"Site Can't Be Reached" or DNS Error with Custom Soapbox Engage URL

Overview

If your organization uses a custom URL for your Soapbox Engage site, such as:

https://engage.example.org

you may encounter a browser error indicating that the site cannot be reached. Depending on your browser, the error may include a message such as:

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or server not found

This does not necessarily mean that your Soapbox Engage site is down. If your standard Soapbox Engage URL is still accessible, the issue is likely related to the DNS configuration for your custom domain.

Why This Happens

When a custom domain is configured for Soapbox Engage, DNS records are used to direct the custom domain to your Soapbox Engage site.

If the DNS or CNAME records are removed or changed so they no longer point to Soapbox Engage, browsers may no longer be able to resolve the custom URL.

For example, your custom URL may stop working:

https://engage.example.org

while your standard Soapbox Engage URL continues to work:

https://example.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com

If the standard URL works, this indicates that your Soapbox Engage site is still available and the issue is likely related to the custom domain.

What Should I Check?

1. Check Your Standard Soapbox Engage URL

First, try accessing your site using its standard Soapbox Engage URL:

https://example.secure.nonprofitsoapbox.com

If the standard URL loads successfully but your custom URL does not, continue with the DNS check below.

2. Check Your Custom Domain's CNAME Record

You can use What's My DNS to check whether the CNAME record for your custom domain is publicly available.

Go to the What's My DNS CNAME lookup and enter your custom domain.

For example:

https://www.whatsmydns.net/#CNAME/engage.example.org

Replace engage.example.org with your organization's custom Soapbox Engage domain.

What's My DNS will check the CNAME record from DNS servers in multiple locations.

What Should I See?

If the CNAME record is resolving, you should see green check marks in the results.

You should also review the returned CNAME value to confirm that your custom domain still points to the destination provided when your custom Soapbox Engage domain was configured.

If you see red Xs across the results or the CNAME points somewhere other than the expected Soapbox Engage destination, your organization's DNS configuration may have been changed.

3. Review Recent DNS Changes

If the custom domain previously worked and has recently stopped resolving, check with the person or team responsible for your organization's DNS.

Ask whether the CNAME or other DNS records associated with the custom Soapbox Engage domain were recently:

• Changed
• Removed
• Replaced
• Updated as part of another website or DNS project

The appropriate DNS records will need to point back to Soapbox Engage to restore access through the custom URL.

After Updating Your DNS Records

Once the appropriate DNS records have been restored, you can use What's My DNS again to check the CNAME record.

DNS changes may take time to propagate. During this period, you may see a mixture of green checks and red Xs as the updated record becomes available across different DNS servers.

Once the CNAME is resolving correctly, try accessing your custom Soapbox Engage URL again.

Still Having Trouble?

If your custom URL still does not resolve after reviewing the DNS configuration, submit a ticket to Soapbox Support and include:

1. Your custom Soapbox Engage URL.
2. A screenshot of the browser error, if available.
3. A screenshot or link to your What's My DNS CNAME lookup results.
4. Any recent DNS changes your organization is aware of.