Ad Grant rules require every nonprofit to have purchased and registered the domain they point ads at. For example yournonprofit.org. It doesn't matter to Google which domain extension (last few letters after the dot) you use.

When you applied for the Ad Grant you would have told Google which domain you use. Your application could be rejected if you do not own the domain.

You can point ads at any page within the domain. You do not need to ask permission to point ads at a subdomain of your own domain, for example donate.yournonprofit.org.

Some website companies start you off with an address that's actually using their domain, not yours. For example yournonprofit.wix.org or yournonprofit.wordpress.com. You can't use those urls in a Google Ad Grant. Those companies do allow you to point your own domain at your domain instead of theirs, so check their documentation.

There are many companies that can sell you a domain name, and the biggest include GoDaddy, NameCheap, Tucows, and Network Solutions. Sometimes it makes sense to purchase the domain from the same company that hosts your website. Domains are usually inexpensive. They need to be renewed after a set period (which you usually choose).

Google used to sell domains but stopped in September 2023 and now refers potential buyers to SquareSpace, see domains.google,. That doesn't mean you should use SquareSpace to purchase a domain.

Request to use additional domains

It's not unusual for nonprofits to build one or more separate mini-sites, for fundraising purposes, or for a specific project, and to publish them on a different domain to the main website. You can ask permission to use your Ad Grant to promote those additional domains.

You can request to use an additional domain using this form: support.google.com/grants/contact/grants_v. Your request should be reviewed within 10 business days (but in practice I find it's often approved within a day or two).

You can also use that form if your nonprofit changes its website address. At the same time you request the new domain, you can tell Google you'll no longer be using the old domain

If your mini-site is published within a subdomain of your main website e.g. something.maindomain.org then you don't need to request permission to point ads at it.

Additional websites must confirm to Ad Grants website policy requirements, just like the main site. You should ensure that the connection to the main nonprofit is explicitly made clear.

There is an exception to the approved domain rule for some donation platforms

You can point ads to a url on a donation platform's domain, if it's on the approved list. For example if you use Fundraise Up (my recommended donation tool) you can point ads at your appeal's donorsupport.co url. Here is the current full list of exempted domains:

• classy.org
• paypal.com
• blackbaud.com
• kindful.com
• myshopify.com
• stripe.com
• frontstream.com
• givebutter.com
• networkforgood.com
• gofundme.com
• givelively.org
• givesmart.com
• bloom.kindful.com
• runsignup.com
• zeffy.com
• salsalabs.org
• neonone.com
• salesforce.com
• 4agoodcause.com
• donorsupport.co

Resources

Additional domain form:
support.google.com/grants/contact/grants_v

Ad Grants website policy
support.google.com/grants/answer/1657899

Page updated: September 2025