---
title: "Customization"
description: "Every Ring deployment is a branded clone — choose OSS self-host or Ringdom-managed hosting, then customize with ring-config and locales."
locale: "en"
---
# Customization

> **Info**
> **What this section is:** Ring is a white-label platform — one open-source codebase, your brand, your domain. These docs are for **operators and builders** who run a clone (yourself or with Ringdom). They are **not** the Ringdom order flow.

## Two ways to get a clone

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  Start([I want my own Ring])
  Start --> Choice{Who runs production?}

  Choice -->|I build / self-host| OSS[OSS on GitHub]
  Choice -->|Ringdom operates for me| RD[ringdom.org]

  OSS --> A1[./install.sh]
  OSS --> A2[Manual clone + agent help]
  A1 --> Docs[These docs — Quick Start onward]
  A2 --> Docs

  RD --> Chat[Homepage chat:\\nDescribe your next\\nRing-powered platform]
  Chat --> Ops[Ringdom provisions k8s, DNS, handoff]
  Ops --> Customize[Same codebase — then Customization guide]
```

### Free forever on GitHub

Use when you control infrastructure (laptop, VPS, your k3s) and want the full source tree.

| Step | Action |
|------|--------|
| 1 | [Quick Start](/docs/customization/quick-start.md) — `install.sh` **or** manual clone + `.env.local` + Postgres |
| 2 | [Customization guide](/docs/customization/customization-guide.md) — `ring-config.json`, locales, `HomeWrapper` |
| 3 | [Self-hosted deployment](/docs/deployment/self-hosted.md) — Docker / production process |
| 4 | Deep guides below — database, payments, tokens, AI |

**Agentic setup:** Manual clone pairs well with Cursor + LegioX — describe your vertical; the agent walks `env.local.template`, migrations, and `ring-config.json`. The bash installer automates the same baseline.

### Managed hosting — start on the website, not in these docs

1. Go to **[ringdom.org](https://ringdom.org)**.
2. On the **main page**, use the chat prompt: **describe your next Ring-powered platform** (vertical, locale, payments, domain).
3. Ringdom streams a **ringize plan**, saves your brief when you sign in, and provisions managed k8s + Postgres + handoff.
4. After go-live, use **[Customization guide](/docs/customization/customization-guide.md)** and linked ops pages for ongoing changes — same `ring-config` / locale model as OSS.

> **Warning**
> Do **not** follow Quick Start for Ringdom-managed settlers — that path is for cloning and running the repo yourself. Ordering starts at [ringdom.org](https://ringdom.org).

## What belongs in this section vs elsewhere

| Doc | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| **This hub** | Choose OSS vs Ringdom; map of child guides |
| **[Quick Start](/docs/customization/quick-start.md)** | **OSS only** — local smoke test |
| **[Customization guide](/docs/customization/customization-guide.md)** | **After you have a clone** (OSS or Ringdom) — brand, features, home, propagation |
| **[Architecture](/docs/architecture.md)** | How Ring works internally |
| **[Localization](/docs/customization/localization.md)** | Locale env + `locales/` SSOT |
| **Child pages below** | Database mode, payments, tokens, white-label clones, AI, case studies |

Quick Start gets OSS developers running; the guides below are where every operator makes the platform theirs.

## Why customize Ring?

| Advantage | What it means |
|-----------|---------------|
| **Full product surface** | Opportunities, entities, store, messaging, news, wallet, admin — per-clone toggles |
| **Postgres-primary** | `DB_BACKEND_MODE=k8s-postgres-fcm`; Firebase for **FCM push**, not primary SQL |
| **Config-first** | `ring-config.json` + env + `locales/` before forking components |
| **PaymentConductor** | WayForPay, Stripe, ledger + webhooks |
| **Safe upgrades** | Reggie propagate from `ring-greenfood-live` + `.reggie-propagate-exclude.json` |

## Operator guides

  
- **[Quick Start (OSS)](/docs/customization/quick-start.md)** — `install.sh` or manual clone — localhost smoke test

  
- **[Customization guide](/docs/customization/customization-guide.md)** — ring-config, HomeWrapper, locales, feature flags

  
- **[Database selection](/docs/customization/database-selection.md)** — `DB_BACKEND_MODE` matrix — links to architecture SSOT

  
- **[Token economics](/docs/customization/token-economics.md)** — RING contracts, membership, treasury

  
- **[Token launch jurisdictions](/docs/web3/token-launch-jurisdictions.md)** — EU MiCA, US, UK, Ukraine, FATF — official sources

  
- **[Payment integration](/docs/customization/payment-integration.md)** — WayForPay, Stripe, PaymentConductor

  
- **[Quick Start (new clone)](/docs/customization/quick-start.md)** — One deployment per organization — Ringdom default

  
- **[AI customization](/docs/customization/ai-customization.md)** — Matcher tuning, agent costs

  
- **[Reference deployments](/docs/customization/success-stories.md)** — Named Ringdom clones — verticals and live links (no fabricated KPIs)

## UI customization

  
- **[Branding](/docs/customization/branding.md)** — Logo, colors, typography

  
- **[Themes](/docs/customization/themes.md)** — Tailwind CSS v4 tokens

  
- **[Feature toggles](/docs/customization/features.md)** — Enable/disable platform domains

  
- **[Localization](/docs/customization/localization.md)** — Add languages and locale SSOT

  
- **[Components](/docs/customization/components.md)** — Safe UI overrides

## Reference deployments

| Clone | Vertical |
|-------|----------|
| **ring-greenfood-live** | Ag marketplace — Reggie propagation source |
| **ring-vikka-ua** | Regional newsroom |
| **ring-zemna-ai** | Scientific publishing + agent chat |
| **ring-petfriend-app** | Map marketplace, EN/UA |
| **ring-ring-ck-ua** | Regional IT opportunities |
| **ring-wellness-gov-ua** | Healthcare / civic |
| **ring-subiworx-com** | Local services SMB |
| **ring-ringdom-org** | Empire hub + settler funnel |

> **Success**
> **OSS builders:** [Quick Start](/docs/customization/quick-start.md). **Ringdom settlers:** [ringdom.org](https://ringdom.org) chat first, then [Customization guide](/docs/customization/customization-guide.md) after handoff.