Verify your domain to unlock Essentials features

If you're the owner or IT admin for your organization's domain name, you can unlock account (identity) management features, such as the ability to create user accounts and manage user profiles and password strength. Unlock features by verifying you own your domain.

You can verify your domain:

After signing up for Essentials and trying it out with your team.
After someone else at your domain signs up for Essentials. In this case, you take over Essentials management for your organization.

Unlocks more features

When you verify your domain for Essentials:

You assume full administrative control of all Essentials user accounts in your organization. You can create accounts, manage user profiles and security settings, and more.
You get basic mobile device management features and a few bonus features, such as Google Groups.
You can upgrade to Enterprise Plus to get even more apps, like Gmail and Calendar.

See what you get: Compare Essentials features

Before you begin

Verifying domain ownership prevents other teams at your organization from signing up for Essentials.

Consumer accounts can't be restored. When you verify your domain for Essentials, users' Google accounts become permanently managed. Before you verify, users can back up or delete their personal data, or delete their account. Learn about what happens to a Google Account after domain verification.

How to verify domain ownership

To unlock identity management features for Essentials, you need to verify that you own your organization's domain.

Step 1: Get access to your domain host

To verify your domain with Google, you must have:

The sign-in information for your domain host—Your host is typically where you bought your domain, such as GoDaddy or Enom. If you’re not sure where you bought your domain, go to Identify your domain host.
Access to your domain's DNS settings/records—You'll need to update your domain’s DNS settings (also called DNS records). Most domain hosts let you do this yourself, by signing in to your account at the host. Others may update your settings for you.
If your domain host doesn't allow updating DNS settings, you can verify your domain by updating files at your domain's website. Go to Verify your domain through your website.

Step 2: Update your domain settings (use the domain verification tool)

Follow these steps to verify you own your domain. Choose steps based on whether you're currently an Essentials admin or taking control from another admin.

I'm already an admin on Essentials

If you have access to your Google Admin console:

Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
From the Admin console Home page, go to Domains.
Click Manage domains > Verify domain ownership. Then follow the steps in the verification tool.
Important: If a message appears that says you can’t verify your domain because other teams at your domain are using Google services, go to “I can’t verify using the Admin console” below.
When it's time to verify your domain, you'll be asked to sign in to your domain host. You'll get a verification record to add to your domain’s DNS settings. Or, you can add a tag or file to your website’s files.
Click below for step-by-step instructions to add the verification record, for your host. Also find generic steps if your host isn't listed.

GO TO VERIFICATION STEPS FOR YOUR DOMAIN HOST

Important: The verification record doesn’t affect your existing website or email.
After you add the verification record to your DNS settings, you'll tell the verification tool to look for this record. After a few minutes (though it might take up to 1 hour), you’ll get a confirmation message that your domain is verified. You can then start using Essentials.

I'm taking control from another admin

If you don't have access to the Google Admin console:

Go to the Essentials sign-up page.
Sign up using your email address at the domain you're verifying.
Use an address where you can get mail.
On the page that says someone has already signed up for Google Workspace at your domain, click Become an admin:
Follow instructions in the domain verification tool to manage Essentials for all users at your organization.
Important: If the option to become an admin isn't available, go to "I can't verify during sign-up" below.

Step 3: Set up billing (required to avoid account suspension)

Set up billing to avoid suspension: After you verify your domain, you have 15 days to set up billing. If billing was already set up, you must set it up again. Otherwise, your account will be suspended.

Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
From the Admin console Home page, go to Billing > Billing accounts.
Under Subscriptions, next to Essentials, click Set up billing.
Follow the instructions to set up Essentials billing.

For details, go to Set up Essentials billing.

If you can't verify your domain

I can't verify using the Admin console

If an error message appears in the Admin console when you try to verify your domain, domain verification isn't available because there's at least 1 other team using Essentials at your domain. You'll be able to verify your domain when there are multiple Essentials teams in an upcoming release.

If you want to manage the other teams now, you can verify your domain by merging the other teams with yours, as follows:

Ask the other teams’ admins to cancel their email-verified Essentials subscription. Go to steps. Make sure these admins:
- Choose the option to let users keep their data
- Also delete their team’s Essentials account
If you don’t know who the other team admins are: Contact Google Workspace Support by filling out this form.
Verify domain ownership, by following the instructions above.
Add the other teams’ users to your Essentials account, by following these steps.

If the option to become an admin isn't available during signup, you need to contact Google Workspace support.

Contact support by filling out the "Domain in use" form. Support will determine how many teams are using Google services at your domain and guide you through the appropriate steps below.

If only 1 team is using Google services at your domain:

Cancel the Essentials subscription you just signed up for, by following these steps. Make sure you:
- Choose the option to let user’s keep their data
- Delete your team Essentials account
Work with Support to verify you have access to your domain’s DNS settings/records. (Make sure you contact support using the form above.)
Support will then provide the contact information for the admin who’s currently managing the Essentials team.
Ask the team admin to invite you to join the team. Go to steps.
Ask the team admin to grant you super admin privileges. Go to steps.
Verify domain ownership and become the IT admin for the Essentials account, by following the instructions above.

If multiple teams are using Google services at your domain:

Verification of domain ownership for multiple teams isn't yet supported. This feature will be available in an upcoming release.

To verify your domain to start managing the other teams now, you can merge the other teams with yours, as follows:

Ask the teams’ admins to cancel their email-verified Essentials subscription, by following these steps. Make sure these admins:
- Choose the option to let users keep their data
- Also delete their team’s Essentials account
If you don't know who the other team admins are, support can provide them to you. (Make sure you contact support using the form above.)
Verify domain ownership, by following the instructions above.
Add the other teams’ users to your Essentials account. Go to steps.

Want help with these steps?

You can contact us directly for help (available with your Essentials subscription): Contact support

After you verify your domain

Existing users get an email telling them that their Essentials accounts will soon have a new administrator.
You'll no longer manage your team from the Team dashboard. Instead, you'll perform all management tasks from your Google Admin console, where more business features become available.
You become the sole admin for Essentials users. Any previous admins lose access to management controls, such as the Team dashboard or Admin console.

Questions

Why must I verify my domain?

Before we can unlock identity management features for any organization, we need to know they own their domain. This helps prevent anyone from using Google services with someone else's business identity.

A domain is what comes after www. in web addresses. This is often your organization's name, followed by .com. An example is yourbusiness.com.

Who is my domain host?

If you’re not sure where you bought your domain, go to Identify your domain host.

Can I tell if my domain is verified?

To check if your domain has been verified:

Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
From the Admin console Home page, go to Domains.
If you don't see a message asking you to verify your domain, your domain has been verified.

How long does verification take?

Adding your verification record takes about 10 minutes. It can take up to 1 hour for us to confirm you added the record, but it usually happens more quickly.

Google, Google Workspace, and related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company and product names are trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

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