Verify your site ... using a DNS CNAME record

this seems so ten years ago [developers.google.com] (literally...)

Maybe they just to see if you're still alive?

And voluntarily give them proof?

Or just starting to revisit old advice presented as new?

I think I've seen this movie before.

If you're indexing me, you done found me---verified!

Remember, there will always be somone new that has never seen this before. And the new part is in the Search console.


typo edit

[edited by: engine at 2:31 pm (utc) on Jul 31, 2022]

It was in the old Webmaster Tools but CNAME verification was not in the new Search Console, now it is. So what is old, is new, again.

I ran across it in August 2020 by accident while migrating a site. I backed away from that, it would have made future changes more confusing for the client.

This has been around a long while, it requires you to add a .txt record to your DNS with specific values.

What's new is that Google is making it more difficult NOT to add a cname record. When you try to verify a site for search console the default "proof" method is via DNS record and Google adds your entire site to your console.

If you "opt" for the old method of uploading a file you need to use the "url proof" method which no longer provides data about your entire site. Example: If you verify via upload and declared https:// then ONLY https values will be displayed in your data. Same with the www. It appears ONLY the DNS proof method will allow you to see secure, non-secure and www + non-www data.

Why? I dunno, they are gathering the info no matter what even if you don't use search console. I guess they want you to prove you have total host and domain access..

... the new part is in the Search console.

It was in the old Webmaster Tools but CNAME verification was not in the new Search Console, ...

GSC replaced Webmaster Tools more than 7 years ago [developers.google.com].
my surprise is that it took 7 years to add support in GSC for something that existed in GWT 10 years ago.