Verify your domain to unlock G Suite Essentials features

If you're the owner or IT admin for your organization's domain name, you can unlock more G Suite business features, including identity management, security controls, and auditing. Unlock features by verifying you own your domain.

You can verify your domain:

  • After signing up for G Suite Essentials and trying it out with your team.
  • After someone else at your domain signs up for G Suite Essentials. In this case, you take over G Suite Essentials management for your organization.
Consumer accounts can't be restored. When you verify your domain for G Suite Essentials, users whose accounts were converted from a consumer Google Account become permanently managed. Before you verify, these users can back up or delete their personal data, or delete their account. Learn about joining G Suite Essentials with a consumer Google Account.

Unlocks more business features

When you verify your domain for G Suite Essentials:

  • You assume full administrative control of all G Suite Essentials user accounts in your organization. You can create accounts, manage user profiles and security settings, and more.  
  • If you have G Suite Enterprise Essentials, you get extra security features including Data loss protection and Google Vault
  • You can switch to another edition of G Suite to get even more apps, like Gmail and Calendar.

See what you get:  Compare G Suite Essentials features

How to verify domain ownership

To unlock business features for G Suite 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 GoDaddyTM or Enom®. If you’re not sure where you bought your domain, see 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. See Verify your domain through your website. 

Step 2: Update your domain settings (use the Setup Wizard)

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

I'm already my team's G Suite Essentials admin

If you have access to your Google Admin console:

  1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

    Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

  2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Domains.
  3. Click the button to Verify your domain. Then follow steps in the Setup Wizard.
  4. 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.

    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.

    SEE VERIFICATION STEPS FOR YOUR DOMAIN HOST 

    Important: The verification record doesn’t affect your existing website or email.

  5. After you add the verification record to your DNS settings, you'll tell the Setup Wizard to look for this record. After a few minutes (though it might take up to an hour), you’ll get a confirmation message that your domain is verified. You can then start using G Suite Essentials. 

I'm taking control from another admin

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

  1. Go to the G Suite Essentials sign-up page.
  2. Sign up using your email address at the domain you're verifying.

    Use an address where you can get mail. 

  3. Follow instructions in the Setup Wizard to become the admin who manages G Suite Essentials for all users at your organization.

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.
  1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

    Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

  2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Billing.
  3. Under Subscriptions, next to G Suite Essentials, click Set up billing.
  4. Follow the instructions to set up G Suite Essentials billing.

For details, see Set up paid G Suite Essentials service. 

Want help with these steps? 

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

After you verify your domain

  • Existing users get an email telling them that their G Suite Essentials accounts will soon have a new administrator.
  • You will no longer manage your team from the Team dashboard. Instead, you'll preform all management tasks from your Google Admin console, where more business features become available.
  • You become the sole admin for G Suite 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 business features such as identity management and security controls, 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, see Identify your domain host.

Can I tell if my domain is verified?
To check if your domain has been verified:
  1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

    Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

  2. From the Admin console Home page, go to Domains.
  3. 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.

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