By default, your transfer and request links live at app.dropbucket.io. On a lifetime plan you can move them to your own address, like files.youragency.com. Clients see your domain in the link, in the address bar and on every download and upload page.

Custom domains come with the lifetime plans: Solo includes 1, Studio 3 and Agency 10. Each domain belongs to one brand, so an agency can give each client brand its own address.

The free plan doesn’t include custom domains. If a paid plan is refunded, your domain stops being used and links go back to app.dropbucket.io addresses. The domain stays saved in Settings, so it starts working again if you buy a plan.

What you need

  • A Dropbucket lifetime plan.
  • A domain you own, and access to wherever its DNS is managed (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Route 53, your registrar and so on).
  • A subdomain you aren’t using for anything else, such as files, share or transfer. Use a subdomain rather than your bare domain: the bare domain usually can’t take the CNAME record this needs.

Step 1: Add the domain in Dropbucket

  1. Go to Settings → Branding.
  2. Find the brand you want the domain for. Under Custom domain, type the full address, for example files.youragency.com.
  3. Press Save domain.

Dropbucket now shows two DNS records under “Add these two DNS records where your domain is managed, then verify”:

CNAME  files.youragency.com  →  cname.vercel-dns.com
TXT    _dropbucket.files.youragency.com  →  (a code unique to your brand)

The CNAME points your subdomain at Dropbucket’s hosting. The TXT record proves the domain is yours, so nobody else can claim it.

Step 2: Add the records at your DNS provider

Sign in to your DNS provider and add both records exactly as shown.

  1. CNAME record. Name: files (or your full subdomain). Target or value: cname.vercel-dns.com.
  2. TXT record. Name: _dropbucket.files. Value: the code from Dropbucket. Copy it, don’t retype it.

Many DNS providers add your root domain to the name for you. If you type files.youragency.com as the name, some will turn it into files.youragency.com.youragency.com. If in doubt, enter just the part before your domain (files and _dropbucket.files) and check the preview.

Leave the TTL at its default.

If your DNS is on Cloudflare

Set the CNAME record’s proxy status to DNS only (the grey cloud), not Proxied (the orange cloud). A proxied record stops the HTTPS certificate from being issued, and the domain won’t connect. TXT records aren’t proxied, so there’s nothing to change there.

Step 3: Verify the domain

  1. Back in Settings → Branding, press Verify domain.
  2. Dropbucket looks up the TXT record. When it matches, you’ll see “files.youragency.com is verified as yours.”
  3. The button changes to Check connection. Press it any time to see where things stand.

DNS changes can take a few minutes to show up, sometimes longer. If the record isn’t visible yet you’ll see “No TXT record found at _dropbucket.files.youragency.com yet.” Wait a few minutes and press the button again.

Step 4: Wait for HTTPS

Once the domain is verified, Dropbucket connects it to its hosting and the certificate is issued automatically. You don’t need to buy or upload anything.

Press Check connection to see the status:

  • “Ownership confirmed. Now point the CNAME at cname.vercel-dns.com…” means the TXT record is fine but the CNAME isn’t visible yet, or points somewhere else. Check the record, and on Cloudflare check it’s DNS only.
  • “Connected. HTTPS is issued automatically and is usually ready within a few minutes.” means you’re done. Give it a few minutes before you test a link.

Now and then you’ll be asked for one more TXT record because the domain is already used elsewhere on the same hosting platform. Dropbucket shows the exact record. Add it, then press Check connection again.

What changes after you connect

  • New transfer and request links for that brand use your domain.
  • The links list in Dropbucket shows the new address for that brand’s links.
  • Links you sent before still work at their old app.dropbucket.io address.
  • Only download and upload pages are served on your domain. You still sign in and manage everything at app.dropbucket.io.

Update your bucket’s CORS rule

Clients uploading through a request link on your domain send files from that domain straight to your bucket. The bucket’s CORS rule has to allow it.

When you verify a domain, Dropbucket tries to add it to the rule for you. That works when your storage key is allowed to change bucket settings (Amazon S3 and Wasabi with the policies in our guides, for example). With bucket-scoped keys on Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2 and DigitalOcean Spaces it usually can’t, so add the domain yourself. Your rule’s origins should end up like this:

"AllowedOrigins": [
  "https://app.dropbucket.io",
  "https://files.youragency.com"
]

Use https://, no trailing slash, one entry per domain. Each provider guide shows where the rule lives: Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, Amazon S3, iDrive e2 and DigitalOcean Spaces.

To test it, open a request link on your domain and upload a small file. If it fails straight away, the domain is probably missing from the CORS rule.

Troubleshooting

“Custom domains come with a lifetime plan.” The free plan doesn’t include custom domains. Upgrade to Solo, Studio or Agency.

“You’ve used all your custom domains.” Your plan’s domain limit is reached. Remove a domain from another brand, or move to a bigger plan.

“The TXT record doesn’t match. Copy the value exactly.” Usually a stray space or a missing character. Copy the value again from Dropbucket.

“That domain is already connected to another account.” Someone else has verified that domain in Dropbucket. If it’s yours, get in touch.

“Enter a domain like files.youragency.com.” Type the address only, without https:// or a path.

The domain is verified, but links show a certificate warning. HTTPS can take a few minutes after the CNAME is in place. On Cloudflare, check the record is DNS only.

Uploads on your domain fail, but work on app.dropbucket.io. The CORS rule doesn’t include your domain yet. See above.

Changing or removing a domain

Clear the domain field and press Remove domain, or type a new one and press Save domain. Links for that brand go back to app.dropbucket.io (or move to the new domain once it’s verified).

Links you already sent on the old domain stop working once it’s removed, so send fresh links to anyone who still needs them. Then tidy up the old DNS records.

Ready to try it? Create a free Dropbucket account, connect your bucket and upgrade when you want your own domain.