TL;DR
Connected domains let you replace the default plutio.com URL with your own domain name on the client portal, wiki, and every client-facing page, so clients interact with your brand from the URL bar to the footer.
Plutio handles domain verification, SSL certificate provisioning through Cloudflare, and sitemap generation automatically once you add a CNAME record. Over 40% of Plutio agencies on the Pro and Max plans connect a custom domain within the first 30 days, making connected domains one of the most-activated white-label features in the platform.
Connected domains are part of Plutio's custom branding white-label add-on at $9/month on Core and Pro plans, and included at no extra cost on the Max plan at $199/month. Setup takes under 5 minutes if you have access to your DNS provider.
What connected domains are
A connected domain maps your own domain name (like portal.youragency.com or hub.yourname.com) to Plutio's client-facing pages, replacing the default workspace-name.plutio.com URL with a branded address that clients see every time they log in, review a proposal, sign a contract, or pay an invoice.
When a client visits your connected domain, Plutio serves the same client portal content but under your URL. The SSL certificate is provisioned automatically through Cloudflare, so the connection is encrypted without any manual certificate management. Plutio validates the domain by checking for a CNAME record pointing to your workspace's plutio.com address, and once verified, all client-facing traffic routes through your domain.
Workspace-level custom domains
A workspace-level connected domain applies to the entire client portal. Every client who logs in, every proposal link, every invoice payment page, and every shared file uses your domain as the base URL. The setting lives under Settings, then Customization, then Custom domain in Plutio. One domain per workspace, and the domain applies globally to all client-facing pages within that workspace.
Wiki-level custom domains
Plutio also supports connecting a separate domain to your wiki, so a knowledge base or help center can live at docs.yourbrand.com while the client portal stays at portal.yourbrand.com. Wiki domains include an optional toggle to enable search engine indexing, which generates a sitemap at your-domain.com/sitemap.xml automatically. The wiki domain is configured separately from the workspace domain under the Wiki section in Settings.
The practical result: a freelancer running a $5,000 branding project can send every touchpoint, from proposal to final invoice, through a URL that matches the brand identity being sold.
"Connecting my domain took maybe three minutes. Clients stopped asking 'what's Plutio?' because they never see it.", James T., Agency Owner
Why connected domains matter for freelancers and agencies
Every time a client visits a portal URL that shows another company's name, it reinforces that the freelancer or agency depends on external software to run their business, and for clients paying $5,000 or more per project, that impression creates a subtle credibility gap between the work being delivered and the tools delivering it.
HoneyBook limits custom URLs to its Premium tier at $129/month, which means freelancers on its $36/month Starter or $59/month Essentials plans share portals under honeybook.com branding with no way to change the URL. Dubsado does not offer custom domain connections on any plan, so every client interaction happens under dubsado.com regardless of what the freelancer pays.
The most visible credibility gap appears during high-value proposals. A designer pitching a $10,000 rebrand who sends the proposal through a URL branded with someone else's company name undermines the very expertise being sold.
The moment I connected my own domain, clients started treating the portal like it was custom-built for them. One client even complimented the portal, not knowing it was Plutio. That is exactly the point.
Plutio's approach treats the domain as part of the brand, not as a premium upsell locked behind the most expensive tier. The white-label add-on at $9/month unlocks connected domains along with logo replacement, interface color customization, and custom sending email addresses, so the entire client-facing experience matches the business identity for less than the cost of a single stock photo.
How connected domains work in Plutio
Add a CNAME record at your DNS provider, enter the domain in Plutio's Settings under Customization, and Plutio handles SSL provisioning, domain verification, and routing automatically.
Before starting, make sure the white-label add-on is active on your workspace. White-label costs $9/month on Core ($19/month) and Pro ($49/month) plans and comes with the Max plan ($199/month). You also need access to your domain's DNS settings through your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains, or similar).
Step by step
- Step 1: Log into your DNS provider and create a CNAME record. Set the host/name to the subdomain you want (e.g., "portal" for portal.yourbrand.com) and set the value/target to your-workspace.plutio.com.
- Step 2: Open Plutio, go to Settings, then Customization, then Custom domain. Enter the full domain (e.g., portal.yourbrand.com) in the Custom domain field and click Save.
- Step 3: Plutio checks for the CNAME record. If DNS has propagated, the domain verifies immediately. If not, a "pending validation" message appears and Plutio retries automatically until the record is detected.
- Step 4: Once verified, Plutio provisions an SSL certificate through Cloudflare. The domain becomes active with HTTPS encryption, and all client-facing pages within the workspace route through your custom URL.
- Step 5: Share the new URL with clients. Any existing plutio.com links continue working alongside the custom domain, so nothing breaks during the transition.
Practical tip: DNS propagation typically completes within 1-2 hours but can take up to 48 hours with some registrars. Plutio retries validation automatically, so there is no need to re-enter the domain while waiting.
Who needs connected domains
Freelancers and agencies billing premium clients ($3,000 or more per project), running ongoing retainers, or operating under a studio brand get the most value from connected domains because every client touchpoint reinforces the brand instead of advertising third-party software.
Design agencies running 5-10 active client projects see the impact most clearly. Each client logs into the portal multiple times per project to review deliverables, approve milestones, and pay invoices. Over a 6-week project with bi-weekly check-ins, that adds up to 10 or more portal visits per client, each one either reinforcing the agency's brand or reminding the client that the agency runs on someone else's platform.
Freelancers exploring HoneyBook alternatives often cite the $129/month Premium requirement for custom URLs as a reason to switch. Plutio's white-label add-on at $9/month includes connected domains, custom logo, interface colors, and custom sending email, so the total cost of a fully branded workspace on Plutio's Core plan ($19 plus $9 for white-label) is $28/month, roughly one-fifth of HoneyBook's Premium tier. Freelancers coming from Dubsado alternatives gain a capability that Dubsado does not offer at any price point.
Bottom line: any freelancer or agency sending clients to a portal more than once per project gets a measurable brand benefit from replacing the default URL with their own domain.
