When you create your Pic-Time account, your galleries are available by default through your Pic-Time domain. Your URL will look like this example: johnsmithphotography.pic-time.com
If you’d like to use a different URL, you can create one by setting up a custom domain. This is a great way to communicate your branding for clients while they view your Pic-Time galleries.
Please Note: this is only available for Professional and Advanced plans.
Set Up Existing Domain to Connect to Pic-Time
If you've purchased your domain through a third party (e.g. Google Domains or GoDaddy), then you need to edit the following settings:
1. Create CNAME Record with Your Domain Provider
Log in to the account you have with your domain provider. Go to the Zone File Settings, DNS Manager, or a similar area. Then, you will create a CNAME record that points to Pic-Time. You'll typically see the following fields for the CNAME record you are creating:
Alias/Host
This will be a new subdomain such as client, or gallery which will then create the new URL client.johnsmithphotography.com or gallery.johnsmithphotography.com. If you are not using your website as a standalone website, another great option is to use the CNAME "www", which will create www.johnsmithphotography.com as the Pic-Time Custom Domain.
Type
Select CNAME and point it to ptcustom.pic-time.com (enter exactly as shown here in bold)
Note:
DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate across the entire internet.
In case you use a CDN service (e.g. Cloudflare or MaxCDN), you will need to add the DNS record there as well.
A proxied CNAME will not be approved. (You can use proxy for other things on your website.)
For CloudFlare users, resolve the proxied CNAME with the following steps:
Click Edit and turn the proxy off so that it's DNS only. Click Save.
The resulting CNAME should look like this:
2. Set Up Custom Domain on Pic-Time
Go to Settings > Brand & Style, scroll down and under Pic-Time Web Address click on Connect your Domain.
Enter your custom domain name (e.g. http://clients.johnsmithphotography.com) in the Custom Domain field, and test it using the Verify button.
Pro Tip: When you have several Pic-Time brands (which requires upgrading to a Business account), you can set up a custom domain for each brand.
That's it! Now wait for your DNS propagation and your custom domain mapping is ready.
Please Note: In addition to the 24 hour propagation period, it will take an additional 4 hours for the change to be applied to your Pic-Time galleries.
FAQ
What Alias/Host should I use?
You can use anything you like, but we suggest "client", "gallery", or something similar. The Alias/Host should NOT include the whole address.
Can I use a Proxy?
Proxies can't be used with the custom domain. If yours is enabled, please disable it in order for the custom domain to work.
What happens to gallery links I've already sent out?
When you enable your custom domain, the original Pic-Time links will redirect to your custom domain.
If you remove or change your custom domain, you'll need to resend the gallery invitations. You can use the Gallery Migration app or General Coupon app to notify clients of their new links.