Verify domain ownership
How to prove that you control the domain with a DNS TXT record.
Before Värn contacts a domain, you have to show that you control it. This protects both you and others: nobody should be able to use Värn to probe someone else's systems.
How verification works
When you start verification, Värn creates a unique, random code (256 bits). You publish the code as a TXT record in the domain's DNS. Värn looks up the record through public DNS servers and compares the value exactly.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | TXT |
| Name/host | _varn-challenge.example.com |
| Value | varn-verification=<your code> |
| TTL | Default, for example 3600 |
Start verification
Open the domain under Assets and click Start verification. Only administrators and owners can verify.
Add the TXT record
Sign in with your DNS provider and create the record. Some providers add the domain name automatically – in that case, enter only _varn-challenge as the name.
Check
Click Check now. DNS changes can take anything from a few minutes to a day to become visible. You can check again every ten seconds.
After verification
- The first scan runs automatically.
- Subdomains under the verified domain can be added without a new verification.
- Leave the TXT record in place. Värn checks ownership automatically every 30 days. If the record is missing, monitoring stops and administrators get a notification.
The challenge is valid for 14 days
A verification code that has not been confirmed within 14 days expires. Start a new verification – the old code can no longer be used.
Troubleshooting
The record is not found. Check that the name has not been doubled (_varn-challenge.example.com.example.com) and that the value has no extra quotation marks or spaces.
It says an old record exists. You have a code from an earlier verification. Replace the value with the new code.
The DNS lookup failed. This is a temporary error at the DNS server. Try again in a while.