Site verification is how you prove to a service like Google or Facebook that you own your website. Once you've verified ownership, you get access to that service's tools, like Google Search Console (for SEO insights) or Facebook Business (for ad and page management).
The Site Verification page is where you paste the verification code these services give you. The CMS adds it to your website as a meta tag, which is a small piece of code in the header of your pages that services use to confirm ownership.
What gets added to your site
Each verification you add becomes a meta tag in the header of your pages. The meta tag looks like this:
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="your-verification-code-here" />
The name part is the service (in this case, google-site-verification). The content part is the unique code the service gave you to prove ownership.
You don't have to write the meta tag yourself. The CMS builds it from the Name and Content fields you fill in on this page.
What you can do here
From the SEO > Site Verification page, you can:
- Add a verification for a supported service by picking it from a list.
- Add a verification for a service that isn't in the list by using a custom attribute name.
- Update the verification code for an existing verification.
- Remove a verification you no longer need.
Before you start
You'll need a verification code from the service you're trying to verify with. You get this code by signing into that service (for example, Google Search Console or Facebook Business) and starting the verification process. The service will give you a piece of text to paste into the Content field below.
The verification code is sometimes called a verification token, a meta tag content value, or simply "the code."
About the fields
- Name (required). The service you're verifying with. Pick from the dropdown if your service is listed (for example, Google or Facebook). Choose custom if your service isn't in the list. The Name becomes the name attribute of the meta tag added to your site.
- Label (required when Name is set to custom). The attribute name the service requires. The service's verification instructions will tell you what to use here. For example, if the service tells you to add a meta tag with name="my-service-verification", type my-service-verification here.
- Content (required). The verification code provided by the service. Paste the full value exactly as the service gives it to you. This becomes the content attribute of the meta tag.
Add a verification
Step 1: Open the Site Verification page
- From the left sidebar, click SEO.
- Click the Site Verification tab.
You'll see cards for any verifications already added to your site.
Step 2: Pick the service
In the Name dropdown, pick the service you're verifying with. Services that you've already added a verification for won't appear in the dropdown, since each service can only be verified once.
If your service isn't in the list, pick custom. A Label field will appear. Type the attribute name your service told you to use.
Step 3: Paste the verification code
In the Content field, paste the verification code the service gave you.
Step 4: Save
Click the ADD button in the top right corner of the page.
The new verification appears as a card below the form.
Example: verifying with Google Search Console
Google Search Console is the most common reason to use this page. Here's what the process looks like end to end:
- Sign in to Google Search Console at search.google.com/search-console and add your site.
- When Google asks you to verify ownership, choose the HTML tag method. Google will show you a meta tag that looks like <meta name="google-site-verification" content="abc123..." />.
- Copy just the value inside the content attribute (the part that looks like abc123...).
- In the CMS, go to SEO > Site Verification.
- In the Name dropdown, pick Google.
- In the Content field, paste the value you copied.
- Click ADD to save.
- Go back to Google Search Console and click their Verify button. Google will check your site and confirm the verification.
Update a verification code
If a service issues you a new verification code (for example, after re-verifying), you can update an existing verification without deleting and re-adding it:
- Find the verification card for the service you want to update.
- Double-click the Content value shown on the card.
- Type or paste the new code.
- Click outside the field or press Enter to save.
Remove a verification
If you no longer need a verification (for example, you no longer use that service), you can remove it:
- Find the verification card for the service you want to remove.
- Click the X icon in the top right of the card.
- Confirm the deletion in the prompt.
Warning: Removing a verification may cause you to lose access to the service's tools. Only remove a verification if you no longer need to be verified with that service.
What if I see an error?
- "Content is required." Paste the verification code from the service into the Content field before saving.
- "Label is required when Name is custom." When you pick custom as the Name, you also need to fill in the Label field with the attribute name your service uses.