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I registered a domain with Namecheap.com, and started the Google Apps registration process. After the initial data filling, google apps wishes me to prove the ownership of a domain, and has given me 4 choices:

  • Add a DNS record to your domain's configuration
  • Link to your Google Analytics account
  • Upload an HTML file to your server
  • Add a meta tag to your site's home page

What is the differences between these, and how do I (if someone knows perhaps how to do it on Namecheap, it would be even better) complete this step in the process?

I would appreciate any advice you might have.

2 Answers 2

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Adding a DNS record to your domain's configuration is probably the easiest option for you. The other options require you to modify files on your web server, which you may not have set up if you are only interested in email.

Instructions for NameCheap:

  1. Get the verification code from Google. Make sure you have chosen the DNS method. The code looks something like this: google-site-verification=owWoTtsd...
  2. Find the NameCheap settings for your domain, then go to "All Host Records". You may also copy-paste this address, replacing your domain where appropriate: https://manage.www.namecheap.com/myaccount/modsingle.asp?domain=YOURDOMAIN.COM&type=hosts&rkey=NC'
  3. Add a TXT type record with the code from Google in step 1. I guess you should use the "IP ADDRESS/URL" field. The "HOST HAME" field should be @ or just left blank.
  4. Wait up to 24 hours. DNS changes may actually take up to 72 hours to propagate, but I have sometimes successfully verified after only a a few hours.

Update: Quick summary of other 3 verification methods:

  1. Link to your Google Analytics account: You needed to verify ownership of the domain if you're using Google Analytics, so this just re-uses the work done for that verification. Of course, one of the other methods had to be used!
  2. Upload an HTML file to your server. Exactly what it sounds like. Google gives you an HTML file with a special filename that you probably can't guess. You upload it to your server and Google checks if the special file can be downloaded.
  3. Add a meta tag to your site's home page. Google gives you a different special code, which it looks for in the source of your web site's index page. Here is an example: <meta name="google-site-verification" content="rtmnVO7B4xweIZ_O-O1d1RDbww0XlagiIwkKQblhZak" />

The other methods are indeed faster, taking as short as a few seconds to update (assuming you already have a web server set up or previously did the DNS verification for Analytics).


update: How to check your DNS TXT records:

MX Toolbox lets you check your DNS TXT records. Compare results to a domain that successfully verified via DNS TXT records Note that this domain has two TXT records; the "spf" one is not required. SPF records are used to help prevent outgoing emails being marked as SPAM.

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  • If I got it right, I just had to paste the google-site-... in the ip adress field, and now wait. The return message said "Host Records Updated Successfully". How will I recognize though when it has propadated?
    – Rook
    Apr 9, 2011 at 17:47
  • Go back to Google Apps, and try to verify your domain. Google will let you know the status.
    – Leftium
    Apr 9, 2011 at 17:55
  • So far it's not verified. Tell me, (I've read some articles on the net on the topic, but which referr to other domain registers), how much effort would it take to try to verify it via some of those other means? For example, I heard the html file upload is done in a few hours.
    – Rook
    Apr 10, 2011 at 21:20
  • @Rook: when you try to verify the TXT record via Google, what error message does Google give you? ("Can't find TXT record," "TXT record is incorrect," etc...)
    – Leftium
    Apr 10, 2011 at 23:04
  • "We weren't able to verify your domain: name-of-domain.com"
    – Rook
    Apr 10, 2011 at 23:20
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The subdomain should be @ and the next field should be the code from Google Apps.The record type needs to be be TXT. I set my TTL to 1800 second, this allowed me to verify ownership in seconds.

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