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Why This Matters

Custom domains are one of the headline reasons people upgrade to Pro. The moment your gallery lives at yourbrand.9pic.ai or photos.yourbrand.com, your shareable links, email signatures, and event pages all reinforce your brand instead of the platform’s. For exhaustive field-level reference (every status, every error case), see the dashboard guide: Domain & Region. This page is the Pro operator’s checklist.

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Before You Begin

  • You’re on Pro (or Enterprise). Trial and Pay As You Go cannot manage domains.
  • You’ve decided which domain type you want:
    • Platform subdomain (yourname.9pic.ai) — fastest, no DNS setup, ready in minutes.
    • Custom domain (photos.yourbrand.com) — full brand parity, requires a CNAME at your DNS provider, SSL takes up to 48 hours.
  • (Custom domain only) You have access to your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Route 53, etc.) or someone on your team who does.
If you’re unsure, start with a platform subdomain. You can switch to a custom domain later — they’re not mutually exclusive in spirit, but only one is active at a time.

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Steps

1

Open Settings → Domain & Region

Click Settings in the sidebar, then click Domain & Region. The tab shows your current domain, the domain type, and any available actions.
2

(Optional) Set or update your region

In the Region card, click the pencil icon next to the current country to change it. Region is used for billing and helps 9Pic pick the closest website edge. After choosing a country, click Save Domain Changes.
3

Click Add Custom Domain (or Change Domain)

In the Domain card, click Add Custom Domain if you don’t have a custom domain yet. If one is already configured and you want to switch types, click Change Domain instead.
Change Domain can break existing event links. If anyone is sharing the current domain via email, social, or QR codes, plan the change for a low-traffic window and update communications afterwards. The dashboard makes you tick an acknowledgement before the Update Domain button enables.
4

Pick your domain option

The wizard asks I have a domain or I don’t have a domain.
  • I don’t have a domain → enter a slug like your-company. The dashboard appends .9pic.ai. Click Check to confirm availability, then Configure Domain. Usually active within a few minutes.
  • I have a domain → enter the full address like photos.yourcompany.com. Click Check, then Configure Domain. The dashboard returns a CNAME Target value.
5

(Custom domain only) Add the CNAME record at your DNS provider

  1. Open your DNS provider’s dashboard (Cloudflare / GoDaddy / Route 53 / etc.).
  2. Add a CNAME record:
    • Host / Name: the subdomain part (photos).
    • Target / Value: the exact CNAME Target shown by 9Pic.
    • TTL: leave default (auto / 3600s).
  3. Save. DNS propagation and SSL provisioning take up to 48 hours but usually finish within 1–4 hours.
  4. Return to Settings → Domain & Region and click Verify DNS if the domain is still showing Pending Verification.
Editing DNS can affect any other service on the same domain. If you’re not sure which record to change, ask the person who manages your DNS first.
6

Confirm the domain is Active

A successfully configured domain shows a green Active badge. Until then, statuses you may see:
  • Initializing — 9Pic is preparing the domain.
  • Pending Verification — DNS / SSL is still being checked.
  • Failed — verification didn’t complete; re-check the CNAME target and click Verify DNS again.

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Domain Types at a Glance

Domain typeExampleSetup timeDNS workBest for
Defaultapp.9pic.aiNoneNoneYou’re fine running on the platform domain.
Platform subdomainyourname.9pic.aiMinutesNoneBranded subdomain without touching DNS.
Custom domainphotos.yourbrand.comUp to 48hCNAME at your DNS providerFull brand parity.
DecisionRecommended for most Pro users
Domain typeCustom domain (photos.yourbrand.com) if you have a brand website; Platform subdomain otherwise.
RegionSet to your organisation’s country. Leave blank only if you genuinely don’t know — 9Pic will auto-detect the nearest edge.
When to change domainOnly when absolutely necessary. Existing event links break on change.
When to remove domainAlmost never — you’d return to the default app.9pic.ai. Treat it as a recovery step, not a routine action.

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Common Questions

Re-check the CNAME record at your DNS provider matches the CNAME Target shown in 9Pic exactly (no extra dots, no typos). Then click Verify DNS in the Domain card. If it’s still pending after 48 hours, email support@9pic.ai with your domain and the CNAME target.
No. One organisation has one active domain at a time. If you need separate brand domains, run each brand as a separate organisation (each on Pro), or talk to us about Enterprise.
Yes — for a custom domain like photos.yourbrand.com, you must own the parent domain through a registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.) and have access to add a CNAME record. If you don’t, use a platform subdomain instead.
If you downgrade off Pro to Pay As You Go, custom domains are not supported on that plan. Don’t downgrade without first emailing support@9pic.ai — we’ll talk through the implications.

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Next Steps

Branding & Theme

Match your gallery’s colors and logo to the new domain.

Footer & Contact

Add footer copy and a contact form to the branded site.

Domain Reference

The full Dashboard Guide reference for every status and action.

Advanced Settings

Configure your own analytics if needed.