this case, she/he must clarify how to proceed with the web presence. If deletion is chosen, there will be neither public nor internal archiving of the web content. If the IO decides against deletion, she/he must appoint a person responsible for the content management and updating of the web presence. If no content updates occur within the following six weeks, the website may be deleted within the next two weeks.

D. Web domains and urls

The full name of a domain includes the part of a URL between “https://” and the first subsequent “/”.

When using domain names for the TYPO3 offerings of ZIT, the following additional guidelines apply:

• Domains are generally only granted under "tum.de" in the form of www.<unit>.tum.de (e.g., www.ed.tum.de for the TUM School of Engineering and Design).
• University-external second-level domains, such as www.my-domain.de, are not possible.
• For separate web presences within an overarching web presence, a URL with a short path name (short name) is to be set up at the first level beneath the domain, in the form www.<unit>.tum.de/<shortname>/ (e.g., www.ep.mgt.tum.de/wup/ for the Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy).

E. SSL encryption

Certificates are used to encrypt data sent over the internet (such as passwords) so that potential attackers cannot intercept and read it. This is recognisable in websites by the protocol name "https".  

Both the frontend and backend of TYPO3 websites are encrypted, meaning that data is transmitted securely between the browser and the web server (HTTPS).

F. Responsibilities and duties for website owners

• There are some principles and guidelines to consider:
  • Online requirements for corporate design
  • Accessibility
• Compliance with data protection regulations is essential as far as it falls under the responsibility of those in charge of the website: Data protection information
• Website owners are obliged to promptly inform the relevant parties about any changes in responsibility or about the termination of the need due to relocation or deletion of content.

G. Application for a website

• The application can only be submitted through the online form for establishing a new TYPO3 website.
• After submitting a fully completed application, ZIT will decide whether to establish a new website.
• Once approved, the technical implementation will begin.
• After the website is delivered, the setup and launch must be completed within nine months; otherwise, the website will be deactivated.

Last updated on 2026-03-10