When you create a WildApricot account, you are provided with a free website address. It is generated automatically based on the organization name you enter when you create your trial account, but you can change it at any time. If you already have your own custom domain address and if you have a paid WildApricot account, you can use your custom domain name in place of your free WildApricot address.
For example, instead of...
http://nycs.wildapricot.org
...you could register and use:
http://nycs.com
For custom domains, you can also use the wildapricot.org domain for secure access, or we can automatically issue a custom security certificate for your domain. For details, see Securing custom domains.
From the Domain name management screen, you can change your WildApricot domain name and add or remove custom domain names.
To display the Domain name management screen, go to the Website module (by clicking the Website menu) then click the Settings option. Within the Settings screen, click Domain name (under Site settings)
The first time you display the page, it will have only one entry – your initial free domain.
Changing your domain name
To change the first part of your free WildApricot domain name (the part in front of wildapricot.org), click Edit.
Then, enter the new domain name prefix (following the on-screen instructions regarding restrictions) then click Save.
The change will take effect immediately, and your site will no longer be accessible at the previous address.
Adding a custom domain name
If you already own a custom domain name, you can use it in place of the free address provided by WildApricot.
The custom domain must be properly set up according to these instructions.
You cannot use a custom domain name with a trial WildApricot account.
To add a custom domain name, click Add custom domain name then enter your domain name.
If you add a custom domain name without the www prefix, we will automatically add domains both with and without the www prefix.
To secure your custom domain, we will automatically issue a custom security certificate for your domain from Let's Encrypt. For more information on Let's Encrypt security certificates, click here.
Once you add your custom domains, you need to designate one of them as the primary one – by clicking Set as primary beside the appropriate domain name.
You cannot set a custom domain as your primary domain without a custom security certificate.
Removing a custom domain name
If you add a custom domain name like nycs.org, we will automatically add both www.nycs.org and nycs.org. If you do not want both, you can delete one by clicking Remove.
Checking your domain status
If a red X appears beside the DNS label for any of your custom domain names, it means that our system has detected incorrect DNS records for your custom domain.
For more information about your DNS errors, click the Check button.
If the status of your domain name is marked as Invalid, then your domain's A-record and SPF TXT record were not set up properly.
If the status of your domain name is marked as Incomplete, then your domain's A-record was set up properly, but the SPF TXT record was not. In this case, all emails sent from your account will still use the default WildApricot email address based on your free WildApricot domain name. Domain names that are marked as Incorrect or Incomplete cannot be set as your primary domain name.
As part of setting up a custom domain, you (or your domain registrar) need to:
- modify your domain's A-record to point to WildApricot's IP address (34.226.77.200)
- create an SPF TXT record that allows WildApricot servers to send emails on your behalf
For more information, see Custom domain setup.
The Domain checking dialog will also indicate whether a security certificate from Let's Encrypt has been installed for that domain. For more information on checking the status of Let's Encrypt certificates, click here.
How do I find my domain name provider?
If you have a custom domain name, but you cannot remember who the provider is, we recommend using the free Whois Lookup tool from DomainTools:
1. Navigate to https://whois.domaintools.com/
2. Paste or enter your custom domain (website address) in the search bar, then click Search.
3. Your domain Registrar (the company providing your custom domain name) will be displayed at the top of the Domain Profile results.
