How to put guest photo collection on your own domain
The address bar is the one piece of branding you cannot fake. A guest gallery on `photos.yourstudio.com` reads as your product; the same gallery on a vendor's URL with your logo bolted on reads as a tool you rent. Putting guest photo collection on your own domain is the single highest-impact step in a convincing white-label setup -- and, done right, it takes a few minutes and one DNS record. We cover the why in what white-label actually means; this is the how.
On Gathmo, custom domains are included on every paid B2B tier: the Studio plan (€59/month, €590/year) includes one custom domain, and the Agency (€149/month) and Enterprise (€499/month) plans include unlimited domains -- one per client brand if you run several. Studio keeps a light residual mark; full end-to-end de-branding (no 'powered by' anywhere) starts at Agency. So the domain and the de-branding are two settings you control, not a sales negotiation.
The walkthrough below assumes you control the DNS for the domain (or have your client's IT contact on hand). The exact target address to point at is shown in your Gathmo dashboard when you add a domain -- use whatever it gives you rather than guessing. To pick the right tier first, see Studio vs Agency and the pricing page.
What you will need
- A paid Gathmo plan (Studio for one domain, Agency+ for unlimited)
- A domain you control, plus access to its DNS settings
- About 5 minutes (DNS propagation can take longer in the background)
Choose the subdomain guests will see
Decide the web address the gallery will load on -- something like photos.yourstudio.com, share.yourbrand.com or memories.yourstudio.com. A subdomain is the usual choice because it leaves your main website untouched while giving the gallery a branded home. Keep it short and obviously yours; guests will see it on the QR sign and in the address bar, so it is part of the brand impression.
Add the domain in your Gathmo dashboard
In your brand settings, add the custom domain you chose. Gathmo will show you the exact DNS target to point at -- a hostname to use in a CNAME record. Copy that target; it is what links your subdomain to your Gathmo-hosted gallery. On Studio you can add one domain; on Agency and Enterprise you can add as many as you have client brands.
Create the CNAME record at your DNS provider
In your domain's DNS settings (at your registrar or DNS host), create a CNAME record: the name is your chosen subdomain (e.g. 'photos'), and the value is the target Gathmo gave you. Save it. If your DNS is behind a proxy that forces records to be proxied, follow Gathmo's guidance for that provider so verification can complete. DNS changes usually take effect within minutes but can take longer to propagate fully.
Verify and let SSL provision
Back in Gathmo, trigger verification for the domain. Once the CNAME resolves, the domain is confirmed and an SSL certificate is provisioned automatically, so the gallery loads over HTTPS with no extra work from you. There is nothing to buy or renew -- the secure padlock is part of the setup. If verification does not complete, the usual cause is the CNAME not yet propagating or a proxy setting; give it time or adjust the record.
Brand the guest page and test it end to end
Set your logo, accent colour and fonts so the gallery matches your identity, then open the QR flow on your phone as a guest would: scan, upload a photo, and confirm everything loads on your domain with your branding. On Agency the experience is fully de-branded; on Studio a light residual mark remains. Once it looks right, generate the QR sign -- it will point at your branded, custom-domain gallery for the lifetime of the event.
Quick recap
- Pick a short, branded subdomain (photos.yourstudio.com)
- Add the domain in Gathmo and copy the CNAME target it shows
- Create the CNAME record at your DNS provider and save
- Verify in Gathmo; SSL provisions automatically over HTTPS
- Brand the page, then test the QR upload flow as a guest
Frequently asked
Add a custom domain in your Gathmo brand settings, copy the CNAME target it shows you, create that CNAME record at your DNS provider (name = your subdomain like 'photos', value = the target), then verify in Gathmo. An SSL certificate provisions automatically, so the gallery loads securely on your own address (for example photos.yourstudio.com). The whole process takes a few minutes plus DNS propagation time.
Every paid B2B tier. Studio (€59/month, €590/year) includes one custom domain; Agency (€149/month) and Enterprise (€499/month) include unlimited custom domains. Studio keeps a light residual brand mark, while Agency and Enterprise provide full end-to-end de-branding. So if you need the gallery completely your own across multiple client brands, Agency is the tier; for a single branded domain to start, Studio is enough.
No. Once your custom domain is verified, Gathmo provisions and renews the SSL certificate automatically, so the guest gallery loads over HTTPS with the secure padlock and no action from you. There is nothing to purchase, install or renew. This is part of what makes a custom domain practical to set up in minutes rather than a technical project.
A CNAME record is a DNS entry that points one hostname at another -- here, it points your chosen subdomain (e.g. photos.yourstudio.com) at the target Gathmo provides, linking your address to your Gathmo-hosted gallery. You add it in your domain's DNS settings, which live at your domain registrar or DNS host. Gathmo shows the exact target to use when you add the domain, so you copy and paste rather than guess.
Adding the record takes a couple of minutes; DNS propagation usually completes within minutes but can occasionally take longer. Once the CNAME resolves, Gathmo verifies the domain and SSL provisions automatically. If verification does not complete immediately, the most common reasons are propagation still in progress or a DNS proxy setting -- waiting a little longer or adjusting the record resolves it.
Yes, on the Agency and Enterprise plans, which include unlimited custom domains. You can give every client brand its own gallery address (photos.clientbrand.com), each with its own logo and colours, all managed from one account. This is the foundation of running guest media as a productized service across multiple clients. The Studio plan is limited to one custom domain.
On the Agency and Enterprise plans the experience is fully de-branded -- guests see only your brand on your domain, with no 'powered by' anywhere. On the Studio plan a light residual mark remains alongside your branding. So a custom domain on Studio gives you a branded address with a small residual trace, while Agency makes the gallery indistinguishable from a product you built yourself.
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