Pre-Launch Pages: Setting Up, Previewing, and Launching Your Campaign

This guide shows you how to set up a pre-launch page, preview both your pre-launch page and your campaign before the big day, accept early gifts, and understand exactly what happens the moment your campaign goes live. If you're searching for things like "preview my campaign while pre-launch is up," "early gifts," "pre-launch URL," or "campaign countdown," you're in the right place.

How a pre-launch page works

A pre-launch page is a countdown page that sits on top of your campaign. While it's live, anyone who visits your campaign's URL sees the pre-launch page instead of the campaign itself. When your launch date and time arrive, the pre-launch page automatically steps aside and the same URL shows your full campaign.

Three things are worth knowing up front:

1. Your pre-launch page and your campaign share one URL. There's no separate pre-launch link. Any link or QR code you print and share now will show the pre-launch page today and your campaign after launch—no updates needed.
2. Your campaign must be launched underneath the pre-launch page. Launching your campaign doesn't expose it to the public while the pre-launch page is live—the pre-launch page keeps it hidden. Launching is what unlocks early giving and lets your team preview the real thing.
3. The switch happens automatically. The countdown runs on your launch date and time. When it hits zero, visitors sitting on the pre-launch page are automatically refreshed onto the live campaign. No one needs to flip a switch at midnight.

Before you start

• You'll need a campaign (it can stay safely hidden behind the pre-launch page once both are live).
• To activate a pre-launch page, it must have a header, an about section, a background image, and either a video or an image.
• Your launch date and time are entered in your school's time zone.

Set up your pre-launch page

1. Open your pre-launch page settings

From your campaign's admin view, select Pre-Launch Page. (If you're viewing your campaign page as an admin while a pre-launch page exists, you'll also see a Go to pre-launch settings link in the banner at the top.)

2. Set your campaign launch date and time

Enter the date and time your campaign should go live. This drives the countdown and the automatic switchover. The launch date must include a year, month, and day, and it can't be in the past.

Important: Whenever you come back to edit your pre-launch page, check the launch date first. If the date at the top of the form has slipped into the past (common when reusing a cloned campaign), your update won't save—and edits you made below it can be lost. Fix the date, save, and then make your other changes.

3. Add your content

• Header (required): the headline at the top of the page.
• Background image: the full-page backdrop. The overlay color and opacity come from your campaign's settings under Images and Display.
• Video or image: feature a video (a thumbnail is optional) or a hero image.
• About section (required to activate): rich text that appears below the countdown. The section's header matches your campaign's About section header—if you've renamed it on your campaign, the pre-launch page uses the same name.
• Custom content sections: add up to five additional sections, each with its own header and content (text or embedded content).

4. Choose your calls to action

Under Call to Action Options, you can enable:

• Make a Gift Early: adds a button that takes donors straight to your giving form before launch. Early gifts count toward your campaign from day one.
• Offer a Match and Offer a Challenge: let donors set up matches and challenges ahead of launch.
• Become an Advocate: lets supporters sign up to share your campaign.
• Sharing options: Facebook, X (Twitter), and copy-link buttons.

Note: The gift, match, and challenge options are only available once your campaign is launched. If they're grayed out with the message "You must launch your campaign before users are able to make gifts," launch your campaign first—the pre-launch page will keep it hidden from the public.

5. Activate the page

When your content is ready, activate the pre-launch page. If anything required is missing (an about section, a background image, or a video/image), you'll see a message listing what to add. Once activated, the page is live at your campaign URL until your launch time arrives. You can send it back to draft at any time to show the campaign instead.

Preview cheat sheet

Both pages live at the same URL, so use these to control what you see:

These preview links work for anyone who has them, so share them with teammates who need to review—but keep them out of donor-facing communications.

What happens at launch

At your launch date and time:

• The countdown reaches zero, and visitors on the pre-launch page are automatically refreshed onto your live campaign.
• New visitors to the campaign URL see the campaign, not the pre-launch page.
• Nothing about your links changes—every URL and QR code that pointed to the pre-launch page now shows the campaign.

There's nothing to take down or republish. If you ever want to bring the campaign forward sooner, send the pre-launch page back to draft or move the launch date earlier.

Common questions

Is the pre-launch page URL the same as my campaign URL? Yes. One URL, two phases. Share it freely before launch.

Donors are seeing the pre-launch page, but I need to make sure the campaign is ready. How do I check it? Add ?campaign_view=true to your campaign URL. You'll see the full campaign exactly as donors will at launch.

Why can't I turn on early giving? Your campaign hasn't been launched yet. Launch the campaign first—the live pre-launch page keeps it hidden—then enable Make a Gift Early in your pre-launch settings.

Do early gifts and pre-launch matches count toward my campaign? Yes. The Make a Gift Early, Offer a Match, and Offer a Challenge buttons all flow into your campaign's giving form, so everything is waiting for you on launch day.

Can I rename the About section on the pre-launch page? The About header follows your campaign's About section header. Rename it there and the pre-launch page updates to match.

What about the "Redirect 'Make a gift' button to this campaign" checkbox? That setting (in your campaign's landing page settings) points your school page's Make a gift button at this campaign. If your pre-launch page is live, those donors will land on the pre-launch page—which is usually exactly what you want during the lead-up to a giving day. Only one campaign can hold this redirect at a time.

My edits to the pre-launch page won't save. What's going on? Check the launch date at the top of the form. If it's in the past, updates won't go through. Set a future launch date, save, and then re-enter your edits. Also note that a custom content section needs both a header and content to save.