Verify your domain with a TXT record: host, value and checks

atdomain.at Editorial · 6 min · Updated 20 October 2026

The essentials

Copy the type, host and complete verification value from the service’s current instructions. Add the TXT record to the DNS zone that is actually active, read it back after saving and check the public answer. Then confirm it at the requesting service. Do not delete existing records on a guess.

Blue globe tile beside a pale-blue text card and a verification badge with a yellow check — A service may request a particular TXT value as proof. Use the correct DNS name and the value from your own current instructions.

1. Establish what the service wants to verify

A TXT record stores text in DNS. Services use particular values, for example, to associate a domain with an account or project. The relevant instructions determine which characters are expected and which name will be queried. A generic word such as “verified” is not enough. Open the service yourself through its known address and choose the right project before copying values. Check whether you are verifying the main domain or a specific subdomain. Successful verification does not replace connecting a website or setting up a mailbox. Keep the instructions for this particular verification task.

Understand what different DNS records do

2. Edit the active zone for your .at domain

What matters is which nameservers actually serve the domain. With our default nameservers, manage DNS in your atdomain.at account. If you use custom nameservers, the TXT record belongs in the active zone there. A saved line in an inactive zone will not help verification. Do not change nameservers simply to add one TXT proof, because that can affect website and email connections too. Compare responsibility first and record the existing values. If an agency set up the website, establish where the change belongs instead of inserting the same value into several unrelated interfaces.

Separate nameservers from DNS responsibility

3. Read type, host, value and TTL separately

Select TXT as the record type. The host identifies the name where the record should exist; the value contains the complete verification text. Our host field uses @ for the main domain. If the instructions require a special name, use the appropriate host and check the resulting complete DNS name. Avoid accidentally appending the domain twice. Our form selects TTL in seconds. The table explains the fields but does not supply a working verification code. Use values from your own current task only, because another set of instructions may require a different host.

3. Read type, host, value and TTL separately
Field	What to compare
Type	TXT
Host	Main domain or requested verification name
Value	Complete individual verification text
TTL	Supported seconds value following instructions

Create DNS records in your customer account

Three abstract form-field cards beside a clock, notebook with yellow bookmark and blue pencil — Compare host, content and TTL separately. A service name or full website URL is not a substitute for the supplied field values.

4. Copy the verification value without unintended changes

Copy the complete content, including any required prefix. Do not remove characters from the middle or append a greeting, website address or explanation. Check for accidental leading or trailing spaces and an inserted line break. Quotes in a technical DNS output can be presentation characters; do not add them yourself unless the form instructions require them. Avoid using an old value from a different account or project. DNS TXT records are publicly queryable. Never enter your account password, a private API key or other credentials as supposed verification proof. Compare the saved content with the original instructions carefully.

5. Preserve existing mail and verification records

TXT records serve other purposes too. New verification is not a reason to delete existing SPF, DKIM, DMARC or other verification values. Separate the newly requested proof from any existing mail configuration, and follow that configuration’s own instructions for changes. Do not combine unrelated verification texts into an invented value. Record the new entry’s purpose, date and requesting service. If configuration already exists at the required name, establish whether there is a conflict before replacing it. Completing a verification task should not damage a working website or existing mail routes through unintended changes to records that serve another purpose.

Distinguish mail records from domain verification

6. Check the correct name after saving

First read back the entry in your account: do the type, host and complete value match? Then check the public TXT answer for precisely the DNS name requested. A proof under a special child name is not confirmed by querying the main domain. If needed, compare the authoritative answer with the answer from the affected network. A previous negative response can also be cached, and setting a new TTL does not remove those earlier answers retrospectively. Note the time and observed result instead of continually recreating the entry. This does not support a promise of success within a fixed number of minutes.

Understand TTL and different cache timings

Blue server model, magnifier over a text card and separate browser model with a yellow check — Check the saved record and public DNS answer first. Then ask the requesting service to check its verification again.

7. Complete verification at the requesting service

Once the public answer matches, rerun the check in the correct service and project. Record its specific error message if proof is still rejected. Some procedures require a particular name: DNS-01 certificate validation, for example, uses a name containing _acme-challenge. That is not a universal host for every domain-verification task. Always follow the specific instructions. Whether the record must remain or may be removed afterwards depends on the procedure. Do not automatically delete a confirmed value, especially if the service checks it again later. Verification does not automatically activate every other feature or finish the separate website connection.

8. Include useful details in a support request

Provide the domain, expected DNS name, record type, time and a redacted error message. Explain what you compared with the instructions without exposing passwords or private account details. atdomain.at supports DNS management with default nameservers and custom nameservers. A standard new .at domain currently costs €12.99 total price for the first year, with renewal at €15.99 total price per additional year. We do not currently sell hosting or email mailboxes. TXT verification does not change those domain prices; check any separate charges from the service you intend to connect. Keep the relevant setup instructions with your notes.

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Further sourcesRFC 1035: TXT records in DNS ↗RFC 2308: cached negative answers ↗RFC 8555: DNS proof for certificate validation ↗