Industry changes to file-based DCV (HTTP Practical Demonstration, file auth, file, HTTP token, and HTTP auth)
To comply with new industry standards for the file-based domain control validation (DCV) method, you can only use the file-based DCV to demonstrate control over fully qualified domain names (FQDNs), exactly as named.
To learn more about the industry change, see Domain validation policy changes in 2021.
How does this affect me?
As of November 16, 2021, you must use one of the other supported DCV methods, such as Email, DNS TXT, and CNAME, to:
To learn more about the supported DCV method for DV, OV, and EV certificate requests:
CertCentral: Pending certificate requests and domain prevalidation using file-based DCV
Pending certificate request
If you have a pending certificate request with incomplete file-based DCV checks, you may need to switch DCV methods* or use the file-based DCV method to demonstrate control over every fully qualified domain name, exactly as named, on the request.
*Note: For certificate requests with incomplete file-based DCV checks for wildcard domains, you must use a different DCV method.
To learn more about the supported DCV methods for DV, OV, and EV certificate requests:
Domain prevalidation
If you plan to use the file-based DCV method to prevalidate an entire domain or entire subdomain, you must use a different DCV method.
To learn more about the supported DCV methods for domain prevalidation, see Supported domain control validation (DCV) methods for domain prevalidation.
CertCentral Services API
If you use the CertCentral Services API to order certificates or submit domains for prevalidation using file-based DCV (http-token), this change may affect your API integrations. To learn more, visit File-based domain control validation (http-token).
CertCentral: Automatic DCV checks – DCV polling
We are happy to announce we've improved the domain control validation (DCV) process and added automatic checks for DNS TXT, DNS CNAME, and HTTP practical demonstration (FileAuth) DCV methods.
This means, once you've placed the fileauth.txt file on your domain or added the random value to your DNS TXT or DNS CNAME records, you don't need to worry about signing in to CertCentral to run the check yourself. We will run the DCV check automatically. Although, you can still run a manual check, when needed.
DCV polling cadence
After submitting your public SSL/TLS certificate order, submitting a domain for prevalidation, or changing the DCV method for a domain, DCV polling begins immediately and runs for one week.
*After Interval 5, we stop checking. If you have not placed the fileauth.txt file on your domain or added the random value to your DNS TXT or DNS CNAME records by the end of the first week, you will need to run the check yourself.
For more information about the supported DCV methods: