> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://acoservice.gitbook.io/acoservice-documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://acoservice.gitbook.io/acoservice-documentation/running-your-aco/creating-your-aco.md).

# Creating your ACO

A name and an address. It starts private, and nobody can see it until you publish.

From the console home page, give your ACO a **name** and an **address**. That is the whole form.

## The name

What your members see — "Acme Cards", "Santah's Grotto". You can change it later.

## The address

Your slug. It becomes your public URL:

```
acme-cards.acoservice.app
```

The console suggests one from your name and lets you edit it before you commit.

### Rules

* Lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens only
* 2–63 characters
* Must start and end with a letter or number
* No double hyphens (`--` is reserved by the domain system)

### Names you cannot have

Some are kept for the platform: `admin`, `app`, `www`, `api`, `docs`, `help`, `mail`, `static`, `assets`, `cdn`, `status`, `blog`.

If you ask for one, you will be told so plainly rather than finding out when your site fails to load.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Choose carefully.** Changing your address later changes your public URL and breaks every link anyone has saved — Discord messages, bookmarks, your own posts. It is possible, but it is not free.
{% endhint %}

## What you get

An ACO that exists and is **private**.

Its site is live at its real address, fully themed, with your content — and **nobody can reach it but you**. A visitor gets a plain "this site isn't live yet" page with none of your branding on it.

That is the point: you build the real thing, on the real address, and decide when it becomes public.

## Your own domain

You can use `acme-cards.com` instead. That is a DNS change plus a platform step — see [Custom domain](/acoservice-documentation/setting-up-your-tenant/custom-domain.md). Your `.acoservice.app` address keeps working either way.

## Next

* [Brand it](/acoservice-documentation/running-your-aco/branding.md)
* [Preview and publish](/acoservice-documentation/running-your-aco/preview-and-publish.md)
* [Set up your bot](/acoservice-documentation/running-your-aco/your-bot.md)

Once it exists, add a domain on its [Domains page](/acoservice-documentation/setting-up-your-tenant/custom-domain.md) and reach its admin console with the **Open admin console** link described in [The owner console](/acoservice-documentation/running-your-aco/owners.md).

## If it will not create

| What you see                                   | What it means                                                                                                                                 |
| ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **"Connect your Discord account first"**       | Creating needs a linked Discord — see [Signing in](/acoservice-documentation/running-your-aco/signing-in.md).                                 |
| **"Slug is reserved by the platform"**         | Pick another name from the list above.                                                                                                        |
| **"Slug must be 2–63 characters…"**            | The address has a character that cannot appear in a web address.                                                                              |
| **Slug already in use**                        | Another ACO has it. Slugs are first-come.                                                                                                     |
| **"created but could not be assigned to you"** | Rare. The ACO exists and holds the name, so **do not retry** — retrying collides with itself. Contact support and it will be attached to you. |


---

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