What it does
A domain name lets your event website live at an address you own, such as icpb2028.org (root domain) or events.icpb2028.org (subdomain), instead of event.fourwaves.com/your-event. That default address comes from your event's acronym. Visitors browse, register and submit directly on your domain.
Before you start
You need a domain you own and access to its DNS settings. Each event can have one domain name, and a domain can be connected to one event at a time.
Note: Connecting your own domain is available with the Pro plan.
Where to find it
In the event dashboard, go to Settings > General > Domain name.
Connecting your domain
Enter your domain without www and select Connect.
After a moment, the DNS records that need to be created will appear.
Create the records with your domain provider:
Certificate validation record (CNAME) – proves you own the domain so we can issue its certificate. A root domain has a second one, for its www address.
Traffic record – points your domain to Fourwaves. A CNAME for a subdomain, or an ALIAS/ANAME at @ for a root domain. A root domain also needs a CNAME at www. If your provider has no ALIAS or ANAME record type, contact us at support@fourwaves.com: we can switch your root domain to A records. The dashboard then shows them; create them at @ and delete any other A or AAAA record on the root domain.
Follow the status until it shows Active. The page refreshes it automatically for up to an hour; after that, reload the page.
Understanding the status
Validating certificate – Waiting for the certificate validation record(s). Add them within 72 hours, or the connection fails.
Provisioning – Certificate issued, domain being set up. A few minutes.
Waiting for DNS – Waiting for your traffic record to propagate, from a few minutes to 48 hours.
Active – Your event website is live on your domain.
Disconnected – Your domain was active, but its DNS no longer points to Fourwaves. Check your DNS records with your domain provider. The domain reconnects automatically once they point back to Fourwaves. We also email the person who connected the domain.
Failed – Contact us at support@fourwaves.com and we will help you reconnect.
Once your domain is active
Existing event.fourwaves.com links redirect to your domain, and links in your emails point to it.
Keep the certificate validation records in place. They let us renew your certificate automatically; deleting them breaks your domain when the certificate expires.
Good to know
Only the event website moves to your domain. The virtual platform (live.fourwaves.com) and the dashboard stay on Fourwaves.
The login page stays on Fourwaves. Participants briefly go through the Fourwaves login page and return to your domain signed in.
Changing or removing a domain is not yet possible from the dashboard. Contact us at support@fourwaves.com if you need to.