How to Provide Access to Your Domain Provider

Setting up your domain to work with your new website can be fairly involved, but no need to worry. We know how tough this part of the process can be, which is why we handle most of the technical changes for you. That way you can spend more time building a website you love, and less time worrying about the technical setup.

Helpful Terminology

• A domain name is what you type into your browser to visit a specific website. For example, the domain name for Wired Impact is wiredimpact.com.
• The domain registrar (also known only as a registrar) is the company where you most likely purchased your domain and where you can change your domain’s settings. Two popular registrars are Namecheap and GoDaddy.
• The domain name system (usually referred to as DNS) serves as the phonebook of the internet. DNS records handle translating domain names like nonprofit.org into a long string of numbers, called an IP address, that your computer uses to show you a website. This way, when people want to view your site, they never have to worry about remembering a bunch of random numbers. When your website launches, our team will change the DNS records specific to your website, pointing your domain name to the IP address where your new website lives.
• The nameservers tell your web browser where to find the DNS records for your domain name. When you choose your domain’s nameservers, you’re essentially telling any computer requesting your domain which phonebook to use. In most cases, the nameservers are the same as your domain registrar, allowing you to manage everything about your domain in one place. In some cases though, the nameservers are located in an entirely different place. If that’s true, we’ll work with you to get access to that account as well.

Find Your Domain Provider

The first step to providing us access is determining exactly where your domain is owned. You can do that quickly by following these steps:

• Visit lookup.icann.org.
• In the search field, enter your domain name (nonprofit.org) and click “Lookup”.
• When the results appear, scroll down to the “Registrar Information” section.
• If the company name listed there is one where your organization has an account, you can move on to the Provide Us Access to Your Domain steps below.
• If the company listed there doesn’t look familiar, look for a section called “Reseller Information”. The company listed should be one where you have an account.

If you’re still not sure who your domain provider is, reach out to our team or your dedicated project manager. We’ll help you figure it out.

Provide Us Access to Your Domain

Once you’re confident you’ve found your domain provider, you’ll want to grant us access. There are a ton of providers and the process to grant access varies greatly. We’ve provided specific instructions for a few popular companies below, as well as general instructions if you’re using a different service.

• GoDaddy
• Namecheap
• Network Solutions
• Other Domain Providers

GoDaddy

GoDaddy allows you to invite other users they call “delegates” to manage your domains. Just follow the steps in this GoDaddy support article. As you’re going through the steps, remember to:

• Use “Wired Impact” when asked for the new user’s name.
• Use info@wiredimpact.com when asked for the new user’s email address.
• Set the “Access level requested” to “Products & Domains”. This access level makes it easy for our team to make adjustments.

That’s it. Once you’re done, we’ll be notified via email that our team now has access. When your new website is live, you should remove our user from your GoDaddy account.

Namecheap

Namecheap allows you to share access to other users for each domain within your account individually. Just follow the steps in this Namecheap support article. As you’re going through the steps, remember to:

• Use info@wiredimpact.com when asked for the new user’s email address.
• Choose “Give manager full access” when asked for the new user’s level of access. This access level makes it easy for our team to make adjustments.
• If you plan to forward other domains to your new website, such as sending traffic from nonprofit.com to nonprofit.org, make sure to repeat the steps for each domain.

That’s it. Once you’re done, we’ll be notified via email that our team now has access. When your new website is live, you should remove our user’s access from each domain within your Namecheap account.

Network Solutions

Network Solutions allows you to add other users they call “technical contacts” to your account. Just follow the steps in this Network Solutions support article. As you’re going through the steps, remember to:

• Use “Wired Impact” when asked for the new user’s name.
• Use info@wiredimpact.com when asked for the new user’s email address.
• Choose “Technical” when asked for the new user’s role. This user role makes it easy for our team to make adjustments.

That’s it. Once you’re done, we’ll be notified via email that our team now has access. When your new website is live, you should remove our user’s access from your Network Solutions account.

Other Domain Providers

There are plenty more domain providers than the ones we listed above. The first step to provide us access to your provider is to determine if it’s possible to add us as a user on your account. You can usually check this by googling “[your company’s name] provide access to another user”. If it’s possible to add us, follow their steps and remember to:

• Use the email address of your dedicated project manager when asked for the new user’s email address. If you don’t have a dedicated project manager, use info@wiredimpact.com.
• Use the name of your dedicated project manager when asked for the new user’s first and last name. If you don’t have a dedicated project manager, use “Wired Impact”.
• Provide us complete control to change anything related to the domain name or the account’s users. This allows us to make any necessary changes or invite others on our team to handle technical adjustments.

For some domain providers, it’s not possible to provide another user access to your account. If that’s the case, follow these steps:

• Visit secure.wiredimpact.com. This service allows you to securely share your information with us.
• Fill out the form. Include your organization name and login credentials in the Message field.
• If your account requires two-step verification through an email, a text message or a tool like Google Authenticator, note a few times you would be available to give us the code.
• Click the “Send” button to submit your information.

That’s it. Once we have access, we’ll handle the necessary changes to your domain and will reach out with any questions we might have.