diff --git a/alliance_auth/settings.py.example b/alliance_auth/settings.py.example
index 1154de71..1f1b50e3 100755
--- a/alliance_auth/settings.py.example
+++ b/alliance_auth/settings.py.example
@@ -122,12 +122,12 @@ TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
 )
 
 TEMPLATE_DIRS = (
-    'custom_templates',
+    'customization/templates',
     'templates',
 )
 
 STATICFILES_DIRS = (
-    'custom_static',
+    'customization/static',
     'static',
 )
 
diff --git a/customization/README.md b/customization/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04749c5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/customization/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+If you want to customize your site, place the custom files in the appropriate directories below.
+
+Place custom pages in the templates directory.
+
+Place custom images, css, etc in the static directory.
+
+Be sure to make folders are required to preserve the original file location.
diff --git a/customization/static/.gitignore b/customization/static/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e15381a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/customization/static/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# Ignore everything in this directory
+*
+# Except this file
+!.gitignore
+!README.md
diff --git a/customization/static/README.md b/customization/static/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3edc5785
--- /dev/null
+++ b/customization/static/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Place your custom static files in this folder. Maintain the folder structure of the original static folder. 
+
+For instance, if you have a custom background image for the index page, it would be located at:
+
+`customization/static/img/index_images/index_blank_bg.jpg`
+
+This directory will get searched first for the image, then fall back to the default.
diff --git a/customization/templates/.gitignore b/customization/templates/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1d9c3463
--- /dev/null
+++ b/customization/templates/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#Ignore everything in this directory
+*
+# Except this file
+!.gitignore
+!README.md
diff --git a/customization/templates/README.md b/customization/templates/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..57cd34bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/customization/templates/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Place your custom templates in this folder.
+Maintain the folder structure of the original templates folder.
+For instance, if you have a custom index page, it would be located at:
+
+`customization/templates/public/index.html`
+
+This directory will get searched first, then fall back to the defaults.