Contents:
Request access to Engage
Go to the Engage tab on the left-hand menu bar of your Givebutter dashboard.
Click the Request Access button.
You should receive notification within 72 hours of your request.
To connect a domain in your Givebutter account
Navigate to the Engage tab in the left-side panel of your Givebutter dashboard.
Click Set up domain or Settings.
Click Add domain.
Choose whether to Use your domain and email address or Use a free Givebutter email address.
Use your domain and email address
If you own a domain through a third-party service, you can connect it or its subdomains to your Givebutter account. This will give Givebutter permission to send emails on your behalf.
Add your domain and click Add Domain
Add the TXT and CNAME names and values that are generated into your DNS provider records.
We recommend that you work with two browser windows or tabs to quickly move between your sites.
Return to your Givebutter dashboard and go to the Email Domains section under Engage. Click Refresh Status.
👉 FYI: Some domain providers require that the dot ( . ) at the end of the CNAME record be removed for it to run appropriately. If you are getting an error, try removing the dot at the end of the CNAME string in your settings and refreshing the status.
The domain connection can take up to 48 hours, depending on your domain provider. When the connection process is complete, you can use the domain to send emails from Givebutter.
Use a free Givebutter email address
After you select Use a free Givebutter email address:
Create a subdomain name.
This appears after the @ of an email address and before .givebutter-mail.com. We recommend using your organization's name or initials.
Click Add domain.
Click Refresh status if your domain hasn't verified within 5 minutes.
Go to Email Senders.
Click Add New.
Enter a sender name.
This will be the name that is displayed in your "from" field.
Create a username.
This will be the first part of your email address.
Click Add sender.
Your email address is automatically verified.
Instructions on creating DNS records with common providers
Here are some resources for creating DNS records with popular domain providers. If your service isn't listed here, go to your provider's site and search their help documents, or contact their customer support team for assistance with creating or updating your records.
Dreamhost: How do I add custom DNS records?
DNSimple: Add a CNAME record
GoDaddy: Add a CNAME record
Network Solutions: How Do I Modify CNAME Records?
Google Domains: Manage resource records
Squarespace: Adding custom DNS records to your domain
FYI: Do not be confused if you see lingo in your DNS provider that isn't present inside Givebutter. "Name" is interchangeable with "Host," and "Value" is synonymous with "Data."
Troubleshooting failed connections
If the domain connection fails, here are a few things to check:
Do the CNAME and/or TXT records match?
Verify that the CNAME records and/or TXT records provided by Givebutter match the records in your domain provider account.
Is the domain expired?
Check with your domain provider to make sure your domain name has not expired.
When was the last time you ran a verification?
Click the Check DNS button in the Givebutter Engage domain settings.
Why is it not required to include Givebutter in our own custom SPF record?
When email standards were being formed, email providers used the SPF records of the From/Sender address domain to check for alignment. This meant that it was necessary to add a custom SPF record to DNS records in order to pass SPF alignment. This has since changed, and email providers no longer check the From field's domain when evaluating SPF and determining the results.