Verify ownership
Verification proves you control a domain. It unlocks the verified badge on your dashboard, Founders Leaderboard credit, Trust Map backlink snapshots on paid plans, and — with the live badge — public directory listing with do-follow links.
Two methods
| Method | What it proves | Directory listing |
|---|---|---|
| Live DR badge | Badge HTML with your verify token is on the site | Yes (Basic+) |
| DNS TXT | TXT record at the apex domain matches your token | No — dashboard ownership only |
Only badge-verified domains appear in the public directory. DNS is enough for ownership signals (verified icon, Founders) but not for do-follow directory links.
Verify with the badge (recommended)
- Open Verify Domain (or Embed Badge) from the domain dashboard header.
- Copy the snippet from the modal / badge builder. Keep the
verify=…query param. - Paste the badge on your homepage (or another publicly crawlable page).
- Click Verify. When we detect the badge, the domain is marked verified.
On Basic+, badge verification can auto-list the domain in the directory. After verification the header button switches to Embed Badge and a verified icon replaces the external-link icon next to the domain name.
Verify with DNS
- Open the verify modal and choose DNS.
- Add a TXT record on the apex host (e.g.
example.com— not a subdomain prefix). - Set the value to the exact token we show.
- Wait for DNS to propagate, then click Verify.
Host tip: use the bare apex domain only — not _ratingso. prefixes or other underscore hosts.
Claim & reclaim
If a domain is already tracked, you can still claim it by proving control. Reclaiming transfers verification (and directory listing) to the account that passes badge/DNS checks.
What verification unlocks
- Verified mark on the dashboard and public report
- Credit on the Founders Leaderboard (handle assigned at signup)
- Trust Map / referring-domain snapshots when you’re on a paid plan
- Directory + 2 do-follow links when badge-verified on Basic+