How do I prove I own a website?

There are three standard methods, the same ones Google Search Console uses: place a meta tag in the page head, upload a small text file to the site root, or add a DNS TXT record. Any one of them is enough. A meta tag or file proves control of the site content; a DNS record proves control of the domain.

Why does a site scanner need to verify ownership?

A scan downloads and stores a site's pages, images and metadata. Without proof of control, anyone could point the scanner at a competitor's site and pull a complete copy of their content out of the results. Ownership verification is the gate that prevents that.

Can I verify a site I do not host?

Yes. A meta tag or a DNS record needs only the ability to edit the site's head code or manage its DNS records, not hosting access. Sites on Wix, Squarespace or Shopify are all verifiable without touching a server.

Does the verification code slow down my site?

No. It is a single meta tag or text file that is fetched once, only when a check runs. It does not run any script, add a request during normal browsing, or change how the page renders. You can leave it in place permanently.

What if both my sites are on the same domain?

One verification covers both sides. Proof of control is recorded per host, so verifying example.com also covers staging.example.com only if that subdomain is verified separately - a hostname is the unit, not the domain.

Guide

How to confirm a website is yours.

A full comparison reads both sites, so it starts by proving you control them. There are three ways to do it and you only need one. This is which one is easiest on each platform.

Last updated 22 September 2026

Why this step exists

A comparison downloads and stores the contents of both sites - pages, copy, images and metadata - and hands them back to whoever ran it. Without proof of control, anyone could point the scanner at a site they do not own and pull a complete copy of it out of the report.

That is the whole reason. It is the same gate Google Search Console uses, which means most site owners have already done this once and recognise the flow.

The three methods

You do one of the three. Each proves a slightly different thing:

A line of code (meta tag)

A single <meta> tag placed in the page head. It proves you can edit the site's content. Easy on platforms with a code or head-injection box.

An uploaded file

A small text file in the site root, named with your token and containing the same token. It proves you have file access. The fallback when a platform has no code box and you do not control DNS.

A DNS record

A TXT record on the hostname. It proves you control the domain itself, which is the strongest of the three. It requires access to DNS - either directly at your registrar, or wherever the domain's nameservers point.

Not sure which to pick? If you can edit the site's code, use the meta tag. If you can manage the domain's DNS records, use the DNS record. If neither is obvious, upload a file.

Which method is easiest on your platform

The deciding factor is whether you control the domain's DNS. On platforms that also sell domains, the records are often managed inside the platform.

Your platform	Easiest method	Worth knowing
WordPress	Add a line of code	A code snippet plugin avoids touching theme files, so a theme update cannot undo it.
Wix	Add a line of code	Custom code needs a paid plan and a published site. A domain bought at Wix is managed inside Wix.
Shopify	Add a DNS record	No theme editing required. Records added in the Shopify admin can take up to 24 hours to go live.
Squarespace	Add a DNS record	Works on every plan. Code injection needs a Core plan or above, so DNS is the safer route.
Webflow	Add a line of code	Custom code needs a paid plan and only goes live when you publish the site. Webflow does not host your DNS.
GoDaddy Website Builder	Add a DNS record	The only route here - this product has no site-wide code field.
Not sure / something else	Upload a file	One small text file in the web root, wherever the site is hosted.

When it does not work

A check that fails is almost always one of these, and the fix is small:

The site was never published. On Wix, Webflow and Squarespace, custom code only goes live when you press Publish.
The token was truncated. It is 32 characters with no spaces. Copying from a phone or a wrapped line is the usual cause.
DNS has not propagated. TXT records can take up to 24 hours on Shopify and up to 48 on GoDaddy.
The record was added at the wrong place. If the domain's nameservers point somewhere else, the record has to be added where the nameservers live, not where the site is hosted.

You do not have to work out which method succeeded. The dashboard checks all three each time you press the button, so doing one of them is enough.

Does it leave anything behind on my site?

One tag, one small file, or one DNS record. None of them run code, add a request to a normal page view, or change how the site renders. You can leave them in place permanently, and a future check may reuse them.

Where this fits in a move

Verification is step one of three: confirm both sites, run the comparison, read the scorecard. The full process is on how it works. If you have not started yet, the free scan needs none of this - one address, 20 seconds, no account.

Check your site first. No account needed.

The free scan reads one page and tells you what your site is built with and what a move can silently break. Ownership verification only comes in when you run the full comparison.

Check my site free How the full check works