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Overview

Your domain name is your website address. Your annual .org or .com domain name registration fee is included with your Aboundant subscription, but some clients still prefer to purchase their own domain.

The company your domain name comes from may or may not also provide your existing website and/or email. If you have email associated with your domain, it's important to know the details before transferring it to Aboundant.

Determine which domain situation applies to you.

I want to transfer an existing domain name to Aboundant. See Option A below.

I want Aboundant to purchase a new domain name for us. See Option B below.

I want to manage our existing domain myself. See Option C below.

I want to purchase a new domain and manage it myself. See Option D below.

I'm confused by all of this or have an unusual situation and need help. See Option E below.

 

Option A: I want to transfer an existing domain name to Aboundant.

Transferring a domain begins by getting an "authorization code" or "unlock code" from your domain provider. Instructions will vary depending on the domain provider, but generally you should be able to find the instructions in the support files by searching for "transfer domain."

Sometimes, it's necessary to unlock the domain or remove protections from your account first. Again, the support files and/or their support team should be able to assist you in this process.

When you have the authorization code, Send us a support message, letting us know the domain name and the code. If you're also ready to take a new site live at the same time, be sure to let us know what your development (temporary) URL is.

We will purchase the domain, usually within about 24 hours of getting the unlock code (if it's during a weekday). In many cases, you will then need to click on a verification link you'll get by email. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Aboundant does NOT provide email. In most cases your email settings will transfer over. However, if you use an advanced mail system such as Microsoft Exchange, there may be special things that will need to be done to ensure your email settings transfer correctly. Contact us for help.

 

Option B: I want Aboundant to purchase a new domain name for us.

Verify that your domain is available (assuming you don’t already own it), then contact support with your .com or .org domain request. If you are also ready to take your site live, be sure to let us know what your development (temporary) URL is as well.

Not sure what your website address should be? Check out our post, “Great church websites start with a great domain name” to help you choose your domain name.

 

Option C: I want to manage our existing domain myself. 

To take your site live, you must point your domain to Aboundant.

Log in to your domain provider or contact their support team. You will need to create both an A and CNAME record to map the domain.

Add a DNS “A” record with this IP address: 104.196.248.198

Here is roughly what that may look like.

IMPORTANT: You also should delete your existing A record, which will have an address that looks much like the one you're adding. If you see multiple A record addresses, please contact us and send us a screenshot first, so that we can make sure you're deleting the right one.

Next, add a CNAME record for WWW that points @. This ensures that people who put the WWW on the front of the URL will still make it to your site.

Finally, contact support and let us know that you have set up a new domain, and send it to us. Be sure to confirm you have spelled it correctly! Aboundant will take care of the final settings.

Note: we typically set up the "official" domain as the non-www version (e.g. sampledomain[dot]org), which is the current standard; if you would prefer that the www version (e.g. www.sampledomain[dot]org] be what users see, let us know. 

 

Option D: I want to purchase a new domain and manage it myself. 

You can purchase domains from many companies, but we recommend Google Domains. Their prices are reasonable, the setup is easy, and there are no unnecessary upsells.

When you have purchased your domain, go back up to and follow the instructions in Option C.

 

Option E: I'm confused by all of this or have an unusual situation and need help. 

We understand all of this stuff can be challenging and confusing! If you've gotten stuck along the way or have some unusual situation (such as a lost password to your domain account), just send us a support message.

 

Going Live.

Generally, your site will be live within about 4 hours once we make the changes on our end, but occasionally it can take 24-48 hours. You may need to force your browser to reload a fresh copy of your website, though, by going to your site and then hitting ctrl-F5 (in most browsers).

If the site hasn’t gone live within 24 hours, first try to access it from a browser or device that hasn’t accessed the site before. You need to rule out that it’s not an issue with the browser. If you continue to have trouble at that point, contact us so we can look into it further.

Also, there is a possibility that you’ll see a security warning for a short time. That happens as the security certificate is installed. You can bypass that warning to access the site safely at that time, and the warning generally is gone within 1-2 hours.

 

Pat yourself on the back. Give your team a high five.

You deserve it! Great job!

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