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1. Starter Guide: Your First Steps
1. Starter Guide: Your First Steps

Welcome to The Pattern Cloud (TPC)! This guide provides everything you need to know about managing your studio’s website backend

Juan Lagrange avatar
Written by Juan Lagrange
Updated yesterday

Accessing Your Studio Website

Now that you’ve signed up for TPC, your studio has access to a wide range of resources. You will use your email and the provided password to log in.

Backend vs. Frontend

  • The Backend is where you manage your studio’s designs, sales, invoices, high-resolution files, stock, user accounts, and pricing.

  • The Frontend is the customer-facing side where buyers log in to view and purchase designs.

Important: TPC does not have access to or view your design work.

Website Links

  • Backend (Admin Panel): admin.thepatterncloud.com

  • Frontend (Your Customer Site): yourstudioname.thepatterncloud.com or your custom subdomain

Setting Up Your Studio Website

1.0 Choosing Your Setup Type

Your studio website is hosted on TPC’s servers.

To get started, let your TPC contact know which setup you require:

  • Option A: A full studio website with a homepage and additional pages

  • Option B: A secure area where designs are displayed, integrated into your existing website

Once the TPC administrator has set up your website, log in to the Backend at admin.thepatterncloud.com using your credentials.

Next Steps: Login to the Backend

After your website is set up, you can log into the admin panel (backend) at admin.thepatterncloud.com using your credentials

1.1 Setting Up Your Domain

Choose between these two options:

Option 1: Use a Pattern Cloud Subdomain

  • Example: yourstudioname.thepatterncloud.com

  • Pros: Quick setup and includes free SSL security (site is marked as secure).

  • Cons: Uses Pattern Cloud’s branding in the URL.

TPC can set this up for you immediately.

Option 2: Use Your Own Subdomain

  • Example: design.yourstudio.com

  • Pros: Uses your branding.

  • Cons: Requires setup on your domain registrar and may have additional costs.

Email Us with Your Decision

Once you’ve chosen your option and domain, email us so we can configure everything on our end and TPC developers can activate your domain.

How to Set Up Your Own Subdomain

  1. Log in to your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap).

  2. Create a subdomain (e.g., design.yourstudio.com).

  3. Point the subdomain to TPC’s server IP: 54.247.163.72.

  4. Notify [email protected] once this is done, so we can connect your site.

  5. Add a menu button on your main website linking to your studio shop.

SSL Security for Custom Domains

If you use Option 1 (thepatterncloud.com subdomain), the SSL is included.

If you choose Option 2 (using your own subdomain), you will need to update your domain's DNS settings by adding a CNAME record or an A record, depending on what your domain provider supports.

a. Access Your Domain Provider’s DNS Settings

Log in to your domain provider’s account and navigate to the DNS Management or DNS Settings section.

b. Add a CNAME Record (Recommended)

If your domain provider supports CNAME records, add the following:

  • Type: CNAME

  • Host/Name: (Enter your preferred subdomain, e.g., shop if your full subdomain will be shop.yourdomain.com)

  • Value/Target: setup.thepatterncloud.com

  • TTL: Default (or 1 hour if required)

Alternative - Add an A Record

If your domain provider does not support CNAME records, you can add an A Record instead:

  • Type: A

  • Host/Name: (Your subdomain, e.g., shop for shop.yourdomain.com)

  • Value/IP Address: 54.247.163.72

  • TTL: Default (or 1 hour if required)

c. Save Your Changes

After adding the record, save the changes. DNS updates may take a few minutes to several hours to propagate.

d. Verify Your Setup

Once your DNS changes have propagated, visit your subdomain (e.g., shop.yourdomain.com) in a browser to ensure it points to The Pattern Cloud.

If you experience any issues, please contact your domain provider’s support team or reach out to The Pattern Cloud support team for assistance.

Switching Domains Later

If you initially choose Option 1 for speed, you can switch to Option 2 later once your custom subdomain is ready.

1.2 Customizing Appearance

To update your website’s appearance, go to Appearance (note: this may take a few moments to load). Here, you can customize:

  • Company Name

  • Logo (Recommended height: 46 pixels; any length)

  • Watermark Logo (Optional: watermark PDFs for VIP customer downloads)

  • Home Link (Destination URL when users click your studio’s icon)

  • Non-Exclusive Collection Label (Customizes the tab name for non-exclusive designs on the Frontend)

  • Images & Icons (Customize visuals for different sections, including main and non-exclusive collections)

  • Colors & Styles (Modify button colors, backgrounds, and more via the color selector)

  • Email Address (Used for site notifications, such as customer sign-ups and order confirmations—e.g., [email protected] or [email protected])

  • Bank Details (Customize invoice payment details; ensure currency-specific information is set correctly for multi-currency invoicing)

Important: Save Your Changes

Once you've made your updates, click "Save" to ensure your changes are applied. Unsaved updates will be lost.

1.3 Managing Website Content

The Content section allows you to customize the default text that comes with the system.

You can add any information about your business that you feel is necessary.

All content fields contain pre-filled text from TPC, which you can modify or replace with your own.

Content Sections by Studio Type

Type A Studio (Full Studio Website)

If you have a full studio website, you can update the following sections:

  • Contact – Enter your studio’s contact details.

  • Terms and Conditions – A standard template is provided. You can either update it with your company’s details or replace it with your own.

  • FAQs – Add common customer questions and responses.

  • About – Provide information about your studio and the services you offer.

  • Cookie Policy – Explains how cookies are used on your site.

  • Privacy Policy – A standard privacy policy is provided. You’ll need to insert your company details where applicable.

When updating content, ensure you edit both the title and the main body of the text as needed.

Type B Studio (Integrated Secure Area)

If your studio setup includes only a secure area for showcasing designs, the following sections will be available:

  • Cookie Policy

  • Terms and Conditions

  • Privacy Policy

Editing Content After Your Site is Live

You can update any of these sections at any time, even after your website is live.

Once you’ve made changes, be sure to save them to apply updates to your site.

1.4 Homepage (For Option A Users Only)

The Homepage is the first page your customers see when they visit your Type A studio website.

Adding Images

To ensure fast loading times and proper display, use the exact image sizes recommended.

  1. Click Replace to upload a new image.

  2. Select an image from your files and click Open.

  3. The uploaded image will appear in the designated box.

Image Titles & Links

  • Each image can have a title that describes its content or the link it represents (e.g., Blog or Catwalk). Leaving the title blank removes the white box overlay.

  • To add a link to an image:

    1. Click Add Link and enter the external URL (e.g., a blog page).

    2. Click Save to confirm.

Linking Tags

The Tags function is currently inactive. To manually link to specific tags:

  1. Log in as a customer on your Frontend shop.

  2. Search for the tag you want to link.

  3. Click the Blue Link Button on the left to copy the URL link.

  4. Paste the copied link into the External Link section.

Finalizing Your Homepage

  • Ensure all image boxes are filled.

  • Click Save at the bottom of the page.

  • You can update images and links anytime.

1.5 Payment Options

Your customers can choose from the following checkout methods:

Pay by Invoice

  • Enabled by default for all new customers.

  • To disable, go to Settings.

Pay by Credit Card

  • Use either Stripe (recommended) or Braintree as your payment provider.

  • To activate Stripe: Click Set Up Stripe Connect Account.

  • To activate Braintree:

    1. Create a Braintree account.

    2. Enter your Merchant IDs and Merchant Keys.

    3. You can set up multiple accounts to handle different currencies.

Pay by PayPal

  • Requires a PayPal Business Account.

  • Enter the correct credentials in the provided fields.

1.6 Setting Your Website Live

Final Checklist

  • Completed sections will display a green checkmark ✅.

  • Incomplete sections will appear red with a cross ❌.

Once all required sections are completed, we can set your website live.

Going Live

Please email [email protected] to confirm that your website is ready, and we'll set it live!

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FAQ
2. Setting Up Your Site: Settings, Pricing, & Agents
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