What does “Preview” mean?
ArtSites is still being built, and we’d rather say so plainly than hide it. Most things work. Some things don’t yet, and a few will change as we learn what artists actually need. While we’re in preview you’ll see a small Preview badge in your dashboard and editor.

Could my website disappear?
Yes. During the preview we may wipe everything and start again, at any time and without notice. That means your account, your profile, your website, and everything you’ve uploaded. We do this so we can fix the foundations properly instead of working around them. Please treat ArtSites as a place to try things out, not as the home of your work.

So what should I keep?
Everything. Keep your own copies of your images, your artwork details, and any text you write, somewhere you control. If ArtSites is reset, you’ll be able to sign up again and rebuild, but we won’t be able to bring anything back for you.

Will I be charged during the preview?
No. Nothing is charged while ArtSites is in preview. You can try the free profile and the Pro website without a credit card. We’ll tell you clearly before paid plans begin, and we’ll never charge you for something that might be wiped.

Can I share my site address with people?
Only with people who understand it’s a preview. A page you share today might change, break, or vanish tomorrow. Please don’t print the address on cards or point collectors to it yet.

Is artsites.co the final address?
No. artsites.co is a preview address, and it will change when ArtSites moves to its permanent home. That goes for every address you get here: your Custom URL, and any website address you set up. We’ll tell you the new address when we move. Until then, please don’t print or publish a artsites.co address anywhere that’s hard to change.

When will my work be safe?
When ArtSites moves to its permanent home. From that point we keep your data the way any live service should: backed up, recoverable, and never deliberately reset. We’ll announce the move here and by email, and the Preview badge will tell you where things stand in the meantime.

Why does signup ask me to tick a box about the preview?
Because we want you here with your eyes open. The box confirms you’ve read that your work may be wiped without notice. It’s the same information as this section and the help article.

Something isn’t working. What should I do?
Tell us. Use the contact page, or the Get help button in your dashboard, or the Feedback tab on the right-hand edge of the page if you can see one. Reports from artists at this stage genuinely shape what we build next, and a real person replies.

What is ArtSites?
ArtSites is an online platform that creates professional portfolio websites specifically for visual artists. You don’t need any technical skills: choose a starter design, upload your artwork, and your site is live.

Who is ArtSites for?
ArtSites is for visual artists: painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, ceramicists, textile artists, mixed media artists, and anyone else who creates visual work. If you make art and want to show it online, ArtSites is built for you.

How is ArtSites different from Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress?
Those are general-purpose website builders. They can do almost anything, which means you spend your time configuring, customising, and troubleshooting. ArtSites does one thing well: artist portfolio websites. Your gallery, artwork pages, and collections are built in from the start, not bolted on through plugins or workarounds.

Do I need any technical skills?
No. If you can fill in a form and upload a photo, you can build an ArtSites website. There is no code to write, no design to configure, and no plugins to install.

How long does it take to set up a site?
Most artists have a basic portfolio live within 30 minutes. The time depends mainly on how much artwork you want to upload at the start; you can always add more later.

Is the free plan really free?
Yes. The free portfolio is a real product, not a limited trial. You get an artist profile with a portfolio, an about page, a contact page, your own Custom URL, and a place in the artist directory when you want one. There’s no time limit and no credit card required.

What do I get with Pro?
A website of your own. Your own address, your own Design (colours, typography, and layout), your own pages, a blog, events, and newsletters. You can bring a domain name you already own, group your work into collections, add several images to each artwork, and show every work you’ve made. See the Features page for the full list.

Does Pro let me add more artwork than the free plan?
No, and neither plan limits how much work you can make. You can add, edit, and keep your whole body of work on either one. Your free profile shows a curated 20 works, and you choose which; a website of your own has no such number, because it’s yours rather than a spot on ours.

Can I move between plans at any time?
Yes, in both directions and whenever you like. Move up to Pro when you’re ready. Move back to the free plan if Pro isn’t for you: your website is put away with everything on it kept, ready to come back, and your profile, your Custom URL, and the works shown on them don’t change at all.

Can I cancel my Pro plan? What happens to my site?
Any time, and it’s as easy as signing up: the option is never hidden. It lives on your Plan page, which sets out every choice side by side, from Move to Basic through to leaving altogether, and tells you what each one keeps before you pick. Or just ask us and we’ll do it with you. Your Pro plan stays active until the end of the period you’ve already paid for, and we won’t charge you again. After that, your site moves back to the free plan. Nothing is lost: your artwork and content are kept, and you can resubscribe whenever you like to bring your full site back.

Is there a free trial for Pro?
Yes. Every new account starts with a free 10-day trial of Pro, no credit card required. If the trial ends and you haven’t upgraded, nothing is lost: your website is put away with everything on it kept, ready to come back, and you keep your free profile. Your Custom URL stays yours the whole time, so no one else can claim it, and your profile carries on using it. Upgrade whenever you’re ready and your website comes back at the same address, exactly as it was.

What are Group sites?
Group sites let multiple artists share a single website, ideal for collectives, galleries, studios, and art centres. Each artist manages their own profile and artwork; the group administrator controls the shared design and menu. Contact us for details.

What payment methods do you accept?
Once paid plans begin, we accept all major credit and debit cards through Stripe. Annual plans cost less than twelve months at the monthly rate, and can also be paid by e-transfer or cheque.

Do I get a web address with my free account?
Yes. Every account gets a free artsites.co address (e.g., artsites.co/yourname), and your free trial of Pro also gives you a website of your own at yourname.artsites.co. Pro accounts can also use a custom domain.

Can I use my own domain name?
Yes, with a Pro plan. You can register a new domain through us or connect one you already own. We handle the DNS configuration.

What happens to my domain if I leave ArtSites?
If you move to the free plan, nothing: the address stays yours and works again the moment your website is back. If you registered your domain through ArtSites, you own it. When you leave altogether, we’ll offer to help you transfer it to another provider so you keep it. If you’d rather not, that’s fine too: we won’t charge you to keep renewing a domain you’re not using, so we let the registration expire. If you connected an external domain, simply update your DNS settings.

Do you support .art domains?
Yes, we can register a .art address for you. It costs more than most of the addresses included with your plan, and we’ll always show you the exact price for the one you want before anything is charged.

Is there a limit on how many artworks I can upload?
No. On every plan you can add, edit, and keep as much work as you like. What a plan sets is how much is shown: a free artist profile shows 20 works, and you choose which ones. A Pro website shows everything you’ve made.

What image formats do you accept?
JPEG, PNG, or WebP. We recommend JPEG for photographs of artwork and PNG for digital work with sharp edges or transparency.

Do you resize my images?
We generate optimised versions of your images for fast loading at different screen sizes. Your original upload is preserved.

Can I organise my artwork into collections?
Yes, on every plan. Make as many collections as you like: by series, medium, year, exhibition, or however you organise your practice. Your free profile shows one of them at a time, and you choose which; a website of your own shows as many as you like.

Can I sell artwork through ArtSites?
Not currently. ArtSites is focused on showcasing and sharing your work. For sales, we recommend linking to your preferred marketplace or inviting collectors to contact you directly.

I’m on ArtSites.ca: what changes for me?
Nothing, unless you choose to move. Your existing site continues to work exactly as it does today. Your domain, your artwork, your collections, all unchanged.

Can I move to the new platform?
Yes, when you’re ready. We’ll provide a migration path that preserves your artwork, content, and domain. We’ll help you through the process.

Will ArtSites.ca shut down?
The original ArtSites will continue to run for the artists on it. New signups come to the new ArtSites.

Where is my site hosted?
ArtSites sites are hosted on cloud infrastructure in the United States, with automatic nightly backups.

Is my site secure?
Yes. All ArtSites sites are served over HTTPS. We handle security updates and monitoring so you don’t have to.

Can search engines find my site?
Yes. ArtSites sites are fully indexable by search engines. We generate proper metadata and sitemaps, and every artwork page includes structured data: extra, invisible details built into the page that tell search engines and AI tools exactly what a work is, its title, medium, size and image, so it can be found and described correctly.

Who owns my content?
You do. Your artwork, text, and data are yours. You can delete your content at any time, and if you’d like a portable copy of it, get in touch and a person will put one together for you. See our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for details.