Installation & Domain Setup Guide

Overview

The Installation section in the WeGive dashboard (found under Settings → Installation) is where organizations connect a custom domain to their WeGive-powered checkout pages and donor portal. Instead of donors seeing app.wegive.com, they'll see your branded URL like donate.yourchurch.org.

This guide walks through the full setup process and covers every troubleshooting scenario we see in support.

Note: This guide covers your vanity domain (checkout + donor portal) only. Setting up a custom email sending domain is a separate process with its own DNS records — see the Custom Email Domain guide for that.

What Connecting a Domain Does

Once a custom domain is fully set up, it applies to two areas of your WeGive experience:

• Checkout pages — Donation forms load under your branded URL instead of app.wegive.com.

• Donor portal — Donors log in, manage recurring gifts, and view history at your domain.

Connecting a vanity domain here does not change the address your emails send from. Email sending is controlled separately by the Custom Email Domain feature.

Before You Start

You'll need access to two things:

• Your WeGive dashboard — Specifically the Settings → Installation page. You need admin-level access to your organization.

• Your DNS provider — Wherever your domain's DNS is managed (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.). You'll need permission to add DNS records.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Add Your Domain

1. Go to Settings → Installation in the dashboard.

2. Click Add Vanity Domain.

3. Enter your desired subdomain — for example, donate.yourwebsite.org or give.yourchurch.com.

4. Click Save.

Your new domain will appear in the list with a status of Unauthenticated. That's expected — you haven't pointed the DNS yet.

Important: You must use a subdomain (like donate. or give.). Top-level domains (like yourwebsite.org by itself) cannot be set up as CNAME records and won't work.

Step 2: Get Your DNS Records

1. Find your newly added domain in the list.

2. Click the arrow icon next to the unauthenticated domain to expand it.

3. Under Add DNS Records, locate the CNAME record details.

4. Copy both the Name and Value fields exactly.

The CNAME target depends on when your domain was created:

The dashboard displays the correct value for your domain automatically — just copy what's shown.

Step 3: Add the CNAME Record in Your DNS Provider

1. Log into your DNS provider.

2. Navigate to DNS settings for your root domain.

3. Create a new CNAME record.

4. Paste the Name and Value exactly as shown in WeGive.

5. Save.

Provider-specific notes:

• GoDaddy — Only enter the subdomain portion in the Name field (e.g., donate, not donate.yourwebsite.org). GoDaddy appends the root domain automatically.

• Cloudflare — Make sure the proxy toggle (orange cloud) is turned off for this record. Cloudflare's proxy can interfere with SSL certificate provisioning. Set it to "DNS only" (gray cloud).

• Google Domains / Squarespace — Enter the full subdomain in the Host field. Trailing dots are added automatically.

• Namecheap — Use the subdomain only in the Host field. Namecheap appends the domain.

Step 4: Wait for DNS Propagation and Verify

1. Return to Settings → Installation in WeGive.

2. Click Refresh Status next to your domain.

3. If the status changes to Valid, DNS is propagated and you're ready for the next step.

DNS propagation typically takes 5–30 minutes but can take up to 24–48 hours depending on your provider and TTL settings. If it's still showing unauthenticated after a few minutes, wait and try again later — don't change anything yet.

Step 5: Issue the SSL Certificate

Once DNS status shows Valid:

1. Click the Issue SSL Certificate button.

2. Wait for the status to turn green / Issued.

SSL is required for HTTPS security and PCI compliance. Without it, browsers will show security warnings to your donors.

Step 6: Set as Default Domain

1. Use the Default Domain selector at the bottom of the Installation section.

2. Select your custom Vanity domain as the default.

3. Save.

Your checkout forms and donor portal will now load under your branded URL.

Understanding Domain Statuses

The Installation page shows a combined status for each domain based on two checks — DNS and SSL:

A domain only reaches Authenticated status when DNS is valid AND SSL is issued. If either check is still in progress, the overall status shows Checking.

Troubleshooting

DNS Won't Verify

"I added the CNAME but status still shows unauthenticated"

• Wait longer. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours. Most resolve within 30 minutes, but some providers are slower.

• Check for conflicting records. If an A record already exists for the same subdomain, it will conflict with your CNAME. Delete the A record first.

• Verify the CNAME value is exact. Copy-paste from WeGive — don't type it manually. Extra spaces or typos will cause failure.

• Check your provider's formatting. Some providers want just the subdomain (donate), others want the full hostname (donate.yoursite.org). See the provider notes in Step 3.

• Use a DNS lookup tool to confirm your record is live. Search "DNS lookup" online and check that your subdomain returns the correct CNAME target.

SSL Certificate Won't Issue

"I clicked Issue SSL but it's stuck or failed"

• Make sure DNS is verified first. SSL provisioning requires a valid DNS record. If DNS status isn't "Valid," fix that first.

• Wait a few minutes. Certificate provisioning isn't instant. Give it 5–10 minutes before retrying.

• Cloudflare users: Turn off the orange proxy cloud for your CNAME record. Cloudflare's proxy intercepts the SSL challenge and prevents WeGive from issuing the certificate. Set it to "DNS only" (gray cloud).

• Still stuck after 30 minutes? Contact help@wegive.com. There may be a provisioning issue on the backend.

"Record Already Exists" Error

Your DNS provider is telling you there's already a record for that subdomain. You need to delete the existing record if not in use (usually an A record or a different CNAME) before adding the WeGive CNAME.

Donor Portal Shows the Wrong Domain

If donors are seeing app.wegive.com instead of your custom domain:

• Confirm your custom domain is set as the default in Settings → Installation.

• The donor portal uses whichever domain is associated with the donor's login session. If a donor bookmarked the old URL, they may still land on app.wegive.com. The experience still works, but the URL won't match your brand.

• Have the donor clear their browser cache or use the new branded link directly.

Domain Was Working but Stopped

• DNS record was changed or deleted. Check your DNS provider — someone may have modified or removed the CNAME record.

• SSL certificate expired. WeGive handles automatic renewal, but if something went wrong, contact support to re-issue.

• Refresh the status in Settings → Installation. If the domain went from Authenticated back to Unauthenticated, the DNS record is the most likely culprit.

Switching or Removing a Domain

To remove a custom domain, use the Remove Domain option next to the domain in the Installation list. If you're switching to a new domain:

1. Add the new domain and complete setup (Steps 1–6).

2. Set the new domain as default.

3. Delete the old domain.

4. Remove the old CNAME record from your DNS provider.

Keep the old domain active until the new one is fully authenticated to avoid downtime.

FAQ

Can I use my root domain (e.g., yoursite.org) instead of a subdomain?
No. Root domains cannot be configured as CNAME records — this is a DNS standard limitation. Use a subdomain like donate.yoursite.org or give.yoursite.org.

How long does the whole process take?
If DNS propagates quickly, you can be fully set up in 10–15 minutes. In the worst case, DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours.

Does this cost extra?
Custom domain setup is included with your WeGive plan. SSL certificates are provisioned and renewed at no extra charge.

What happens if my domain setup breaks?
WeGive falls back gracefully. Checkouts and the donor portal will still work on app.wegive.com, so donors won't experience downtime — they just won't see your branded URL until the issue is resolved.

Can I have multiple custom domains?
Yes, you can add multiple domains, but only one can be set as the default at a time.

Does this change the address my emails come from?
No. The vanity domain here only controls your checkout and donor portal URLs. Your email sending domain is configured separately — see the Custom Email Domain guide.

I use Cloudflare — anything special I need to do?
Yes. Turn off the proxy (orange cloud → gray cloud) for your WeGive CNAME record. Cloudflare's proxy interferes with both DNS verification and SSL certificate provisioning.