Domain verification is how you prove to Meta that your business owns a website domain, by placing a code Meta gives you in the domain’s DNS, in the homepage code or in a file on the server. Once verified, the domain is linked to your business portfolio, which gives you control over how links to your site appear on Facebook and Instagram.
How domain verification works
In Meta Business Settings, under Brand safety, you add your domain and choose one of three methods:
- DNS TXT record. You add a TXT record containing Meta’s code at your domain registrar or DNS host. This is the most durable method, because it survives website rebuilds.
- Meta tag. You paste a tag into the head of your homepage. Quick on WordPress or Shopify, but it vanishes if a theme change or plugin update removes it.
- HTML file upload. You upload a small file to the root of your site.
Meta then checks for the code and marks the domain as verified. You verify the main domain, such as yourbusiness.co.uk, and that covers subdomains such as shop.yourbusiness.co.uk. Changes to DNS can take a while to spread, so a failed check straight after adding a record is normal; wait and try again.
Why it matters
Verification gives the business that owns a domain control over link editing. Without it, people and Pages may be able to change the headline, description or image shown when a link to your site is shared or used in an ad. With it, only people with permission in your business portfolio can edit those previews, which closes off one route for misleading ads that point at your site.
It has also been tied to measurement. When Meta introduced Aggregated Event Measurement, a verified domain was needed to set up and rank web events. Meta has since relaxed those rules, but at the time of writing (October 2026) verification is still part of a clean set-up and takes a few minutes. For an established UK brand it also sits naturally alongside business verification, which confirms the company itself is real.
Common mistakes
- Using the meta tag on a site that changes often. A theme update removes it and verification quietly lapses. Prefer DNS.
- Verifying in the wrong portfolio. The domain should sit in the business portfolio your business owns, not your agency’s or a freelancer’s. If a former supplier verified it, ask them to remove it so you can claim it.
- Verifying a subdomain instead of the main domain. Verify the root domain, and its subdomains are covered.
- Deleting the TXT record later. Someone tidying DNS removes “that odd Facebook code” and verification lapses. Note what it is for in your records.
- Forgetting extra domains. If your ads send people to a separate booking or shop domain, verify that one too.
How to act on it
Go to Business Settings, then Brand safety, then Domains. If your domain is missing or unverified, add it and choose the DNS method; most UK registrars let you add a TXT record in a few minutes. Give it time to take effect, then confirm the status shows as verified.
While you are there, check which business portfolio owns your Meta Pixel and ad account. Domain, dataset and ad account should all belong to your business, with partners given access. I check this chain of ownership at the start of every engagement in Facebook and Instagram ads management, because it is far easier to fix before a problem than in the middle of one.