> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.9pic.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Domain & Region

> Set your organisation region and manage your gallery website domain.

## Overview

The **Domain & Region** tab controls two parts of your public gallery website:

* **Region** — your organisation's country, used for billing and to pick the nearest website edge.
* **Domain** — the public web address visitors use to open your gallery website.

**Plan availability:**

| Feature                                          | Trial        | Pay As You Go | Pro       | Enterprise |
| :----------------------------------------------- | :----------- | :------------ | :-------- | :--------- |
| View the current domain                          | View only    | View only     | Available | Available  |
| Edit Region                                      | Available    | Available     | Available | Available  |
| Use a `yourname.9pic.ai` platform subdomain      | Not included | Not included  | Available | Available  |
| Connect a custom domain (`photos.yourbrand.com`) | Not included | Not included  | Available | Available  |
| Verify DNS, change, or remove a managed domain   | Not included | Not included  | Available | Available  |

<Note>
  On Trial and Pay As You Go, the **Domain** card is read-only, but **Region** is still editable. Upgrade to Pro or contact 9Pic for an Enterprise plan to connect a platform subdomain or custom domain.
</Note>

<Frame caption="Domain & Region settings">
  <img src="https://assets.9pic.ai/docs/dashboard-guide/settings/domain-region.webp" alt="Domain and Region settings on an Enterprise organisation showing the selected country edge, active custom domain, CNAME target, and domain action buttons" />
</Frame>

## How to Open

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Settings">
    Click **Settings** in the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Domain & Region">
    Click the **Domain & Region** tab.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can also open it directly at `/settings?tab=domain`.

***

## Region

Your region starts with the country you selected during onboarding. It is used for billing and helps 9Pic pick the nearest website edge for better performance.

When a region is detected, the Region card shows the country name followed by the edge label — **Europe edge**, **Americas edge**, or **Asia-Pacific edge**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Edit the country">
    In the **Region** card, click the pencil icon next to the current country.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Search and select">
    Search for your country and pick it from the dropdown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save Domain Changes** at the bottom of the page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If no country has been set yet, the card says **Not set — nearest edge server will be auto-detected**.
</Note>

<Frame caption="Region edge selection">
  <img src="https://assets.9pic.ai/docs/dashboard-guide/settings/domain-region.webp" alt="Region card showing India selected with the Asia-Pacific edge label above the active domain card" />
</Frame>

***

## Domain — Trial and Pay As You Go (Read-Only)

Trial and Pay As You Go plans show the Domain card as read-only.

| What you see     | What it means                                                                                                                                              |
| :--------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Domain**       | The current website address assigned to your organisation. Trial organisations usually see `trial.9pic.ai`; Pay As You Go organisations see `app.9pic.ai`. |
| **CNAME Target** | A DNS target value, shown only when one already exists for the organisation. The copy icon next to it copies the value to your clipboard.                  |

To switch to a platform subdomain or connect a custom domain, upgrade to **Pro** or **Enterprise**.

***

## Domain — Pro and Enterprise

On Pro and Enterprise plans, the Domain card shows the current domain, status badge, and action buttons.

### Domain Types

| Domain type            | Example                | Best for                                                                  |
| :--------------------- | :--------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Platform Subdomain** | `yourname.9pic.ai`     | You want a branded 9Pic subdomain without DNS setup.                      |
| **Custom Domain**      | `photos.yourbrand.com` | You own a domain and want participants to visit your own brand's address. |

### Domain Statuses

| Status                   | Meaning                                                                  |
| :----------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Active**               | The domain is ready and serving traffic.                                 |
| **Pending Verification** | DNS or SSL setup is still being checked.                                 |
| **Initializing**         | 9Pic is preparing the domain.                                            |
| **Failed**               | Verification did not complete. Check the DNS instructions and try again. |

The status appears as a coloured badge in the top right of the Domain card.

### Available Actions

The action buttons depend on whether a domain is configured and what its current status is.

| Button                | When it appears                           | What it does                                                                                          |
| :-------------------- | :---------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Add Custom Domain** | No custom domain configured yet.          | Opens a guided choice: "I have a domain" or "I don't have a domain".                                  |
| **Verify DNS**        | A domain is configured but is not Active. | Re-checks DNS and SSL status.                                                                         |
| **Change Domain**     | A domain is already configured.           | Opens the setup form to switch to a different domain or subdomain, with a risk-acknowledge checkbox.  |
| **Remove Domain**     | A domain is already configured.           | Opens a confirmation dialog with a risk-acknowledge checkbox. Reverts to `app.9pic.ai` after removal. |

***

## Add a Domain

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the guided setup">
    In the **Domain** card, click **Add Custom Domain**. A guided choice card appears with the recommendation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose an option">
    Click **I have a domain** to connect your own domain, or **I don't have a domain** to use a free `yourname.9pic.ai` subdomain.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the domain or slug">
    * For a **custom domain**, enter a full address such as `photos.yourcompany.com`.
    * For a **platform subdomain**, enter only the slug, e.g. `your-org-name`. The dashboard appends `.9pic.ai`. The slug must be lowercase letters, numbers, or hyphens, 3–63 characters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check availability">
    Click **Check**. A green message confirms the value is available; a red message tells you to pick a different one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the preview">
    The preview block shows your current domain crossed out next to the new domain so you can confirm the change before saving.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the domain">
    Click **Configure Domain**. A toast confirms the domain has been set up. If it is a custom domain, the toast asks you to verify DNS next.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Platform subdomains are the fastest option. 9Pic manages DNS automatically and your subdomain is usually active within a few minutes.
</Tip>

***

## Connect a Custom Domain (CNAME)

For a custom domain, you must update DNS at the place where your domain is managed.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add the domain in 9Pic">
    Follow **Add a Domain** above and choose **I have a domain**, then enter your domain (e.g. `photos.yourcompany.com`) and click **Configure Domain**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the CNAME Target">
    The **CNAME Target** appears in the Domain card. Click the copy icon next to it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the CNAME at your DNS provider">
    Sign in to the place where you manage DNS for your domain and add a **CNAME record** that points your custom domain (or subdomain) to the copied CNAME Target. 9Pic links to short guides for GoDaddy, Wix, Hostinger, Namecheap, Google Domains, and Cloudflare from the Domain card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for DNS and SSL">
    DNS propagation and SSL provisioning can take up to **48 hours**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the domain">
    Return to **Settings → Domain & Region** and click **Verify DNS**. A toast tells you whether the domain is now Active, still pending, or failed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Changing DNS can affect live traffic for any other service on that domain. If you are not sure which record to edit, ask the person who manages your domain before making changes.
</Warning>

***

## Change a Domain

When a domain is already configured and you click **Change Domain**, the setup form opens with a risk-acknowledge alert.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click Change Domain">
    In the **Domain** card, click **Change Domain**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the new type and value">
    Pick **Platform Subdomain** or **Custom Domain** from the **Domain Type** dropdown and enter the new value. The preview shows the change from your current domain to the new one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Acknowledge the risk">
    A yellow warning lists the risks (broken links, SEO impact, downtime up to 48 hours, SSL re-provisioning). Tick **I understand the risks and want to proceed** to enable the update button.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update the domain">
    Click **Update Domain**. A toast confirms the change and asks you to verify DNS if needed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Changing your domain can break existing event links, affect search rankings, and cause temporary downtime while DNS and SSL update.
</Warning>

***

## Remove a Domain

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click Remove Domain">
    In the **Domain** card, click **Remove Domain** (red button).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the warning">
    The dialog shows the domain you are about to remove and explains the impact — broken links, lost SEO rankings, SSL deprovisioning, and DNS cleanup for platform subdomains.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Acknowledge the risk">
    Tick **I understand the risks and want to proceed**. The **Remove Domain** button stays disabled until you do.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm removal">
    Click **Remove Domain** in the dialog. The website returns to the default `app.9pic.ai` domain and a toast confirms the change.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Removing a domain is permanent for that domain. Existing links using the old domain will break, and SSL for it will be deprovisioned.
</Warning>

<Frame caption="Remove Domain confirmation">
  <img src="https://assets.9pic.ai/docs/dashboard-guide/settings/remove-domain-dialog.webp" alt="Remove Domain confirmation dialog showing the impact list, risk acknowledgement checkbox, Cancel button, and disabled Remove Domain button" />
</Frame>

***

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Which plans can manage domains?">
    Connecting a platform subdomain or custom domain is available on **Pro** and **Enterprise** plans. Trial and Pay As You Go plans see the Domain card as read-only — but **Region** is editable on every plan.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between a platform subdomain and a custom domain?">
    A platform subdomain uses `yourname.9pic.ai` and does not require DNS setup. A custom domain uses an address you own, such as `photos.yourbrand.com`, and requires you to add a CNAME record at your DNS provider.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is my custom domain not Active yet?">
    DNS propagation and SSL provisioning can take up to **48 hours**. Check that your CNAME record points to the exact target shown in the Domain card, then click **Verify DNS**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are the slug rules for a platform subdomain?">
    Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only, **3–63 characters**. The slug picker strips invalid characters as you type.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I update my region without changing my domain?">
    Yes — Region is editable on every plan. Edit the country in the **Region** card and click **Save Domain Changes**. Domain actions are separate and don't depend on the Save button.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens after I remove my custom domain?">
    Your website returns to `app.9pic.ai`. The CNAME you had pointing to 9Pic will return errors until you remove or repoint it at your DNS provider.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Advanced Settings" icon="sliders" href="/dashboard-guide/settings/advanced">
    Configure Google Tag Manager once your domain is live.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Settings Overview" icon="gear" href="/dashboard-guide/settings">
    Back to all settings.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>