FAQ
Is this a donation or a charity?
No. After the first 250 free Founding Tiles, you claim a tile for $1. Payments support the project and its creator. They are not tax deductible. Free claims are also not donations.
Do I need an account?
No. Email is only used to verify a free Founding Tile (one per person) and to send your receipt and tile link.
What is a Founding Tile?
The first 250 people who verify an email and claim one tile free. Founder #1–250 is the order those free claims succeed — not the lowest tile numbers. Paid tiles after that are not Founding Tiles. Founders may still buy more squares for $1.
How do I claim a free Founding Tile?
Pick an open square (10-minute hold), customize it, verify your email, then confirm. There is no Stripe checkout for the free claim. One free tile per normalized email. When 250 are gone, the site switches to $1 automatically.
Can two people claim the same tile?
No. A 10-minute Redis reservation holds a tile while you customize. Postgres unique constraints assign ownership once — including a lock so only one person can receive Founder #250.
Why is my image not live yet?
Tiles with images go to moderation. Color-and-text tiles that pass the basic filter can publish immediately.
Can I change my tile later?
Not in this MVP. Treat the claim as final.
What file types can I upload?
JPG, PNG, or WebP up to 5MB. We fit the whole image into a 1024×1024 square (no cropping), fill empty edges with your tile color, strip EXIF, and store a WebP.