Setting up a custom domain establishes your institution's professional online identity and builds trust with your alumni community. Instead of using a generic "almabase-beta.com" address, you'll create a branded experience that reflects your school's reputation and makes your platform easily recognizable to graduates.
Step 1: Configure Your Domain Name
What this step does: You'll specify the exact web address that alumni will use to access your platform.
Navigate to your Almabase dashboard and click on Settings → Site Settings → Domain Settings. In the "Domain name" field, enter your chosen domain carefully.
Real-world examples:
Large universities: "alumni.universityofchicago.edu" or "connect.duke.edu"
Liberal arts colleges: "alumnae.welleslycollege.edu" or "community.oberlin.edu"
Professional schools: "graduates.kelloggsb.edu" or "network.stanfordlaw.edu"
Important domain guidelines:
Must be a subdomain, not a page path
✅ Correct: "alumni.yourschool.edu"
❌ Incorrect: "www.yourschool.edu/alumni"
Avoid special characters (, -, _, #)
Click "Go to domain setting page" to proceed.
Pro tip: Choose a domain that's intuitive for your graduates. "Alumni" and "connect" are popular choices because they're immediately recognizable and easy to remember.
Step 2: Generate DNS Configuration
What this step accomplishes: The system creates technical instructions that your IT team needs to connect your custom domain to the Almabase platform.
Click the "Get DNS records" button. Within moments, you'll receive two things:
Detailed email instructions sent to your inbox containing all technical specifications
Real-time status dashboard showing your DNS configuration progress
What happens next: The system generates three types of DNS records:
CNAME records for website routing (typically 2 entries)
TXT record for domain verification (1 long string of characters)
Collaboration tip: Forward the DNS instruction email directly to your IT team or network administrator. The email contains everything they need, formatted for easy implementation. Most IT departments can complete this setup in 15-30 minutes.
Step 3: Validate Domain Settings
What validation accomplishes: This step confirms that your DNS changes are working correctly and triggers the automatic migration process.
After your IT team completes the DNS setup (usually within 2-24 hours), return to your Domain Settings page.
Click "Validate Domain" to test the connection.
Success indicators:
✅ Green checkmarks appear next to all DNS entries
✅ Status column shows "Validated" for each record
✅ No error messages appear
If validation fails:
Red X marks indicate specific problems
Common issues include typos in DNS entries or incomplete propagation
Contact your IT team with the specific error messages shown
Timeline expectation: Once validated successfully, your site migrates to the new domain automatically within 24 hours. You'll receive an email confirmation when the transition is complete.
Important: If you're not ready for your site to go live on the custom domain yet (still working on launch preparations), email dataops@almabase.com immediately after validation to halt the migration. This allows you to complete domain setup while continuing launch preparations on your beta URL.
Step 4: Internal Network Configuration (When Needed)
When this applies: If your institution uses internal DNS servers or on-premises network infrastructure, this additional step ensures seamless access for on-campus users.
What your IT team needs to do: Add the same DNS records from Step 2 to your internal DNS servers. This prevents connectivity issues for users on your campus network.
Real-world scenario: At Riverside University, students and staff accessing the alumni platform from campus computers need internal DNS entries to reach "connect.riverside.edu" without routing through external servers.
Pro tip: Coordinate this step with your network administrator during initial setup to avoid access issues during your platform launch.
Step 5: Email Delivery Optimization
What IP whitelisting accomplishes: This ensures that system-generated emails (password resets, event notifications, donation confirmations) reach your alumni's inboxes reliably.
Technical details for your IT team:
Website traffic: Whitelist 52.177.185.15
Email delivery: Whitelist these IP addresses:
- 50.31.38.253
- 149.72.197.36
- 149.72.61.6
- 149.72.244.64
- 149.72.24.152
- 167.89.90.109
Why this matters: Without proper whitelisting, important platform emails might end up in spam folders or be blocked entirely by your institution's email security systems.
Next Steps
Share the DNS instruction email with your IT team to add the required records at your domain provider
Have your IT team verify the configuration using external tools
Return to Almabase to validate the domain setup
Important: Email dataops@almabase.com immediately after validation if you want to halt automatic migration