Because privacy is important to Google, we need to know you own a site before we’ll show you certain information about it or enable you to use our tools. Verification doesn’t affect your site’s performance in Google’s search results.
[YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBAccFPnoeg?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0]
How to Verify Your Site
To verify that you own a site, you have several options:
- Add a meta tag to your home page (proving that you have access to the source files). To use this method, you must be able to edit the HTML code of your site’s pages.
- Upload an HTML file with the name you specify to your server. To use this method, you must be able to upload new files to your server.
- Verify via your domain name provider. To use this method, you must be able to sign in to your domain name provider (for example, GoDaddy.com or networksolutions.com) or hosting provider and add a new DNS record.
- Add the Google Analytics code you use to track your site. To use this option, you must be an administrator on the Google Analytics account, and the tracking code must use the new asynchronous snippet.
Webmaster Tools will check to see that the specified tag, file, record, or code is present. If it is, we consider you a site owner and will show you site details.
If you access Webmaster Tools via a web hoster, your site is already verified, and all your information is already available to you.
If you created a new site using Google Sites, that site will now appear verified in Webmaster Tools. (Your site must be created using the same Google Account you use for Webmaster Tools.)
If your site doesn’t appear on the Webmaster Tools home page, click Add a site. Your site will be added and automatically verified. However, older sites are not automatically verified and should be verified using the meta tag method.
Use the Verification Method of Your Choice…
- Verification: HTML file
- Verification: Domain name provider
- Verification: Meta tag
- Verification: Google Analytics tracking code
- Verification: Google Tag Manager container snippet
- Verification: Google Sites
- Verifying subdomains and subdirectories
- Changing the verification method
- Verification errors
#1. Verification: HTML File
Verify your site by uploading an HTML file:
- On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the Manage Site button next to the site you want, and then click verify this site.
- If HTML file upload is not visible on the Recommended method tab, click the Alternate methods tab.
- Select HTML file upload, and follow the steps on your screen.
- Once the HTML file has been uploaded to the root of the website, click Verify.
We will verify that the file exists in the specified location. If we can’t access the file, we’ll give you information about the error we encountered. More information about HTML file verification errors.
Once this problem is resolved, try to verify your site again. Removing the file from your server can cause your site to become unverified, and you will need to go through the verification process again.
#2. Verification: Domain Name Provider
You can verify your site via your domain name provider. To use this method, you must be able to sign in to your domain name provider (for example, GoDaddy.com or networksolutions.com) and either add a new TXT or CNAME record.
There are two ways to verify your site via your domain registrar.
- Using the domain registrar verification tool. Some domain registrars enable you to verify your site directly from Webmaster Tools. This is the easiest way to verify your site, and it’s currently available for GoDaddy, Enom, and a few others.
- Adding a DNS TXT or CNAME record. If your registrar doesn’t enable the verification tool, you can verify it by adding a DNS record. The verification tool provides instructions for this, and where possible, these instructions will be specific to your registrar. By default, we’ll show you instructions for adding a DNS TXT record. If this method isn’t available, we’ll show you instructions for adding a CNAME record.
Verify Your Site Via Your Domain Registrar:
- On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the Manage Site button next to the site you want, and then click verify this site.
- Click the Alternate methods tab.
- Select the Domain name provider.
- Select your domain registrar and follow the instructions on your screen. If your domain registrar isn’t listed, select Other, and follow the instructions to manually create a DNS record.
- Click Verify. Removing the record from your server can cause your site to become unverified, and you will need to go through the verification process again.
#3. Verify Your Site by Adding a Meta Tag:
- On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the Manage Site button next to the site you want, and then click verify this site.
- If the HTML tag is not visible on the Recommended method tab, click the Alternate methods tab.
- Select the HTML tag, and follow the steps on your screen.
- Once you’ve added the tag to your home page, click Verify.
We’ll verify that the meta tag exists in the correct location. If we can’t find the tag, we’ll give you information about the error we encountered. More information about meta tag verification errors.
Once this problem is resolved, try to verify your site again. Removing the tag from the page can cause your site to become unverified, and you will need to go through the verification process again.
#4. To Verify Your Site Using a Google Analytics Tracking Code:
- On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the Manage Site button next to the site you want, and then click verify this site.
- In the Choose verification method list, select Google Analytics tracking code, and follow the steps on your screen.
- Click Verify. Removing the code from your page can cause your site to become unverified, and you will need to go through the verification process again.
The Google Analytics tracking code is used only to verify site ownership. No Google Analytics data will be accessed.
Note: when using the tracking code in this way, other administrators of your Google Analytics account will also have access to your site’s data in Webmaster Tools.
Note: If you use Google Analytics to track your site’s traffic, you can verify your site using the Google Analytics tracking code associated with the site. To do this, you must have “edit” permission for the web property whose tracking code is used by that page. Also, your tracking code must use the new asynchronous snippet.
#5. To Verify Your Site Using a Google Tag Manager Container Snippet Code:
- On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the Manage Site button next to the site you want and then click verify this site.
- On the Verification page, select Google Tag Manager as a verification method and follow the steps on your screen.
- Click Verify. Removing the code from your page can cause your site to become unverified, and you will need to go through the verification process again.
To do this, you must have “View, Edit, and Manage” account level permissions in Google Tag Manager.
#7. Verifying Subdomains and Subdirectories
When you verify that you own a domain (such as example.com using DNS verification, you’ve proven that you have control of the domain, all its subdomains, and all sites in those subdomains.
Similarly, if you have verified http://www.example.com (using any verification method), and then addhttp://www.example.com/test, you will be automatically verified as an owner of http://www.example.com/test. You’ll remain a verified owner of the subdirectory even if you later delete http://www.example.com from your Webmaster Tools account.
#8. Changing the Verification Method
If you need to change your verification method (for instance, if you have changed your content management system to one that doesn’t support your current method), you can change it by following these steps:
Change verification method:
- On the Webmaster Tools home page, click the site you want.
- Click the gear icon, and then click Users & Site Owners.
- Click Manage site owners, and then click Verify using a different method.
- Verify your site again using the new method.
Bonus: This video might help you to implement the verification code.
Source: https://support.google.com/
