Custom Email Domain Setup Guide

The Custom Email Domain feature in WeGive allows your organization to send messages from a branded email address (like contact@yourwebsite.org) instead of a default system address. This enhances your professionalism, improves deliverability, and builds trust with your supporters.

Why Set Up a Custom Email Domain?

Sending emails from your own domain provides significant benefits:

Improved Deliverability

• Authenticated emails are trusted – Email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) are more likely to deliver emails from properly authenticated domains

• Reduced spam filtering – Your messages land in inboxes instead of spam folders

• Better sender reputation – You build and control your own domain reputation

Brand Recognition & Trust

• Supporters recognize your organization – Emails from donate@yournonprofit.org are more trustworthy than generic system addresses

• Consistent branding – Match your email sender to your website and other communications

• Professional appearance – Reinforces your organization's legitimacy

Control & Visibility

• Own your sender identity – Full control over how your organization appears in inboxes

• Track deliverability – Monitor bounces, complaints, and engagement for your domain

• Multiple sender addresses – Create different addresses for different purposes (receipts, campaigns, support)

Understanding Email Authentication

When you set up a custom email domain, you're adding DNS records that prove you authorize WeGive to send emails on your behalf. Here's what each record does:

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

What it does: Tells email providers which servers are allowed to send email from your domain.

Why it matters: Without SPF, email providers may reject or spam-filter your messages because they can't verify the sender is legitimate.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

What it does: Adds a digital signature to your emails that proves they haven't been tampered with in transit.

Why it matters: DKIM verification builds trust with email providers and improves your deliverability rates.

CNAME Record

What it does: Enables link tracking and verification for emails sent from your domain.

Why it matters: Allows WeGive to track opens and clicks while maintaining your branded domain in links.

DMARC (Optional but Recommended)

What it does: Tells email providers how to handle messages that fail SPF or DKIM checks.

Why it matters: DMARC provides an additional layer of protection against email spoofing and improves deliverability.

Note: WeGive's required DNS records cover SPF and DKIM. If your organization has a DMARC policy, ensure it's configured to allow WeGive's sending.

Where to Set It Up

1. Navigate to the Settings tab

2. Click on the Email section

3. Click Add Custom Domain

Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Custom Email Domain

Step 1: Add Your Domain

1. Click Add Custom Domain

2. Enter your domain only (not the full email address):

   • ✅ yourorganization.org

   • ❌ info@yourorganization.org

   • ❌ www.yourorganization.org

3. Click Save

Your domain will appear in the list as Unauthenticated.

Step 2: Get Your Authentication Records

1. Click the dropdown arrow next to your newly added domain

2. Click Authenticate Domain

You'll see three DNS records to add:

• TXT Record #1 (SPF authentication)

• TXT Record #2 (DKIM authentication)

• CNAME Record (tracking/verification)

Keep this screen open – you'll need to copy these values into your DNS provider.

Step 3: Add DNS Records to Your Provider

Log into your DNS provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Google Domains, Namecheap, etc.) and add each record:

For each record:

1. Create a new DNS record

2. Select the correct Type (TXT or CNAME)

3. Copy the Name field exactly as shown in WeGive

4. Copy the Value field exactly as shown in WeGive

5. Save the record

Optional MX Records: If you want WeGive to receive email replies (for two-way communication), add the MX records shown. This is not required if you're only sending emails.

Step 4: Verify Your DNS Records

1. Return to WeGive

2. Click Verify

If successful: Your domain will show as Authenticated with a green indicator.

If verification fails: DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24-48 hours. Wait and try again, or see the Troubleshooting section below.

Step 5: Create Your Sender Email Address

Once your domain is authenticated, create the email address that will appear in your outbound emails:

1. Under the authenticated domain, click Manage Custom Address

2. Click Add Custom Address

3. Enter:

   • Display Name: What appears in the recipient's inbox (e.g., "Hope Foundation")

   • Handle: The username portion (e.g., info, support, donate)

4. Click Save

5. Click Verify to confirm the address is connected

Example: If your domain is hopefoundation.org and your handle is donate, your sender address will be donate@hopefoundation.org.

DNS Provider Quick Reference

Tips for Adding Records:

• Some providers add your domain automatically to the Name field – check if you need to include just the subdomain portion

• TTL (Time to Live) can usually be left at the default value

• Make sure there are no extra spaces when copying values

• Some providers require you to remove trailing periods from values

Creating Multiple Email Addresses

You can create multiple sender addresses under one authenticated domain for different purposes:

To add additional addresses:

1. Click Manage Custom Address under your authenticated domain

2. Click Add Custom Address

3. Enter the new Display Name and Handle

4. Verify the address

Monitoring Email Deliverability

Accessing Email Reports

WeGive provides tools to monitor your email health:

1. Go to Settings → Email

2. Click the dropdown next to your custom domain

3. Access reports for Bounces, Complaints, Unsubscribes, and Whitelist

Understanding Email Metrics

Automatic Suppression

WeGive automatically prevents sending to addresses that have:

• Hard bounced (invalid or non-existent addresses)

• Filed spam complaints

• Unsubscribed from communications

This protects your domain reputation and maintains healthy deliverability rates.

Troubleshooting

Domain Won't Authenticate

DNS Record Tips

• Trailing periods: Some DNS providers automatically add trailing periods; others require you to include them. Check your provider's documentation.

• Name field variations: Some providers want the full record name (selector._domainkey.yourdomain.org), others want just the subdomain portion (selector._domainkey).

• Existing records: If you have existing SPF or DKIM records from another service, you may need to merge them rather than create duplicates.

Poor Email Deliverability

When to Contact Support

Reach out to support@wegive.com if:

• DNS records appear correct but verification fails after 48 hours

• Deliverability issues persist despite proper authentication

• You need help merging DNS records with existing email services

• You see unexpected bounce or complaint patterns

Include in your support request:

• Your custom email domain

• Screenshots of your DNS records

• Any error messages you're seeing

• Timeline of when issues started

Best Practices

Setup & Configuration

• Coordinate with IT – Work with your web team or domain administrator before editing DNS records

• Test before launching – Send test emails to various providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) to verify deliverability

• Document your setup – Keep a record of the DNS records you added for future reference

Sender Identity

• Use recognizable names – Your Display Name should clearly identify your organization

• Be consistent – Use the same sender addresses across similar communications

• Match expectations – If donors signed up on your website, send from that same domain

Email Hygiene

• Clean your lists regularly – Remove bounced addresses and inactive contacts

• Honor unsubscribes immediately – WeGive handles this automatically

• Monitor complaint rates – High complaint rates damage your sender reputation

• Segment your sending – Don't blast your entire list with every message

Ongoing Maintenance

• Re-verify periodically – Check your domain authentication status every few months

• Update after DNS changes – If you change DNS providers, re-add your authentication records

• Monitor deliverability trends – Watch for sudden drops in open rates or increases in bounces

Features Summary

Setup Checklist

• [Add your domain in Settings → Email (domain only, no email prefix)

• Click Authenticate Domain to view required DNS records

• Add TXT Record #1 (SPF) in your DNS provider

• Add TXT Record #2 (DKIM) in your DNS provider

• Add CNAME Record in your DNS provider

• Wait for DNS propagation (minutes to hours)

• Click Verify in WeGive to confirm authentication

• Create your sender email address(es) under Manage Custom Address

• Verify each email address

• Send test emails to confirm deliverability

• Update your email templates to use the new sender address

• Monitor bounce and complaint rates after launching