Organizations can use their own custom domain with REACH. If you want your custom domain to direct users to your REACH portal, follow this guide to complete the setup.

In this article, we will use the custom domain name give.imareachclient.org as an example. We will guide you through the steps required to validate and verify ownership of this domain, allowing you to start using it as your primary domain.

Updating Your DNS Records#

To set up your custom domain, update your DNS records with your domain registrar by creating a CNAME that points to your REACH site.

Important Note: After setting up the CNAME and primary domain, changes may take some time to fully propagate. While REACH updates records immediately, caching layers between our servers and users may still store the old URL. This process typically takes a few hours to a few days.

Enter the CNAME in REACH#

• Navigate to Settings > Domain Names in REACH.
• In the Hostname field, enter the CNAME you want to use.
  • If setting up a custom domain for your REACH portal, add it here.
  • Example: Use give.imareachclient.org, ensuring the give prefix is included.
• Click Add Domain Name.

Once added, the status in the red box will display as Waiting for validation on this domain name. Proceed with Step 1.

Step 1: Add the CNAME Record to Your Domain Registrar to Validate Your Domain Name#

• Log in to your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Google Domains, 1&1, etc.).
• Navigate to the DNS settings and locate the New Records section for CNAME records.

• In REACH, under Settings > Domain Names, copy the Name and Value fields exactly as shown.
• Paste these values into the corresponding fields in your domain registrar.
• Click Save.

Note: Some registrars may not accept a period at the end of the Value field. If this occurs, please contact us for assistance.

Once the Name and Value fields are added, the Validated column will display Yes when validation is complete.

At this stage, the status will change to Waiting for the certificate to be created for this account. In order for the certificate to be created you must verify all your custom domain names. 

Wait for Certificate Creation#

Keep checking until the status changes, providing the next Name and Value required to direct traffic to your REACH account, as shown here: 

Now, proceed with Step 2. 

Step 2: Final CNAME Update#

• Log back into your domain registrar.
• Go to the DNS settings and locate the New Records section for CNAME records.

• In REACH, under Settings > Domain Names, copy the Name and Value fields there (under Step 2).
• Paste these values into the corresponding fields in your domain registrar.
• Click Save.

Confirm CNAME is Working#

Check that your new CNAME is working by navigating to your newly created CNAME domain in a web browser. This process may take several hours or days.

• Example: give.imareachclient.org

Finally, Make Your Custom Domain Primary#

Once you’ve confirmed that the CNAME is working, click the Make Primary button in REACH to start using your custom domain.

Your custom domain setup is now complete!