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How to connect a Cloudflare domain to send emails through Engage
How to connect a Cloudflare domain to send emails through Engage

Step-by-step directions for connecting your Cloudflare domain to send outbound emails through Givebutter

Sunny avatar
Written by Sunny
Updated over a week ago

Before you start πŸ“

You'll need the following before you begin setup:

  • The name of your DNS provider, and login information for your DNS account

  • A real email address at your domain (an email address that ends in your website address, ie. [email protected])

Engage is automatically activated for verified nonprofit accounts. Accounts that are not verified will need to first Request Access on the Engage tab.

Who is my DNS provider? πŸ€”

If you're not sure who your DNS provider is, you can check at https://mxtoolbox.com/DNSLookup.aspx

  • Type your domain into the empty field

  • Click DNS Lookup

  • Your DNS provider will be displayed at the bottom

DNS lookup tool

Generate DNS records ✨

CNAME and TXT are the two DNS records you will be adding to your DNS provider, but before you add them, you need to generate them in Givebutter.

  • On the Engage tab in your Givebutter dashboard, click on Set up domain.

an arrow points to set up domain
  • Click Add Domain and then select Use your domain and email address.

  • Enter your domain name, add a reply-to email, and click Add Domain. This will generate new TXT and CNAME values. Close out of this screen. There will be red error messages: Not connected and Not active. Don't worry, this is expected!

domain not connected
  • Click the Copy icon next to the TXT name information.

    copy icon
  • Keep this tab open; you'll need it in a minute.

Add records to Cloudflare βž•

Next, you'll be adding these newly created CNAME and TXT records to Cloudflare.

  • In a new tab, log into your Cloudflare account.

  • Click on the name of the domain you want to connect to Givebutter.

cloudflare domain list
  • In the next screen, click Manage domain in the far-right menu bar.

    manage domain prompt

  • On the following screen, click Manage to the right of your domain name.

    manage as a hyperlink

  • Under Quick Actions click on Update DNS configuration (we're finally there! πŸŽ‰)

    update DNS configuration

Add TXT to Cloudflare

  • In your Cloudflare dashboard, click the blue Add record button.

    add record button

  • Click the arrow next to Type and select TXT.

  • Paste your copied value into the Name field.

  • Return to your Givebutter tab and copy the TXT Value field.

  • Paste that information in the Content field of Cloudflare.

  • Leave everything else as it is.

  • Click Save.

Add CNAME to Cloudflare

  • Switch back to your Givebutter tab (make sure you keep your Cloudflare tab open too!) and click on the copy icon in the CNAME Name field to copy it to your clipboard.

  • Return to your Cloudflare tab and click the blue Add record button.

  • Click the arrow next to Type and select CNAME.

  • Paste your copied value into the Name field.

  • Return to your Givebutter tab and copy the CNAME VALUE field.

  • Paste that information in the Target field of Cloudflare.

  • Leave everything else as it is.

  • Click Save.

Run Verification πŸ”„

  • Return to Givebutter and click the Refresh Status button. Verification can take up to 48 hours. Our system will automatically retry your verification for 72 hours.

  • Continue on to the next steps while you wait for verification. As long as they are also completed, you'll be able to send emails as soon as the green verified badges appear.

DNS connected

Completing setup βœ…

There are just a few remaining steps to complete once you've successfully connected your domain.

Add email senders βœ‰οΈ

  • In the Engage tab, click on Settings under the Engage header, then select Emails Senders.

  • Click + Add new.

  • Enter the sender name and email address you want to connect and click Submit.

    • Emails must exist on the domain you have connected in order to be used for Engage.

  • A verification email will be sent to the email address you provided. Click verify email.

  • Your sender email should now show as Verified.

Your sender email address must be verified before you'll be able to send outbound emails using Engage.

verified email address

Branding 🎨

  • In the Engage tab, click on Settings under the Engage header, then select Branding.

  • Upload a logo – recommended dimensions 300x300px, max size 5MB

    • A logo is required to be uploaded before you can send outbound emails. If you prefer not to display a logo, you can upload a white square of the same dimensions.

  • Choose a brand color.

  • Add an email logo hyperlink.

See our guide on customizing your Engage email branding, which includes some more tips and tricks.

Address 🏠

  • In the Engage tab, click on Settings under the Engage header, then select Addresses.

  • Enter your address information.

  • Click Submit.

Congratulations! You're now ready to compose and send your first email via Engage! πŸŽ‰


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