Connecting a custom domain

Your organization's public site is available at your-org.organizeos.org by default. A custom domain (like yourorg.org or act.yourorg.org) points your own domain at the same site so visitors see your branding in the address bar. Manage the connection from Pages in your workspace sidebar, then open Settings and choose Domain.

Choosing root vs. subdomain

A subdomain such as www.yourorg.org or act.yourorg.org is the simpler choice. Most DNS providers let you add a CNAME record in seconds, and propagation is reliable.

A root (apex) domain such as yourorg.org (no prefix) requires an A record because the DNS standard does not allow a CNAME at the root. The setup is only slightly more work. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive; adding both records lets visitors reach your site either way.

Subdomain setup (CNAME)

In your DNS provider's control panel, add a CNAME record:

Save the record, then return to Pages, then Settings, then Domain and enter the full subdomain (e.g. www.yourorg.org). OrganizeOS will verify the record and begin issuing your SSL certificate. Once the correct DNS records are live, OrganizeOS provisions the certificate automatically -- no further action is required. It usually appears within a few minutes of DNS propagation.

Root / apex setup (A record)

In your DNS provider's control panel, add an A record:

OrganizeOS automatically redirects between yourorg.org and www.yourorg.org. To cover both, also add the CNAME record for www as described above.

Ownership verification (TXT record)

OrganizeOS confirms you control the domain by checking a TXT record. The exact value is displayed in Pages, then Settings, then Domain after you enter your domain. Add a TXT record with:

In most cases this step is handled automatically once your A or CNAME record is in place. You will only need to add it manually if the dashboard shows a "verification pending" state after DNS has propagated.

Common problems

Extra or conflicting A records on the root. Many registrars park a default A record on @ when you register a domain. If that record sits next to the OrganizeOS one, the certificate cannot be issued because DNS resolvers receive inconsistent answers. Open your DNS control panel, find all A records for @, and delete every one except 76.76.21.21. Then use Re-check in the Domain settings to re-run verification.

DNS propagation delay. Changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to reach all resolvers worldwide. If the domain shows "not yet detected" shortly after you add the record, wait an hour and use Re-check before making further changes.

www loads but the root does not (or vice-versa). This means only one of the two records exists. Add whichever record is missing (see above) and re-check.

CNAME entered at the root. Some DNS providers will accept a CNAME at @, but it will not work correctly and will block other records (including MX for email). If you need the root to work, use the A record approach instead.

Using the Diagnose tool

Open Pages, then Settings, then Domain and select Diagnose. The panel shows one row per DNS record that OrganizeOS expects. Each row displays:

• the record type and host
• the value OrganizeOS expects
• what is currently live in DNS
• a plain-English description of any mismatch and what to do

After updating DNS, select Re-check to re-run the lookup without waiting for the page to refresh. Run Diagnose again after each change until every row shows a green status.

Why this matters

A custom domain signals that your organization owns its presence online, not a third-party platform. Supporters who see yourorg.org in the address bar trust they are on your site, which improves sign-up and donation rates. Search engines also index your domain directly, so organic traffic you earn over time stays with you. Once you connect a domain, all links you share, embed in emails, or print on materials continue working even if you later change your default subdomain.