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Supported domain control validation (DCV) methods for domain prevalidation

Domain prevalidation: DCV methods

Industry standards prevent Certificate Authorities, such as DigiCert, from issuing TLS/SSL certificates until you demonstrate control over the domains and IP address on your certificate. We refer to this process as the Domain Control Validation (DCV) process.

DigiCert currently supports these DCV methods:

  • Email

    • Email to DNS TXT contact

    • Constructed email

    Warning

    End of life for the WHOIS-based Email

    On May 8, 2025, DigiCert ended support for the WHOIS-based domain control validation method (DCV) email method. DigiCert systems have stopped querying WHOIS entirely to find email addresses for domain validations. To learn more about this change, see our knowledge base article, End of life for WHOIS-based DCV methods.

    What should I do?

    Update your domain validation process to use one of the other supported DCV methods. To continue using the Email DCV method, use the DNS TXT record email contacts or the Constructed email method.

  • DNS CNAME

  • DNS TXT

  • HTTP Practical Demonstration

  • HTTP Practical Demonstration with unique filename

To validate your domains, you can prevalidate your domains or do the DCV as part of the certificate request process. Per industry standards, a domain's validation is valid for 397 days (approximately 13 months).

  • Domain prevalidation

    CertCentral features a domain prevalidation process that allows you to validate your domains before you begin ordering certificates for them. Validating the domain ahead of time allows for quicker certificate issuance.

    For immediate certificate issuance, Domain prevalidation is required. See OV/EV certificate immediate issuance.

    Important

    DV TLS certificates don't support domain prevalidation

    Each time you order a DV TLS certificate, you must demonstrate control over the domains on the order. Once you submit the order, you need to finish the domain validation before DigiCert can issue your DV certificate. See Supported DCV methods for validating the domains on DV TLS/SSL certificate orders.

  • Demonstrating control over domains on DV/OV/EV TSL/SSL certificate orders

    While ordering a certificate, you select a DCV method to demonstrate control over the domains on the order. On the certificate's Order details page, use the DCV method selected during the order process to validate your domains. You can always switch validation methods if needed. See Demonstrate control over domains on a pending certificate order.

Email DCV method

With this validation method, DigiCert sends two sets of DCV emails: DNS TXT-based and constructed.

To demonstrate control over the domain, an email recipient follows the instructions in a confirmation email sent for the domain. The confirmation process consists of going to the link provided and following the instructions on the confirmation page.

Note: DigiCert sends this email from no-reply@digitalcertvalidation.com. If using allowlist, make sure to include digitalcertvalidation.com.

See Add a domain and validate it using the Email DCV method.

Email to DNS TXT contact

For this method, DigiCert sends an authorization email to the email in the DNS TXT record on the _validation-contactemail subdomain of the domain being validated. While validating a domain, make sure to select the Verification email DCV method.

To configure your CertCentral Email DCV method to send the confirmation email to DNS TXT contacts, do the following:

  1. Place the DNS TXT record on the _validation-contactemail subdomain of the domain you want to validate. The RDATA value of this text record must be a valid email address.

    Name

    TTL

    Message

    _validation-contactemail

    Default

    validatedomain@digicerttest.com

    DigiCert recommends adding a distribution list rather than a personal email address. A distribution list allows you to create a "non-expiring" email address to which you can add or remove people if necessary.

  2. Update your CertCentral account settings to send the verification DCV emails to Org/Tech/Admin contacts from DNS TXT.

    1. In CertCentral, in the left menu, go to Settings > Preferences.

    2. On the Preferences page, select Advanced Settings.

    3. In the Domain Control Validation (DCV) section under Send verification DCV emails to, select Org/Tech/Admin contacts from DNS TXT.

    4. Go to the bottom of the page and select Save Settings.

  3. See our instructions for Adding a domain and validate it using the Email DCV method.

Constructed email

For the Constructed Email method, DigiCert sends the authorization email to five constructed email addresses for the domain: admin, administrator, webmaster, hostmaster, and postmaster @[domain_name].

If we can't find an MX record for [domain_name], you must use another supported DCV methods to demonstrate your control over the domain. See MX records (mail exchanger records).

Background

While registering a domain, you must provide contact information, such as administrative and technical contacts. Instead of using a personal email address, you can use one of the constructed email addresses for your domain, such as webmaster@yourdomain. Using a constructed email address allows you to create a "non-expiring" email address that you can add or remove people from if necessary.

MX records (mail exchanger records)

To send an authentication email to the domain controller, we must verify an MX record exists in the DNS records of the recipient's domain. The presence of valid MX records enables us to send the authentication email. An MX record is a resource record in the Domain Name System [DNS].

For example, you want us to send the DCV email to a constructed email addresses for example.com, such as admin@example.com. To send the email, we must find an MX record for the address identifying the server set up to receive emails for admin@example.com.

DNS TXT DCV method

Add a DigiCert-generated random value to the domain’s DNS as a TXT record. Once DigiCert checks for a DNS TXT record for the domain, we can find a record that includes the DigiCert-generated random value.

See Validate a domain using DNS TXT Record.

DNS CNAME DCV method

If your domain has a CNAME record pointing to another domain (for example, yourdomain.com points to yourdomain.net), use this method to validate your domain.

To set up your domain's CNAME record, add the static prefix _dnsauth to the hostname field and [random_value].dcv.digicert.com as the CNAME target. Once DigiCert checks for a DNS CNAME record for your domain, we can find a record that includes the DigiCert-generated random value.

See Validate a domain using a DNS CNAME.

HTTP Practical Demonstration and HTTP Practical Demonstration with unique filename DCV methods

Use the HTTP Practical Demonstration DCV methods to demonstrate control over fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) exactly as named. To learn more, go to Domain Validation Policy Changes.

Validating IPv4 and IPv6 address

Per industry regulations, you must use the HTTP Practical Demonstration DCV method to demonstrate control over IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

Use one of the other supported DCV methods to:

  • Validate wildcard domains, such as *.example.com.

  • Include subdomains in the validation while validating a higher-level domain. For example, if you want to cover www.example.com, mail.example.com, and one.example.com while validating the higher-level domain example.com.

  • Validate entire domains and subdomains.

HTTP Practical Demonstration

Host a file containing a DigiCert generated random value (provided for the domain in your CertCentral account) at a predetermined location on your website: http://{domain-name}/.well-known/pki-validation/fileauth.txt.

Once you create the file and place it on your site, DigiCert goes to the specified URL to confirm the presence of our random value. See Validate a Domain using HTTP practical demonstration.

HTTP Practical Demonstration with unique filename

Host a file with a random filename containing a DigiCert-generated random value at a predetermined location: http://{domain-name}/.well-known/pki-validation/{unique-filename}.txt.

Once you create the file and place it on your site, DigiCert goes to the specified URL to confirm the presence of our random value. See Validate a Domain using HTTP practical demonstration with unique filename.

Warning

DV TLS certificates don’t support the HTTP Practical Demonstration with unique filename DCV method.

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