Should my portfolio domain be my full name or a studio name?

Full name (janedoe.com) is strongest for personal brands — employers and clients search by your name. A studio name (janedoephoto.com) works if you want to brand yourself as an agency or collaborative. Avoid ambiguous or trendy names; your portfolio domain should age well over your career.

Which TLD is best for a portfolio website?

.com is always the strongest choice and the most professional. If your name is taken, try variations (janedoephoto.com, jdoe-photo.com). Niche TLDs like .photography or .design are trending but weaker than a modified .com. Save those only if they're genuinely part of your brand.

Do I need a domain if I'm using Behance, Dribbble, or another portfolio platform?

Platforms like Behance and Dribbble are great for discovery, but a custom domain gives you complete control and looks more professional. You can have both: use your domain as your main portfolio (on Squarespace, Webflow, etc.) and cross-link to your platform profiles. Clients searching 'janedoe designer' should find janedoe.com first.

How do I connect my domain to Squarespace, Webflow, or Framer?

Each builder has a built-in DNS setup guide. Log into your registrar (Namecheap), copy the nameserver addresses from your portfolio builder's settings, and paste them into your domain's DNS settings. Changes take 12–48 hours to propagate globally. All three platforms have step-by-step guides in their support docs.

Can I use my portfolio domain for email?

Yes — email is one of the best uses. Set up free email forwarding (hello@yourname.com → your.gmail.com) immediately. If you want a more professional setup with unlimited email addresses, upgrade to paid email hosting ($2–5/month) through Namecheap, Hostinger, or your portfolio builder. A domain email looks more credible than Gmail when clients receive your invoices.

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