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Subdomain Management

Your brewery's subdomain determines the URL where customers access your taplist. This guide covers how to change your subdomain and best practices for URL management.

Understanding Subdomains

What is a Subdomain?

Your brewery's subdomain creates a unique URL for your taplist:

  • Format: https://yourbrewery.taplists.raspberrypints.com
  • Purpose: Customer-facing URL for your digital beer menu
  • Uniqueness: Each subdomain must be unique across all RaspberryPints users

Subdomain Components

Breaking down your taplist URL:

  • Protocol: https:// (secure connection)
  • Subdomain: yourbrewery (your custom identifier)
  • Domain: .taplists.raspberrypints.com (RaspberryPints platform)

When to Change Your Subdomain

Common Reasons for Changes

  • Rebranding - Your brewery name has changed
  • Simplification - Making the URL easier to remember or type
  • Marketing - Aligning with new marketing campaigns
  • Correction - Fixing typos or improving clarity

Important Considerations

Before changing your subdomain, consider:

  • Customer Impact - Existing bookmarks and links will break
  • Marketing Materials - QR codes, printed materials, and social media will need updates
  • SEO Impact - Search engine rankings may be affected
  • Communication - You'll need to notify customers of the change

How to Change Your Subdomain

Prerequisites

  • Active RaspberryPints account
  • Brewery already set up and assigned to a license
  • Admin access to your brewery

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Access Subdomain Settings

  1. Log into your account at login
  2. Navigate to My Account - Your main account dashboard
  3. Find your brewery - Locate the brewery whose subdomain you want to change
  4. Open actions menu - Click the three-dots menu button (⋮) next to your brewery actions
  5. Select "Update Subdomain" - This opens the subdomain management modal

Step 2: Enter New Subdomain

  1. Current subdomain display - Review your current subdomain at the top of the modal
  2. Enter new subdomain - Type your desired new subdomain in the input field
  3. Real-time validation - The system checks your input as you type
  4. Availability check - Wait for confirmation that your subdomain is available

Step 3: Validation and Availability

The system automatically validates your subdomain choice:

Format Requirements:

  • Must be 3-40 characters long
  • Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only
  • Cannot start or end with a hyphen
  • Must be unique across all RaspberryPints users

Real-time Feedback:

  • ✓ Green checkmark - Subdomain is available and valid
  • ✗ Red X - Subdomain is taken or invalid format
  • ⏳ Loading spinner - Checking availability

Step 4: Complete the Change

  1. Review new URL - Confirm your new subdomain creates the URL you want
  2. Click "Update Subdomain" - Submit your change request
  3. Processing - The system updates your subdomain immediately
  4. Confirmation - Success message confirms the change

Subdomain Requirements and Guidelines

Technical Requirements

Character Rules

  • Length: 3 to 40 characters
  • Allowed characters: a-z, 0-9, hyphens (-)
  • Case: Lowercase only (automatically converted)
  • Special restrictions: Cannot start or end with hyphen

Examples of Valid Subdomains

  • hoppy-trails-brewing
  • mainstreet-brewery
  • craftbeer2024
  • mountainview-ales
  • brewery-on-main

Examples of Invalid Subdomains

  • ab (too short - minimum 3 characters)
  • this-is-a-very-long-brewery-name-that-exceeds-limits (too long - maximum 40 characters)
  • -hops-brewery (starts with hyphen)
  • brewery-name- (ends with hyphen)
  • Hoppy-Trails (contains uppercase letters)
  • brewery@main (contains invalid characters)

Best Practices

Choosing a Good Subdomain

Make it memorable:

  • Use your brewery name or abbreviation
  • Keep it short and easy to type
  • Avoid complex spellings or numbers

Make it practical:

  • Consider how it sounds when spoken
  • Think about how it looks on business cards
  • Ensure it's easy to type on mobile devices

Examples of Well-Chosen Subdomains:

  • riversidebrewing (clear brewery name)
  • hopheads-taproom (descriptive and memorable)
  • mainst-brewery (good abbreviation)
  • craftworks-2024 (includes year for distinction)

After Changing Your Subdomain

Immediate Actions Required

Update All References

  1. Business materials - Update business cards, flyers, menus
  2. Digital presence - Update website, social media profiles
  3. QR codes - Generate new QR codes with updated URL
  4. Staff training - Ensure staff knows the new URL

Customer Communication

  1. Announce the change - Post on social media about the URL change
  2. Email customers - If you have a customer email list, notify them
  3. In-venue signage - Update any printed materials in your brewery
  4. Transition period - Be prepared to help customers find the new URL

Technical Considerations

URL Redirection

  • Old URLs stop working - The previous subdomain immediately becomes available for other users
  • No automatic redirection - RaspberryPints doesn't redirect old URLs to new ones
  • Bookmark updates - Customers need to update their bookmarks manually

Search Engine Impact

  • SEO reset - Search engines will need time to index the new URL
  • Link building - You may need to rebuild inbound links
  • Local listings - Update your URL in Google My Business and other directories

Troubleshooting Subdomain Changes

Common Issues

Problem: "Subdomain already taken"
Solutions:

  • Try adding numbers or location identifiers (brewery-downtown, ales-2024)
  • Use abbreviations (st-brewing instead of street-brewing)
  • Consider alternative brewery name variations
  • Add your city or state (brewery-austin, hops-colorado)

Problem: "Invalid subdomain format"
Solutions:

  • Remove special characters except hyphens
  • Ensure subdomain doesn't start or end with hyphen
  • Check that length is between 3-40 characters
  • Convert uppercase letters to lowercase

Problem: "Update Subdomain option not visible"
Solutions:

  • Verify you have a brewery assigned to your license
  • Refresh your browser and try again
  • Ensure you're logged into the correct account
  • Contact support if the option remains missing

Problem: "Changes not taking effect"
Solutions:

  • Clear your browser cache and cookies
  • Try accessing the new URL in an incognito/private window
  • Wait a few minutes for changes to propagate
  • Check that you're using the correct new URL

Browser and Technical Issues

Requirements for subdomain changes:

  • Modern web browser with JavaScript enabled
  • Stable internet connection
  • Cookies allowed for session management
  • No browser extensions blocking forms

Planning Your Subdomain Strategy

For New Breweries

Choose wisely from the start:

  • Consider future growth and potential name changes
  • Think about how the URL will appear in marketing
  • Research to ensure the subdomain represents your brand well
  • Consider trademark and brand consistency

For Established Breweries

Plan the transition carefully:

  • Timing - Choose a time that minimizes customer disruption
  • Communication - Plan a comprehensive announcement strategy
  • Materials - Inventory all items that need updating
  • Staff preparation - Ensure your team is ready to help customers

Multiple Locations

If you expand to multiple locations:

  • Each brewery location requires its own license and subdomain
  • Consider naming conventions that work across locations
  • Plan consistent branding across all subdomains

Security and Access

Protecting Your Subdomain

Once chosen, your subdomain:

  • Cannot be claimed by others while your brewery is active
  • Automatically becomes available if your license expires
  • Can be changed at any time while you have an active license

Account Security

Keep your account secure:

  • Use strong passwords for your RaspberryPints account
  • Don't share admin access unnecessarily
  • Regularly review who has access to make changes

Getting Support

When to Contact Support

Contact RaspberryPints support if you experience:

  • Technical errors during subdomain changes
  • Subdomain appears taken but you believe it should be available
  • Old subdomain not releasing properly
  • Issues with brewery assignment after subdomain change

What to Include in Support Requests

  • Account email - Your RaspberryPints login email
  • Current subdomain - Your existing subdomain (if any)
  • Desired subdomain - What you're trying to change to
  • Error messages - Any specific error text you're seeing
  • Screenshots - Visual documentation of the issue

Your subdomain is an important part of your brewery's digital identity. Choose it carefully and update it thoughtfully to ensure the best experience for your customers.