Before you begin validating your domain, it's helpful to understand a few key concepts. This section explains the essential terms you'll encounter in the Domain Ownership Manager.

Validation scope

For each domain you validate in Domain Ownership Manager, you can select one of the following validation scopes:

Scope	Description	Examples
HOST	Validates only the added hostname. Subdomains, sibling domains, and parent domains require separate validation.	Validates: - `123.blog.example.com` Does not validate: - `example.com` `www.example.com` - `blog.example.com`
WILDCARD	Validates one level of subdomains under the top domain. Deeper subdomains require separate validation. Note: This scope is only available through Domain Ownership Manager. Using the WILDCARD validation in Property Manager creates a DOMAIN level validation record in Domain Ownership Manager.	Validates: - `blog.example.com` - `123.example.com` Does not validate: - `xyz.blog.example.com` - `example.com`
DOMAIN	Validates the top-level domain and all subdomains at any depth.	Validates: - `example.com` - `blog.example.com` - `123.blog.example.com` -`x.123.blog.example.com`

Validation methods

There are four methods you can use to prove your domain ownership to Akamai: DNS CNAME, DNS TXT, HTTP file, and HTTP redirect.

Method	Summary	Step-by-step instructions
DNS CNAME	Add a unique verification token provided by Akamai to your domain’s DNS settings as a CNAME record.	Validate a domain using a DNS CNAME record
DNS TXT	Add a unique verification string provided by Akamai to your domain’s DNS TXT records.	Validate a domain using a DNS TXT record
HTTP file	Create a unique verification file that contains a token from Akamai and save it on your HTTP server at a specific URL.	Validate a domain using a HTTP file
HTTP redirect	Set up your domain's DNS to implement a permanent 301 HTTP redirect.	Validate a domain using a HTTP redirect

Validation tokens

You generate a token when you submit a domain for validation. You need to complete the validation process before it expires. View the domain details to check the expiration date.