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Prove you own the site, three ways

Ownership rides on one constant token: put it in DNS, a well-known file, or a homepage meta tag — then ask for the check.

Updated 2026-11-08

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Guide · verify ownership

Audits run only against sites you own. Prove it once with a DNS record, a well-known file, or a meta tag — all keyed to one constant token.

  1. Register the site, get the token

    One POST returns the site plus its verification material. The token never rotates — all three proofs carry the same value, so you can switch methods without re-registering.

    Shell
    curl -s -X POST "$API/v1/ai/sites" -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEO_WATCH_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"domain":"example.com","auditUrls":["https://example.com/"],"verificationMethod":"file"}'
# 201 · { code, message, data: { site, verification } } — verification.token is constant

  2. Choose one of three proofs

    Pick whichever your stack lets you ship fastest: a DNS TXT record, a well-known text file, or a meta tag on the homepage. The token is shown once at registration and stays readable in the console.

    Text
    # dns  — TXT record at _seo-watch.example.com, value = the token
# file — https://example.com/.well-known/seo-watch.txt containing:
seowatch-site-verification=<token>
# meta — on the homepage:
<meta name="seo-watch-verification" content="<token>">

  3. Ask for the check, read the result

    The check is a live probe: DNS via DoH, the file over HTTPS, or the homepage HTML. verified unlocks audits; failed always carries a reason (record missing, file unreachable, tag absent) — fix and re-run, the token does not expire. Next step: your first audit.

    Shell
    curl -s -X POST "$API/v1/ai/sites/:id/verify" -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEO_WATCH_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{}'
# unverified → verifying → verified / failed (failed carries a reason)