CITCS Student Hosting Guide
Get your own student subdomain
A free, simple way for CITCS students to host their portfolio, projects, or experiments online using Vercel and a www.[yourname].citcs.site subdomain.
A free, simple way for CITCS students to host their portfolio, projects, or experiments online using Vercel and a www.[yourname].citcs.site subdomain.
Three simple steps from zero to a live website on your own CITCS subdomain.
The recommended path. You get version control, easy updates, and a professional workflow.
my-portfolio. Make it public.
Initialize with a README if you want.
index.html, CSS, JS, and assets. You can drag and drop
files directly on GitHub or use GitHub Desktop.
my-portfolio.vercel.app.
Save this. You will need it for the subdomain step.
Vercel lets you deploy directly from your computer with drag-and-drop. Great for quick experiments.
index.html file (and CSS/JS if needed) on your computer.
Make sure everything works by opening index.html in your
browser.
something.vercel.app.
Keep this URL. You will use it to connect your CITCS subdomain.
Once your site is live on Vercel, request your own CITCS subdomain.
.vercel.app URL before requesting a subdomain.
www.johndoe.citcs.site or
www.jdoe.citcs.site. Avoid numbers or special characters if
possible.
www.johndoe.citcs.site) and follow Vercel's
verification steps. The admin will approve it on the DNS side.
www.[yourname].citcs.site.
All of these platforms let you connect a custom subdomain like www.[yourname].citcs.site to your deployed site. Pick the one that fits your workflow.
Deploy by dragging your folder or connecting a Git repo. Add your custom subdomain in Settings → Domain management.
Push to a repo and enable Pages in settings. Add a CNAME file with your subdomain and configure DNS.
Connect your Git repo for auto-deploys. Add custom domains in the dashboard and manage DNS through Cloudflare.
Deploy static sites, Node.js, Python, and more from Git. Add custom domains in Settings → Custom Domains and point DNS.
Want something more professional than a subdomain? Custom domains are surprisingly affordable. Here are common options and where to buy them.
A custom domain like johndoe.dev or johndoe.me looks more
professional on resumes, portfolios, and business cards. You fully own it, and it works
with any hosting provider you switch to in the future.
johndoe.com is
taken, try alternatives like .dev, .me,
.xyz, or .site. These are often cheaper and just as
effective.
cname.vercel-dns.com for
Vercel, or your-site.netlify.app for Netlify). Your host's docs will
have the exact value.
Prices vary by registrar and promotions. These are typical first-year costs from Namecheap as of 2025. Renewal prices are usually higher.
| Domain | 1st Year Price | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|
| .xyz | $1 – $13 | ~$13 | Cheap experiments, student projects |
| .site | $1 – $8 | ~$15 | General websites, portfolios |
| .me | $4 – $15 | ~$20 | Personal branding, portfolios |
| .dev | $15 – $17 | ~$18 | Developers, technical portfolios |
| .com | $6 – $14 | ~$14 | Most recognized, professional |
| .info | $3 – $5 | ~$20 | Budget option, info sites |
| .online | $1 – $5 | ~$18 | Modern alternative to .com |
| .ph | $40 – $70 | ~$50+ | Philippine businesses, local branding |
Tip: Namecheap often runs promotions where .xyz and .site are
under $1 for the first year. Cloudflare Registrar has no markup but requires using their
DNS.
Join the UC CITCS Discord server to ask questions, request your subdomain, and connect with fellow students.
The official Discord community for CITCS students. Whether you need help deploying your site, choosing a subdomain name, or troubleshooting a bug, there is always someone around to help.