Overview
The following article provides instructions on how to verify ownership of a domain through TXT. This will generally apply to customers that are attempting to add a domain to a Media Temple server, but have registered the domain at a third-party registrar, or in a separate Media Temple account.
If you require additional information on how to add a domain/subdomain to your Media Temple account, feel free to review our article below:
If you do not have a third-party DNS host immediately available, we've created a guide on how you can utilize a FREE service at CloudFlare to help verify your domain:
Before Starting
- Ensure your domain's nameservers are pointing to a third-party DNS provider or third-party registrar.
- Ensure you have access to editing the DNS records at your third-party provider.
- Familiarize yourself with general knowledge on how to create a DNS record at your third-party provider.
Instructions
"example.com"
Throughout this guide, the instructions will refer to "example.com" as a placeholder name. Be sure to replace this with your actual domain name as you follow these instructions.
- At your third-party provider: create a TXT record for your root or parent domain and point it to the Record Value:
- Please note that many DNS providers will auto-append your domain name to the input field, so you may not need to enter the domain name itself into the field.
- If your DNS provider allows it, you may be able to leave the field blank. If they do not allow a blank field, please check with your provider to find out what they require in the input field.
- Different hosts/registrars may vary in their naming conventions and user-interface when it comes to DNS. Below are a few examples of what a TXT verification record would look like at different companies. Be sure to adjust your TXT record accordingly to your actual provider:
GoDaddy:
Network Solutions:
CloudFlare:
If you are unsure how to create a TXT record at your third-party provider, you can contact your provider directly for more hands-on assistance. You can refer back to Step 1 in these instructions to give them more context as to the exact type of record you are trying to create.
- Once the TXT record has been created, click Verify.
Verifying subdomains:
You will still create the TXT record on the ROOT domain. For example: if you are trying to verify shop.example.com, you will still create the TXT on either example.com or @.example.com and NOT shop.example.com or @.shop.example.com.
Navigating away:
If you need to navigate away before verification is complete, you are free to do so by clicking on NOT NOW. You can revisit the verification page by going to the Overview page and clicking Finish Setup.
Troubleshooting
If you are having issues verifying the domain, you may want to check/avoid the following:
- Dig the "example.com" TXT records: You can check the TXT record through command-line or a third-party site like https://dnschecker.org
If the results aren't showing, or aren't your Record Value, you may want to contact your DNS provider to ensure the record was added with the correct formatting. - Dig the nameservers: If they are pointing to Media Temple, then your TXT record will NOT propagate/verify. The domain's nameserver MUST be pointed to a third-party DNS host. You will want to point these to a third-party DNS host.
Once the verification process is complete, then you will be able to point the nameservers to Media Temple if you desire.
Support
If you'd like additional assistance, feel free to contact our support team 24/7 by opening a support request, starting a chat, or by calling us at 1.310.841.5500.
Third-Party Resources
Below are third-party links that provide information on creating TXT records at some popular DNS hosts. However, do keep in mind that the links below are NOT managed by Media Temple, and are to be used at your own discretion:
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