When you add a CNAME record to your domain's DNS settings, you must enter specific values depending on what you're using the CNAME record for. Below are the values to use when configuring CNAME records for various uses with Google services.
You enter these values at your domain host, not in your Google Admin console. Note also that some hosts use different labels for the name and value fields.
| Use case | Name/Host/Alias | TTL* | Record Type | Value/Answer/Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customize a Google Site address | Your URL prefix Example: www |
3600 | CNAME | ghs.googlehosted.com. |
| Customize a Google service address | Your URL prefix Example: |
3600 | CNAME | ghs.googlehosted.com. |
| Reset the administrator password | Your unique string as provided in the instructions to reset the administrator password. This string is a 22-character string that begins with google, followed by 16 additional characters. Example: google9d97d7f266ee521d |
3600 | CNAME | google.com. |
| Verify domain ownership |
A unique 12-character string generated for you. Example: 3IBW7URVCRWY |
3600 | CNAME | Your unique Google security token, provided in the Google Admin console's verification instructions. The token is an 86-character string beginning with "gv-", followed by 52 additional characters, and ending with ".domainverify.googlehosted.com." |
| Verify subdomain ownership |
A unique 12-character string generated for you, appended with your subdomain name. Example: JLKDER712AFP.subdomain where subdomain is the name of your subdomain. |
3600 | CNAME | Your unique Google security token, provided in the Google Admin console's verification instructions. The token is an 86-character string beginning with "gv-", followed by 52 additional characters, and ending with ".domainverify.googlehosted.com." |
* The TTL is the number of seconds before subsequent changes to the CNAME record go into effect. Learn more
CNAME records for a specific protocol version
If your domain uses a CNAME record with a destination of ghs.googlehosted.com, then it's automatically accessible using both IPv4 and IPv6 (with the exception of users of DNS resolvers to which Google does not return AAAA records).
If your application requires a specific protocol version, Google also provides IPv4-only, IPv6-only and dual-stack targets unaffected by the list of DNS resolvers above. The available CNAME targets are:
- ghs.googlehosted.com: Automatic (default)
- ghs4.googlehosted.com: IPv4 only
- ghs6.googlehosted.com: IPv6 only
- ghs46.googlehosted.com: IPv4 and IPv6