Managing campaign URLs and post-campaign redirects

Understanding your campaign URLs

Every campaign and giving form on GiveCampus gets a unique URL. Understanding how these URLs work—and how to manage them before, during, and after your campaign—helps ensure a smooth donor experience at every stage.

Campaign URL structure

Your campaign URL typically follows this format: www.givecampus.com/schools/YourSchool/your-campaign-name. For tiered campaigns, sub-pages extend the URL like /your-campaign-name/tier2-page-name. You can customize the URL slug when creating your campaign—keep it short, memorable, and relevant.

Branded URLs

A branded URL (like give.yourschool.edu) replaces the default GiveCampus URL with one that matches your institution's domain. The rest of the URL will follow the same pattern with your domain replacing givecampus.com. Your branded URL cannot be directed to a specific form or campaign. 

Tiered campaign URLs

In a tiered campaign, each level has its own URL:

• Tier 1 (main campaign) — The primary page with overall leaderboards and totals
• Tier 2 (college/unit level) — Pages for specific colleges, schools, or programs
• Tier 3 (department level) — More granular pages within a Tier 2 group

Share the relevant tier URL with each audience segment. An alumni email for the College of Engineering should link to the Engineering tier page, not the main campaign.

Pre-launch pages

Before your campaign goes live, set up a Pre-Launch Page that displays a countdown timer and teaser content at your campaign URL. This lets you share the URL early in marketing materials without revealing the full campaign. When the campaign launches, the pre-launch page automatically transitions to the live campaign using the same URL. 

Post-campaign 

After a campaign ends, visitors see the ended campaign page with a link to your default form.

Note: Once a campaign has expired, it cannot be newly selected as a redirect target. If you enabled the redirect before expiration, you can uncheck the box to remove it, but you cannot enable it for an expired campaign.

Eligible admins (Superadmins, Fundraising Superadmins, and Advanced Campaign Admins) can enable this redirect directly by following these steps:

1. Go to Online Giving > Campaign Setup > Landing Page for the desired campaign.
2. Check the box labeled Redirect 'Make a gift' button to this campaign.
3. Save your changes. The "Make a Gift" button on your school’s main landing page will point to this campaign. (Enabling this for one campaign overrides any previously selected campaign.)

To redirect all individual giving form URLs instead of just the "Make a Gift" button, email support@givecampus.com with your campaign ID and the scheduled start and end times (including time zone).

If you need to change your default form please contact the GiveCampus support team.

Direct pre‑payment links after a campaign ends

• Direct links to campaign giving forms (for example, /campaigns/[id]/donations/new) automatically redirect to your school’s default giving form once the campaign has ended. Donors clicking these saved or shared pre‑payment URLs will see a message stating "This campaign has ended!" and land on the default giving form.

• Campaign landing page URLs remain active. The campaign page continues to display ended-campaign details and links to active giving options, such as your default giving form. Sharing the campaign URL directs donors to this ended-campaign page where they can select an available giving option.

How to avoid donor confusion

1. Share the campaign landing page URL (the main campaign address) instead of the pre‑payment or checkout URL. The campaign page clearly lists active giving options after the campaign ends.

2. Update any bookmarked or programmatic links that point to /campaigns/[id]/donations/new by replacing them with either:

   • the campaign landing page URL, or
   • your school’s default giving form URL (if you prefer donors to land directly on a form).

3. Revise links in email templates, social posts, website buttons, and event pages so they point to the campaign page or default giving form rather than the pre‑payment path.

   

Temporary campaign redirects for major giving initiatives

During major fundraising events, you can temporarily redirect all giving forms and the "Make a Gift" button to a specific campaign page. To set up a temporary redirect, email support@givecampus.com with your campaign ID and the exact start and end times (including time zones). For example, you might specify a start time of "tomorrow at 6:00am CST" and an end time of "April 30 at 10:00pm CST." When the redirect period ends, all URL settings automatically revert to their normal state.