Verifying domain ownership

Many services — Google Workspace, Google Search Console, Microsoft 365, and others — ask you to "verify" that you own your domain before letting you use it. This guide explains what that means and how to do it.

Why services ask you to verify

Anyone can claim to own any domain. Verification is the way a service confirms you actually have control over the DNS settings for a domain — proving you're the legitimate owner.

The most common method is TXT record verification. The service gives you a unique string of text, you add it as a TXT record in your DNS, and the service then checks your DNS to confirm the record is there. Only someone with access to the domain's DNS can add that record, which is what makes it good evidence of ownership. Google puts it bluntly in its own Workspace documentation: "DNS records are the best way to ensure that the owner of a domain is the one who's signing up for Google Workspace. Other verification methods, such as HTML strings or meta tags, can be used by malicious actors to create fraudulent Google Workspace accounts."

Common verification scenarios

One Search Console detail worth knowing: the DNS method is the only way to verify a Domain property, which is the property type that covers every subdomain and both http and https. The file and tag methods only work for a single URL prefix.

How to add a TXT verification record

Alternative verification methods

Some services offer alternative methods if you can't edit DNS:

• HTML file — Upload a specific file to your website's root directory
• HTML meta tag — Add a specific tag to the head section of your homepage
• CNAME record — Add a CNAME record to DNS (some services use this instead of TXT)
• An existing Google snippet — Search Console can verify a site through a Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager snippet that's already on the page
• MX record — Microsoft 365 accepts one if you can't add a TXT record

We recommend the TXT record method where available. It's the method Google itself calls the best way to prove ownership, and unlike a file or a tag it doesn't disappear when someone redesigns the site.

Common questions

I added the TXT record but verification is failing. What should I do?

Give it time first — the providers themselves quote windows from ten minutes up to two or three days, depending on your DNS host. If it's still failing after that, check that the record value was copied exactly, with no extra spaces or missing characters, and use a DNS lookup tool to confirm the record is actually visible.

Can I have multiple verification TXT records?

Yes. You can have several TXT records on the same name, including verification records from different services, and they don't conflict. The exception is SPF: the standard (RFC 7208) says that if a lookup returns more than one SPF record the check fails outright with a permanent error, so keep it to one SPF record and merge everything into it.

Do I need to do this myself, or can you do it?

We handle domain ownership verification as part of email setup, search console setup, and other services we manage. If you need to do it yourself, the steps above will guide you. Feel free to reach out if you get stuck.

What if I don't have access to my DNS to add the record?

If you don't have access, contact us — we can add the record for you if we have DNS access. If no one has access, see How to find where your domain is registered and Give us access to manage your DNS to get access sorted first.

Related guides

• DNS records explained (A, CNAME, MX, TXT)
• What is DNS?
• DNS propagation: why changes take time
• Give us access to manage your DNS
• Common DNS problems & fixes