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Supported domain control validation (DCV) methods for domain prevalidation

Domain prevalidation: DCV methods

Industry standards prevent Certificate Authorities (CAs), such as DigiCert, from issuing your TLS/SSL certificate until you demonstrate control over the fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) and IP address on the certificate order. 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

    • WHOIS-based Email

  • DNS CNAME

  • DNS TXT

  • HTTP Practical Demonstration

  • HTTP Practical Demonstration with unique filename

To validate your domains, you can prevalidate your domains or complete 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. Completing the domain validation ahead of time allows for quicker certificate issuance.

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

    Important

    DV certificates don't support domain prevalidation. Therefore, each time you order a DV certificate, you must demonstrate control over the domains on the order. After placing your order, you need to complete domain validation before DigiCert can issue your DV certificate. See .

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

    When 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 complete the domain validation. 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 three sets of DCV emails: DNS TXT-based, constructed, and WHOIS-based.

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 visiting 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.

Important

End of life for the WHOIS-based email

The industry is moving away from using WHOIS to identify domain contacts. DigiCert recommends that those using the WHOIS-based Email DCV method update their domain validation processes to use one of the other supported DCV methods as soon as possible.

Email to DNS TXT contact

For the email to DNS TXT contact DCV method, DigiCert sends an authorization email to the email addresses found in the DNS TXT record on the _validation-contactemail subdomain of the domain being validated. When 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 when 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 one of the other supported DCV methods to demonstrate your control over the domain. See MX records (mail exchanger records) below.

Background

When 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 when necessary.

MX records (mail exchanger records)

Before DigiCert can successfully send an authentication DCV email to the domain owner (or domain controller), we must verify that an MX record (a resource record in the Domain Name System [DNS]) exists in the DNS records of the recipient's domain name. The presence of valid MX records enables us to send the authentication email.

For example, you want to receive your DCV email at one of the constructed email addresses for example.com, admin@example.com. To successfully receive a DCV Email at admin@example.com, we must first find an MX record for the address that identifies the server (for example, mailhost.example.com) set up to receive the emails destined for admin@example.com.

WHOIS-based email

For the WHOIS-based method, DigiCert sends an authorization email to the registered owners of the public domain as shown in the domain's WHOIS record.

Are you expecting to receive an email at an address published in your domain’s WHOIS record?

Verify that your registrar/WHOIS provider has not masked or removed that information. If the information is masked, find out if they provide a way (such as anonymized email address, web form) for you to allow Certificate Authorities (CAs) to access your domain’s WHOIS data.

DNS TXT DCV method

Add a DigiCert generated random value (provided for the domain in your CertCentral account) to the domain’s DNS as a TXT record. When DigiCert does a search for a DNS TXT record associated with the domain, we can find a record that includes the DigiCert generated random value.

See Add a domain, authorize the domain for certificates, and use DNS TXT as the validation method.

DNS CNAME DCV method

Add a DigiCert-generated random value (provided for the domain in your CertCentral account) to the domain’s DNS as a CNAME record.Then, add dcv.digicert.com as the CNAME target. When DigiCert does a search for a DNS CNAME record associated with the 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

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

Validating IPv4 and IPv6 address

Per industry regulations, you can only 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 when validating a higher-level domain. For example, if you want to cover www.example.com, mail.example.com, and one.example.com when 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.

After you've created the file and placed it on your site, DigiCert visits the specified URL to confirm the presence of our random value. See Add a domain and validate it using HTTP practical demonstration.

HTTP Practical Demonstration with unique filename

Host a file with a random filename that contains 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/{unique-filename}.txt.

After you've created the file and placed it on your site, DigiCert visits the specified URL to confirm the presence of our random value. See Add a domain and validate it using HTTP practical demonstration with unique filename as the validation method.

Warning

DV TLS certificates do not support the HTTP Practical Demonstration with unique filename DCV method.

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