You're trying to embed an external site via iframe on a custom page of your Springly website, but the tool won't accept the link you're trying to insert — or the iframe simply isn't showing up. This article is here to help.
If you want to do the opposite — embed a Springly element on an external site — check out our dedicated article: Embed a Springly Form on an External Website.
What is an iframe?
An iframe is a way to embed a web page within the content of another page. With iframes, visitors stay on your site rather than being redirected elsewhere — a better experience for them, and a boost to your website's reach and visibility.
For example, you could embed a Google Map to display your organization's address, or share your nonprofit's story through a YouTube video.
Can any site be embedded via iframe?
The short answer: no.
If you want to embed a site on a custom page of your Springly website, you'll need to do a little investigating first.
To do so, look for a "Share" or "Embed" option on the site you want to embed, click it, and check whether an embed code is available.
Iframe embedding supported
Let's use Google Calendar as an example to see whether iframe embedding is supported.
On your computer, open Google Calendar.
On the left, go to the "My calendars" section. To expand it, click the down arrow 
icon next to the calendar you want to share and select "Settings and sharing".
An embed code is available under the "Integrate calendar" section — which means you can embed it on a custom page of your Springly website.
Iframe embed codes can only be added to custom pages — not to Smart pages.
Iframe embedding not supported
However, some sites restrict embedding their content in iframes.
Example:
If you try to embed www.google.com, it won't work — a gray screen appears instead. This means iframe embedding is not supported for that site.
Common causes of errors
Sometimes an iframe won't display on your page. Here are the most common reasons why.
The iframe code is incorrect
This is the first thing to check when you run into a display issue or an error when entering the code. Copy the code again and re-enter it — it's easy to accidentally leave part of it out.
If that doesn't fix it, move on to the other possible causes below.
Your Springly website is not active
As long as your Springly website is set to "Maintenance mode", iframe content will only be visible to Administrators.
You'll need to activate your Springly website, which also controls these display settings. To do so, go to Website > Settings and theme and select the Active site option from the dropdown menu.
A message like "The requested page is configured to not be displayed in an iframe on www.yoursite.org — only on www.XXXXX.com" appears on screen.
There are several possible technical causes, including ad blockers.
How do I work around the block?
- If you're using Safari or Firefox, the issue is likely browser-related. Try switching to Chrome to configure the iframe on your custom page.
- If you're using an ad blocker such as Adblock or Adlock, disable it and try again.
Content isn't displaying (after embedding the link)
You've successfully embedded your link in the custom page, but nothing shows up on the published page. Here too, your browser or its extensions may be preventing the iframe from displaying.
How do I work around the block?
- If you're using a browser other than Chrome (such as Safari), the issue is likely browser-related. Switch to Chrome to check whether the iframe block displays correctly on the published page — if it doesn't, configure the iframe on your custom page from Chrome.
- Try viewing your page in private browsing mode to check whether browser extensions (which are typically disabled in private mode) might be causing the issue.
If nothing is still showing up after trying all of this, please contact our support team with a description of your issue and the steps you've already tried, so we can help you resolve it.
SSL certificate issue
You're trying to embed a site via iframe, but you're seeing this error: "The URL must begin with https://".
There are a few limitations to be aware of regarding the source URL:
- if your site uses HTTPS, you can only embed content from other HTTPS sites,
- if your site uses HTTP, you can only embed URLs that also use HTTP.
Mixing HTTP and HTTPS is not recommended because:
- It undermines the HTTPS protocol and weakens the security of your site.
- Most browsers block mixed content — some will simply not display the iframe at all.
How do I fix this?
You have two options:
- Choose not to embed the site in question;
- Make sure both sites use the same protocol.
i.e. If your site uses HTTPS and the site you want to embed uses HTTP, install an SSL certificate on the site you're trying to display. To learn more: check out this article.
Learn more:
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