Setting up your site: the launch checklist

When you first log in, you'll see a site setup guide — a floating checklist that walks you through everything needed to go live. Here's each step explained.

1. Add a Scene

Upload your first video or photo content. Don't worry about having a big library yet — one scene is enough to get started. See Uploading videos and Uploading photo galleries for details.

2. Add a Performer

Create a profile for everyone who appears in your content — including yourself. Performer profiles get their own page on your site where fans can browse everything that person appears in.

3. Upload Performer Docs

Upload the compliance documents (ID and model release) for each performer. This is a legal requirement for adult content and must be complete before your site can be approved. See Compliance documents for performers.

4. Add a Category

Categories help fans find what they're looking for. Create a few that describe your content — they'll appear as browseable tags on your site.

5. Upload your Logo

Add your logo so your site feels like your brand from day one. You can update it any time from Site → Structure (Site Logo section on the Home page view).

6. Customize your Template Colors

Pick a theme and personalize the colors to match your brand. You can go much deeper later — fonts, layout, sections — but colors are the quickest win. See Choosing and customizing your theme.

7. Connect your domain

Your site runs on your own domain name. You'll update your nameservers at your registrar and your domain's WHOIS details. If your domain already has email or another site on it, check the warning about existing DNS records before you change anything — see Connecting your domain (nameservers, existing DNS records, and WHOIS).

8. Submit for approval

You need at least 10 published scenes before you can submit. The checklist shows your progress (for example "6 / 10") so you always know how many more you need. This isn't busywork — a site with a thin library rarely gets approved by the billing partners, and it converts poorly with members.

Submitting does not take your site live. It tells us you're ready, and starts the approval process. Here's the full sequence:

1. You submit.
2. We review your site and your documents — including 2257 paperwork — in batches.
3. Domain and DNS setup begins; instructions appear after you submit.
4. We submit your site to the bank for approval.
5. The bank approves, then the Paysite team removes demo mode and takes your site live.

Two things worth knowing: don't wait for document approval before submitting — document review is part of what submitting kicks off. And approval alone doesn't mean launched; your site goes live when we remove demo mode in the final step. See Site updates and demo access for what to do while you wait.

Tip: you can close the checklist at any time and reopen it later — your progress is saved automatically.