---
title: Jamdesk Subdomains
description: Your default yourproject.jamdesk.app subdomain -- naming rules, how to change it, and when to switch to a custom domain.
---

Every Jamdesk project gets a free subdomain at `yourproject.jamdesk.app`. This is your default documentation URL and works immediately after your first deployment.

## How Subdomains Work

When you create a project, Jamdesk automatically assigns a subdomain based on your project slug:

| Project Slug | Subdomain |
|--------------|-----------|
| `my-docs` | `my-docs.jamdesk.app` |
| `acme-api` | `acme-api.jamdesk.app` |
| `company-help` | `company-help.jamdesk.app` |

Your subdomain is active as soon as your first build completes.

## Subdomain Naming Rules

Subdomains must follow these rules:
- Lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only
- Must start with a letter
- Cannot start or end with a hyphen
- 3-63 characters long
- Must be unique across all Jamdesk projects

## Changing Your Subdomain

To change your subdomain:

1. Go to your project in the [Dashboard](https://dashboard.jamdesk.com)
2. Open **Settings** → **General**
3. Update the **Project Slug** field
4. Click **Save**

<Warning>
Changing your subdomain breaks existing links. Search engines and external sites linking to your old subdomain will get 404 errors. Consider setting up a custom domain instead if you need URL stability.
</Warning>

After changing:
- Your new subdomain is active immediately
- The old subdomain returns 404
- Bookmarks and external links break
- Search engine rankings reset

## SSL Certificates

SSL certificates are automatically provisioned for all `*.jamdesk.app` subdomains. HTTPS is required—HTTP requests redirect to HTTPS.

## Rate Limits

Jamdesk subdomains share infrastructure with other projects. For high-traffic documentation:
- Consider a custom domain for dedicated resources
- Contact support if you expect sustained high traffic

## When to Use a Custom Domain

Use a custom domain when:
- You need URL stability (subdomain changes break links)
- You want your docs at `docs.yourcompany.com`
- You need to match your company's domain
- Your documentation is customer-facing

See [Custom Domains](/deploy/custom-domains) for setup instructions.

## Subdomain vs. Custom Domain

| Feature | Subdomain | Custom Domain |
|---------|-----------|---------------|
| Setup time | Instant | 10-30 minutes |
| Cost | Free | Free (you provide domain) |
| URL format | `project.jamdesk.app` | `docs.yourdomain.com` |
| SSL | Automatic | Automatic |
| Branding | Jamdesk branded | Your brand |
| URL stability | Tied to project slug | Permanent |

## What's Next?

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Custom Domains" icon="globe" href="/deploy/custom-domains">
    Set up docs.yourdomain.com
  </Card>
  <Card title="DNS Troubleshooting" icon="server" href="/help/troubleshooting/dns-issues">
    Fix domain configuration issues
  </Card>
</Columns>