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Domain Verification

Before publishing content to IAIndex, you must verify ownership of your domain. This ensures authenticity and prevents impersonation.

Why Domain Verification?​

Domain verification:

  • Proves you control the domain
  • Prevents unauthorized publishers
  • Establishes trust in the ecosystem
  • Enables cryptographic attribution

Verification Methods​

Add a TXT record to your DNS:

# Install IAIndex CLI
npm install -g @iaindex/cli

# Generate verification token
iaindex verify init yourdomain.com

Output:

Add this TXT record to your DNS:

Name: _iaindex-verification
Type: TXT
Value: iaindex-verification=abc123def456ghi789...
TTL: 3600

Add the DNS Record​

Using Cloudflare:

  1. Log into Cloudflare Dashboard
  2. Select your domain
  3. Go to DNS → Records
  4. Click "Add record"
  5. Type: TXT
  6. Name: _iaindex-verification
  7. Content: iaindex-verification=abc123...
  8. TTL: Auto
  9. Click "Save"

Using AWS Route 53:

aws route53 change-resource-record-sets \
  --hosted-zone-id YOUR_ZONE_ID \
  --change-batch '{
    "Changes": [{
      "Action": "CREATE",
      "ResourceRecordSet": {
        "Name": "_iaindex-verification.yourdomain.com",
        "Type": "TXT",
        "TTL": 3600,
        "ResourceRecords": [{
          "Value": "\"iaindex-verification=abc123...\""
        }]
      }
    }]
  }'

Verify the Record​

Wait 5-10 minutes for DNS propagation, then:

iaindex verify check yourdomain.com

Output:

✓ DNS record found
✓ Verification token matches
✓ Domain verified successfully!

Your verification ID: ver_xyz789...

Method 2: HTTPS Well-Known File​

Host a verification file at:

https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/iaindex-verification.txt
# Generate verification file
iaindex verify file yourdomain.com > verification.txt

# Upload to your web server
cp verification.txt /var/www/html/.well-known/iaindex-verification.txt

File content:

iaindex-verification=abc123def456ghi789...
domain=yourdomain.com
timestamp=2025-01-17T12:00:00Z

Verify:

iaindex verify check yourdomain.com --method=file

Add to your homepage <head>:

<meta name="iaindex-verification" content="abc123def456ghi789..." />

This method is less reliable as it requires scraping your homepage.

Multi-Domain Verification​

Verify multiple domains or subdomains:

# Main domain
iaindex verify init example.com

# Subdomain
iaindex verify init blog.example.com

# Multiple domains
iaindex verify init example.com,example.org,example.net

Verification Status​

Check verification status:

iaindex verify status yourdomain.com

Output:

Domain: yourdomain.com
Status: Verified
Method: DNS TXT
Verified At: 2025-01-17T12:00:00Z
Expires: 2026-01-17T12:00:00Z
Verification ID: ver_xyz789...

Renewal and Expiration​

Verifications expire after 1 year:

  • 90 days before expiration: Warning emails sent
  • 30 days before: Urgent warning
  • At expiration: Domain marked as unverified

Renew verification:

iaindex verify renew yourdomain.com

Troubleshooting​

DNS Record Not Found​

# Check DNS propagation
dig TXT _iaindex-verification.yourdomain.com

# Or use online tools
# https://dnschecker.org

Common issues:

  • DNS propagation delay (wait 5-30 minutes)
  • Incorrect record name (must be _iaindex-verification)
  • Missing quotes in TXT value
  • Wrong DNS zone/subdomain

File Not Accessible​

# Test file accessibility
curl https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/iaindex-verification.txt

Common issues:

  • File not in correct directory
  • Web server blocking .well-known directory
  • HTTPS not configured
  • Incorrect file permissions

Multiple Domain Errors​

If verifying multiple domains:

  • Each domain needs separate TXT record
  • Subdomains inherit parent verification (optional)
  • Use comma-separated list for bulk verification

Security Considerations​

  1. Protect Verification Tokens: Treat as secrets
  2. Use HTTPS: Always serve verification files over HTTPS
  3. Monitor Expiration: Set up renewal reminders
  4. Revoke When Needed: Revoke verification if domain sold
  5. Audit Regularly: Review verified domains quarterly

Programmatic Verification​

Automate verification in your application:

const { IAIndexPublisher } = require('@iaindex/sdk');

const publisher = new IAIndexPublisher({
  domain: 'yourdomain.com',
  privateKey: process.env.IAINDEX_PRIVATE_KEY
});

// Check verification status
const isVerified = await publisher.checkVerification();

if (!isVerified) {
  // Generate verification token
  const token = await publisher.generateVerificationToken();
  
  console.log('Add this DNS record:');
  console.log(`Name: _iaindex-verification`);
  console.log(`Type: TXT`);
  console.log(`Value: ${token}`);
  
  // Wait for user to add record
  // Then verify
  await publisher.verifyDomain();
}

API Reference​

Generate Verification Token​

POST /api/v1/verification/generate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "domain": "yourdomain.com",
  "method": "dns"
}

Response:

{
  "token": "iaindex-verification=abc123...",
  "method": "dns",
  "record": {
    "name": "_iaindex-verification",
    "type": "TXT",
    "value": "iaindex-verification=abc123..."
  }
}

Check Verification​

GET /api/v1/verification/check?domain=yourdomain.com

Response:

{
  "verified": true,
  "domain": "yourdomain.com",
  "method": "dns",
  "verifiedAt": "2025-01-17T12:00:00Z",
  "expiresAt": "2026-01-17T12:00:00Z"
}