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Getting Started

Adding Your First Domain

10 min read

Adding and Verifying Your Domain

Domain verification is a crucial security step that ensures you have legitimate ownership or control over the websites you're monitoring. This guide explains each verification method in detail and helps you choose the right approach for your situation.

Why Domain Verification Is Required

Domain verification serves several important purposes:

  • Security: Prevents unauthorized users from scanning websites they don't own
  • Privacy: Ensures scan results are only visible to legitimate owners
  • Compliance: Helps organizations demonstrate due diligence in accessibility monitoring
  • Resource Protection: Prevents abuse of our scanning infrastructure

Verification Method 1: DNS TXT Record (Recommended)

DNS verification is our recommended approach because it's the most reliable and doesn't require changes to your website's code.

How It Works

You add a TXT record to your domain's DNS settings. Our system periodically checks for this record to verify ownership.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Get Your Verification Code: In the AccessibilityMonitor dashboard, click "Add Domain" and enter your URL. Copy the verification code provided (e.g., am-verify=abc123xyz789).
  1. Access Your DNS Settings: Log into your domain registrar or DNS provider (e.g., Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Route 53).
  1. Add the TXT Record:
Type: TXT
Name/Host: _accessibilitymonitor (or @ for root)
Value: am-verify=abc123xyz789
TTL: 3600 (or default)
  1. Wait for Propagation: DNS changes can take 15 minutes to 48 hours to propagate globally. Most changes complete within 1-2 hours.
  1. Verify in Dashboard: Click "Verify Now" in AccessibilityMonitor. We'll check for the TXT record.

Troubleshooting DNS Verification

If verification fails, check:

  • The TXT record name is exactly correct (including the underscore)
  • Your DNS changes have had time to propagate
  • There are no typos in the verification code
  • Your DNS provider didn't add extra formatting

You can verify your TXT record is visible using:

bash
dig TXT _accessibilitymonitor.yourdomain.com

Verification Method 2: HTML Meta Tag

Meta tag verification is ideal when you have quick access to your website's HTML but don't manage DNS.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Get Your Meta Tag: Copy the verification meta tag from the AccessibilityMonitor dashboard.
  1. Add to Your HTML: Insert the tag in the <head> section of your homepage:
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta name="accessibilitymonitor-verification" content="abc123xyz789" />
    <title>Your Website</title>
</head>
  1. Deploy Changes: Push your code changes to production.
  1. Verify: Click "Verify Now" in the dashboard.

Framework-Specific Examples

Next.js (App Router):

typescript
// app/layout.tsx
export const metadata = {
  other: {
    'accessibilitymonitor-verification': 'abc123xyz789',
  },
}

React with React Helmet:

jsx
<Helmet>
  <meta name="accessibilitymonitor-verification" content="abc123xyz789" />
</Helmet>

WordPress:

Add to your theme's header.php or use a plugin like "Insert Headers and Footers".

Verification Method 3: File Upload

File upload verification is useful when you have FTP/SFTP access but prefer not to modify HTML.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Download the Verification File: Get the file from your AccessibilityMonitor dashboard.
  1. Upload to Root Directory: Place the file at your website's root:
  • https://yourdomain.com/accessibilitymonitor-verify.txt
  1. Verify Accessibility: Ensure the file is publicly accessible (not blocked by robots.txt or authentication).
  1. Verify: Click "Verify Now" in the dashboard.

Configuring Scan Scope After Verification

Once verified, configure how we scan your site:

Sitemap-Based Scanning

If you have a sitemap.xml, we'll automatically discover all your pages:

xml
<!-- Example sitemap.xml -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-01-15</lastmod>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/about</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-01-10</lastmod>
  </url>
</urlset>

Manual URL Lists

For sites without sitemaps, you can:

  • Enter URLs manually
  • Upload a CSV file with URLs
  • Use pattern matching (e.g., /blog/*)

Exclusion Rules

Exclude URLs that shouldn't be scanned:

  • Admin areas: /admin/*, /wp-admin/*
  • User-generated content: /user/*, /profile/*
  • Legacy pages: /old/*, /archive/*

Managing Multiple Domains

If you manage multiple websites:

  1. Each domain requires separate verification
  2. Use the domain switcher in the dashboard header
  3. Consider the Royal plan for consolidated reporting across domains

Security Considerations

  • Keep verification files/records in place, we periodically re-verify ownership
  • Remove verification from domains you no longer own
  • Use unique verification codes (don't share between accounts)

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