Guides

Verify domain ownership

Recurring monitoring requires proof that you control the domain. You can verify either with a DNS TXT record or with a meta tag in the site's HTML — pick whichever you can deploy faster.

When verification is required

The first scan of any domain is allowed without verification (rate-limited and passive-only) so you can evaluate Sift Health. Verification is only required to turn on recurring monitoring and alerting.

Option A — DNS TXT record

  1. Copy your verification token

    Register the site, then copy the token shown — it looks like sift-site-verification=abc123….

  2. Add a TXT record

    In your DNS provider, add a TXT record at the root (@) of the domain with the token as its value:
    dns
    Type:  TXT
Name:  @            (or your domain, e.g. example-clinic.com)
Value: sift-site-verification=abc123def456ghi789
TTL:   3600

  3. Verify

    Once DNS has propagated (often minutes, sometimes up to an hour), trigger the check from the dashboard or with POST /v1/sites/{id}/verify. You can confirm the record is live yourself first:
    bash
    dig +short TXT example-clinic.com

Option B — Meta tag

  1. Add the tag to your home page

    Place this in the <head> of the site’s root document:
    html
    <meta name="sift-site-verification" content="abc123def456ghi789" />

  2. Deploy and verify

    Publish the change, then run the verification check. Sift Health fetches the home page and looks for the tag.

The meta-tag method is convenient if you don’t control DNS but can edit the site template — common for agencies working inside a client’s CMS.

Keep the record in place

Leave the TXT record or meta tag live. Sift Health periodically re-confirms ownership; removing it can move the site back to unverified and pause monitoring.

Set up monitoring

What verification unlocks.

Register a site (API)

POST /v1/sites and tokens.

Verify a site (API)

POST /v1/sites/{id}/verify.

Consultant onboarding

Verify many client sites at once.