The Quick Answer
- Domain ownership verification prevents abuse.
- You can complete the verification instructions with your domain host.
Why verify domain ownership?
To prevent abuse of our system, we require you to verify that you own the domain name for your Google Apps account. We recommend that you verify ownership right away. The verification steps will not disrupt existing services for your domain. You can create a CNAME record or upload an HTML file without influencing your existing email accounts or web pages.
When should I do this?
If you sign up for Standard Edition, you must verify ownership within 7 days. For the Premier Edition and Education Edition, you have 14 days. You won't be able to activate any Google services for your domain until you complete verification. If you fail to activate your account by verifying domain ownership, we'll remove your domain from our system within five (5) business days of the alloted verification timeframe, at which point you can re-sign up the purged domain for Google Apps.
Additionally, if you forget your admin password, we utilize the domain verification process to help you regain access to your account as outlined in our troubleshooter.
How do I get started?
You have two options to verify that you own the domain: create a CNAME record or upload an HTML file. You can also verify domain ownership by configuring your MX records. If you already have an email system in place for your domain, be sure to create user accounts before changing your MX records.
Click Verify domain ownership at the top of your control panel to select a method. Both methods require that you sign in to your account with your domain host.
If instructions for your domain host aren't provided, or you're having trouble creating your CNAME record, please contact your domain host directly. Google provides the necessary information for a CNAME record, but doesn't support your domain host's user interface beyond the CNAME record guide.
Once you've completed the appropriate steps with your domain host, be sure to click Verify to finish the process in the Google Apps control panel. You'll know when verification is complete by checking the status of your services. Next to Calendar, for example, it will say Active instead of Updating.
Note: If you're adding a domain alias, you'll need to verify ownership of this domain by creating a CNAME record or uploading an HTML file. In the Domain Settings section of the control panel, click Domain Names to add a domain alias, choose your preferred method for verification, and view further instructions.
Want someone to do this for you? Get professional help with setup.
