This article walks through how to complete the DNS setup for email domains hosted by NameCheap so that the matching gift emails can be sent from your organization's email domain.
Step #1: Complete the CNAME Setup
Step #2: Complete the DMARC Setup
Step #1: Complete the CNAME Setup
When you create your account we default to sending emails from a Double the Donation email address. You can give Double the Donation's platform permission to send emails on your behalf directly from your email domain by adding a few new records in your DNS.
- Log in to your NameCheap account.
- Click the Account drop-down menu and select "Dashboard".
- Click "Domain List" and click the "Manage" button for the domain you wish to set up.
4. Click "Advanced DNS".
5. Find the Host Records section and click "Add New Record".
6. Select "CNAME Record" from the "Type" drop-down menu.
7. Under Host, enter the portion of the "Hostname" value from the matching module as shown in the image below (only enter the text before the .yourdomain.org part of the record).
8. Under Value, paste in the whole "Value Should Be" value from the matching module.
9. Click "Save all changes" and then repeat the process for the remaining two CNAME records from the matching module until all 3 records are added and saved.
DNS changes can take 48 hours to propagate. That means after you complete the above steps, you might need to wait up to 24-48 hours before you can log into the matching module and successfully click on the "Validate Domain" button.
Step #2: Complete the DMARC Setup
1. In your DNS Settings, look for the option to review the list of records already added. If you see a DMARC TXT record already added, congratulations! You're done. You can check to make sure that the matching module has correctly identified your DMARC record by checking the "TXT" row in the matching module's "Email Customization - Sending" tab:
If you do not see a TXT record in the list, move on to step 2 below.
2. In the example below, all DNS record types are displayed together. Your DNS provider may show each record type (A, CNAME, TXT, etc.) in a separate section; if this is the case, find the section for TXT / DMARC records. Add a new record by clicking Add Record.
Please note: each DNS provider has a unique layout and interface. These instructions give a general overview of the steps to take within your DNS provider; however, the navigation and steps may be slightly different.
3. In the DNS Setup Table in the matching module, there is 1 TXT record. Copy the value from the Hostname column, switch to the browser tab containing your DNS settings, and paste it into the corresponding field in your DNS provider account. Some DNS providers will refer to Hostnames as Aliases.
4. Switch back to the matching module browser tab. For the same TXT record, copy the value in the Value Should Be column. Back in your DNS browser window, to paste into the corresponding field in your DNS provider account.
Please note: The sample value provided for your DMARC TXT record is very simple. Your IT team may want to modify it slightly. This value is sufficient for the purposes of sending matching gift emails through the matching module.
5. Save your changes in your DNS provider account.
Troubleshooting CNAME records
If your DNS records still need to be set up or are still being processed, you'll see each record with a CNAME Not Found error displayed for one or all of them. Please check back 24-48 hours later to see if the changes have propagated. If you still see the CNAME Not Found error, please refer to the troubleshooting tips below.
- If there are one or two valid records, but at least one record is still invalid, confirm that all three records have been added to the DNS settings.
- Ensure CNAMEs were added to the correct domain. (If the From address in the matching module is matchinggifts@catrescueclub.org, ensure CNAMEs weren’t accidentally added to the catrescueclub.com domain).
- Ensure the CNAME records do not include typos- CNAME records should be copied and pasted directly from the matching module to ensure the best results. Hand-typing records from a screenshot can lead to accidentally entering the wrong value. Double-check for extra spaces or punctuation on the records.
- Refer to the instructions provided by your individual DNS service. Instructions for service providers such as GoDaddy, Network Solutions, and DigitalOcean require Hostnames/Aliases to be entered without your organization’s domain included (for example dtd._domainkey.catrescueclub.org will be entered as dtd._domainkey for these providers).
- If you use a custom nameserver, in place of the default nameserver of your provider, your CNAME records need to be entered into the account associated with the custom nameserver.
If these scenarios do not apply to your CNAME records, please reach out to support@doublethedonation.com to troubleshoot to find a solution.