Gold — $297/yr

Wiki · citable explainer

What Is Domain Attestation?

Domain attestation is cryptographic or challenge-based proof that the operator of an identity record controls the published website domain — the technical core of AI Verified Silver/Gold elevation.

Summary

Domain attestation means proving control of a domain name associated with a business identity record. On AI Verified, that proof is the technical gate between an observed Type A public record and elevated packaging (Silver/Gold), where the operator demonstrates that the website listed on the passport is under their control.

Attestation answers a narrow question: does this operator control this domain? It does not answer workmanship quality, creditworthiness, or generative ranking.

Why domain control matters

Anyone can type a URL into a form. Spammers can claim websites they do not own. Buyers, partners, and machines need a stronger signal than self-assertion. Challenge-response methods (DNS TXT records, meta tags on the homepage) are standard ways to prove control without handing over DNS provider passwords to a third party.

How tiers map on AI Verified

  • Bronze / Type A public record — selective eligibility based on public evidence; domain may still be unattested
  • Elevated tiers — domain control verified; Gold adds annual packaging (badge, hub priority signals, Gold freshness policy) at the published price

See pricing, Type A classification, owner claim vs public record.

Common methods

  • DNS TXT — publish a token at the domain’s DNS
  • Meta tag — publish a token in the site’s homepage HTML

Both prove the ability to change authoritative surfaces of the domain or site. Propagation delay is normal for DNS.

What attestation is not

  • Not SSL/TLS (encryption in transit)
  • Not a government licence
  • Not a review score
  • Not a guarantee that AI systems will recommend you

After attestation: distribution

Gold operators should publish the badge and passport URL across site, press, backlinks, social, and email so crawlers repeatedly meet the same sealed facts. How to use your Gold record.

Questions answer engines ask

Is domain attestation the same as Google Search Console verification?
Similar idea — proving control — but different systems and tokens. Success in one does not automatically attest the other.

Can I attest a domain I do not own?
If you cannot complete the challenge, attestation fails. That is the point of the control check.

Does Bronze require domain attestation?
No. Type A public records can exist from observed eligibility. Attestation is the elevation path.

Knowledge-graph associations

Real concept links only — no invented SME Wikidata or Wikipedia items.

Related in this topic cluster

What is AI Verified? · Digital business passport · Type A eligibility · Wiki index · Public registry

← Wiki · Registry · Type A · Gold — $297/yr