Blackboard recommends using Institutional Hierarchy features in place of Domains in most cases. Institutional Hierarchy enables fuller utilization of other Learn functions and doesn’t require logic based on custom rules.

Creating a domain adds a new domain to the system. After creation, the domain must be populated with collections and domain administrators must be assigned.

Domains are visible only on the Administrator Panel. Even then, only the administrator can see the list of domains. Domains are invisible to users within the system because they are an administrative management tool. Administrators within the domain are also unaware of the domain. Administrators within the domain simply access features and functions on the Administrator Panel. The domain controls what data can be managed by the domain administrator.

It is important to understand the difference between the Domain Name and the Domain ID. The Domain ID is a unique identifier within the system. The Domain Name is the name of the domain as it appears to the administrator.


Create a domain

  1. On the Administrator Panel, in the Communities section, select Domains.
  2. Select Create Domain.
  3. Provide a Domain Name and a Domain ID. The domain name is the readable name that appears in the user interface. The domain ID is a permanent, unique identifier assigned to the domain in the database. Once set, the domain ID cannot be changed.
  4. Provide a Description for the domain.
  5. Select Submit. The domain now appears in the list of domains on the Domains page.