Domain Validation (DV)
Important
As of February 24, 2026, the domain validation reuse period is limited to 199 days. Learn more about Domain validation requirements and reuse periods.
DigiCert confirms that the requester controls the domain names on the certificate. No organization identity is verified. DV certificates are issued quickly and are appropriate for websites that require encryption without organizational identity.
Requires: Domain control validation (DCV) only
Organization identity: Not included
Prevalidation: Not supported. Domain validation is completed per order
Reuse: Not supported. Each DV certificate order requires fresh domain validation
Domain control validation methods
To validate a domain, you demonstrate control over it using one of the following methods:
Email validation: DigiCert sends an authorization email to an approved address associated with the domain
DNS TXT or CNAME record: Add a DigiCert-generated value to the domain's DNS records
HTTP practical demonstration: Place a DigiCert-generated file on the web server for the domain
ACME HTTP-01 or DNS-01 challenge: An ACME client completes the challenge automatically
For detailed procedures for each method, see Perform domain control validation (DCV).
Domain prevalidation
Prevalidation allows you to validate domains before submitting a certificate request. Prevalidated domains enable faster certificate issuance because DigiCert has already confirmed domain control. For OV and EV certificates, prevalidation is required for immediate certificate issuance.
DV certificates do not support domain prevalidation. Domain validation for DV certificates must be completed as part of each order.
Validation reuse
Once a domain or organization is validated, the validation remains current for a limited reuse period. Within this period, additional certificate requests for the same domain or organization do not require revalidation.
Important
As of February 24, 2026, the domain validation reuse period is limited to 199 days. OV organization validation reuse is limited to 397 days. Plan revalidation schedules to avoid delays during renewal and reissuance. Learn more about DigiCert annual plans for TLS/SSL certificates.
Validation reuse applies as follows:
DV certificates: No reuse. Each order requires fresh domain validation
OV and EV certificates: Domain validation reuse within the allowed reuse period. Organization validation reuse within the allowed reuse period. When validation expires, DigiCert requires revalidation before processing new certificate requests, renewals, or reissues for the affected domain or organization.
What's next
Organization validation to understand the additional requirements for OV certificates
Review the pre-onboarding checklist to confirm domain and organization readiness before beginning account setup