How to Verify Your Domain on Google
Introduction
Verifying your domain on Google is a required step to manage how your website appears in search results. Proper verification grants access to tools in Google Search Console that allow you to monitor indexing, submit sitemaps, and diagnose visibility issues.
⚠️ Important: Domain verification must match exactly how your website is configured (including www vs non-www ). A mismatch can lead to indexing errors, failed sitemap submissions, and misleading Search Console reports.
What Is Site Verification?
Site verification is the process of proving ownership of a website. Once verified, Google allows you to:
- Submit and monitor sitemaps
- Track indexing and crawling activity
- Identify SEO and coverage issues
eDirectory provides a built-in Verification Tool that lets you add verification meta tags without editing your site’s source code manually.
Before You Start (Critical Checklist)
Before verifying your site in Google Search Console, confirm the following:
✅ Preferred domain: Check your preferred domain in Site Manager (with or without
www).Navigate to: Promote → SEO Center → Redirect Manager, select the desired option, and ensure your site is enabled for secure pages (HTTPS).
- ✅Consistency in Google Search Console: Use the exact same version of your domain in Search Console that you set as your preferred domain.
- ❌Avoid Mixing Versions: Do not mix
www.example.comandexample.com.
👉 Example: If your site loads as https://www.example.com , you must verify and submit everything using the www version.
How the Site Verification Tool Works
Google provides a unique HTML meta tag containing a verification string. When you paste this tag into: Promote → SEO Center → Webmaster Tools
eDirectory automatically inserts it into your site’s <head> section, allowing Google to confirm ownership.
1. Add Your Property in Google Search Console
- Log in to Google Search Console
- Click Add Property
- Choose URL Prefix (recommended for eDirectory sites)
- Enter your full site URL exactly as it appears, including:
https://www(if applicable)
✅ Correct: https://www.example.com
❌ Incorrect: https://example.com (if your site redirects to www )
Important Note
When adding your site to the URL prefix field, make sure the domain does not end with a forward slash (/ ).
If a forward slash appears automatically when you paste the URL, remove it before clicking “Continue.”
✅ Correct: https://www.example.com
❌ Incorrect: https://www.example.com/
2. Choose a Verification Method
Google offers multiple methods. eDirectory supports:
- HTML Tag (recommended)
- HTML File Upload
3. Verify Using the HTML Tag Method (Recommended)
- Choose the HTML Tag method
- Copy the meta tag provided by Google
- Go to Promote → SEO Center → Webmaster Tools
- Paste the tag into the Google verification field
- Click Save Changes
- Return to Google Search Console and click Verify
- If successful, ownership will be confirmed immediately.
Important Considerations
- Search engines periodically check for the verification tag on your website.
- It is recommended to keep the verification tag in place as long as you want to maintain ownership verification.
- Removing the tag may result in losing access to search engine webmaster tools.
Conclusion
Verifying your domain on Google is a crucial step in managing your website’s presence in search engine results. By using eDirectory’s Verification Tool, you can quickly and efficiently complete this process, ensuring better visibility and control over your website’s search engine performance.