We appreciate your signing up with the Website Service and we want you to know what to expect. If this is your first time you've opened an account with us, you will also be importing your adoptable animals, changing settings, and setting up online forms. You've got a lot to do!

Your website has some built-in pages such as About Us - information about your organization, and Contact Information - how visitors can contact you. You also have automatically generated pages. For instance, as you add animals, your website automatically groups them into groups such as Babies (puppies and kittens!), or Seniors, and so on, depending on the information you entered.

When you set up your web pages, your new website will create a menu for you.

Because your Website Service incorporates all of the features of the Pet Adoption Portal and the Data Management Service, we recommend you start by reading the guides listed below. 

Get Started with RescueGroups.org

Pet Adoption Portal Data Management Service

To view a video about the Website Service, check out our Website Service video on our YouTube channel.

Set up your website

If you haven't already, read Get Familiar with RescueGroups.org This section explains what you see when you log into your account, and how to find what you need there. It's also helpful to read How information is organized in your account

Now you're ready to jump in.

You'll choose a hostname, a special URL, for your website, and then you'll start adding and importing your animals!

We have two sections in the Website Service Guide to help you get your website ready for prime time:

Basic Website Setup

Advanced Website Customization

Start with the basics, and then head on over to the more advanced items so that you can get your website exactly as you want it.

Don't know anything about web design or technology?

No worries. We're here to help you.

You don't need to know a thing about web design or about technology. If you can operate a computer, you're going to do just fine. Of course, a knowledge of web design or software development or familiarity with spreadsheets will make the experience easier, but you're going to do just fine. We've designed our technology so that anybody can jump right in and create a website.

Remember, you can always create a support ticket for assistance at any time.

Website Service feature tour

Check out the Website Service Feature Tour. We highly recommend you take a look at all the features of your website before you begin to get in there and customize. There is so much you can do. And once you've started, you might want to cruise on over to take a look at the Inspiration Gallery, which features screenshots of what other organizations have done with their websites. 

Set up your contact information

Your organization has a new presence on the web. Visitors may want to submit applications, ask questions, call, or visit an adoption event. You'll be setting up all the information about these things on your new website. The good thing is, we make it easy for you by giving you prompts. You fill out the fields; your new website puts it all together for you.

Import and add animals

You'll be importing animals from your own spreadsheet or from other adoption sites such as Adopt-a-Pet. You will be adding animals too. We will talk you through this process by the information in our guides.

Set up online forms

With your website, you have the capability to provide online forms of any kind to website visitors. Adoption applications are the most common forms, but you can create forms for fosters, volunteers, and for equipment and supply loans. In fact, with the Data Management Service tools that are included with your website, you can track information of all kinds.