Verify your domain for Google Apps

Why verify?

If you are the person who signed up your business for Google Apps that makes you the Google Apps Administrator. You need to verify that you own your business domain, such as your-business.com, before you can use Google Apps services, including Gmail. This ensures that no one else can use services or send email that appears to come from your business. Verifying your domain is the first step to setting up Google Apps for your business.

Get started

If verification looks a little technical, don’t worry. It only takes about 5-10 minutes, and we’ll walk you through, step-by-step. If you need help, you can always talk to a Google Support specialist. Choose the verification method that works best for you:

  • Add a record to your domain settings (Recommended)

    Add a verification record to your domain settings. Follow step-by-step instructions to open the Setup Wizard, receive your unique record (either TXT or CNAME depending on the preferences of your domain host), and add it to your domain settings so that Google can verify your domain ownership.

    Take me to the steps!

  • Upload an HTML file to your website

    Have a website with your domain? You or your webmaster can upload a unique HTML file (provided by the Setup Wizard) to your domain's web server. The file won’t affect your website. Try this method if you don't have access to your domain's DNS settings.

    Take me to the steps!

  • Add a <meta> tag to your website

    Verify your domain by adding a unique tag (provided by the Setup Wizard) to your home page. This method requires editing a file on your domain's web server. The tag won’t affect your website. Try this if you have edit access to files on the server, but can't upload new files.

    Take me to the steps!

Purchased your domain when you signed up for Google Apps? Then you don't need to verify your domain. If you’re not sure if you need to verify, you can check if your domain is verified in your Admin console.

I need help to verify my domain

Get quick, personal help from our Support team. (Not available for the free legacy version of Google Apps.)

Questions?

Is my domain verified?
domains icon
To check if your domain has been verified:
  1. Sign in to the Google Admin console.
  2. Click Domains.
  3. Click Add/remove domains. wizard2-step-click-domain
  • If you see your domain information displayed, your domain was automatically verified when you signed up for Google Apps, or you have already verified it through the Setup Wizard.

    Primary Domain info displayed

  • If you see the Activate domain link, you need to follow the instructions to verify your domain.

    Activate Domain link visible

When should I verify my domain?

You should verify your domain as soon as possible after signing up for Apps, since you won’t be able to use services like Gmail until you do. Verification doesn’t affect your email or your website’s performance, so there’s no reason not to perform this step immediately. If you don't verify your domain within 21 days after signing up for Apps, your account will be automatically deleted.

How long does verification take?

Adding the Google verification record to your domain usually only takes 10 minutes or less. Google verifies your ownership within the hour after that.

Where should I go after verifying?

The next step for setting up your Google Apps account is to add your users.

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