Google Fixes File Verification Issue

Posted by Wesley LeFebvre on October 1, 2009

Finally Google makes it easier to verify your site by using the file verification method within Google Webmaster Tools.

Just this afternoon they announced this change as well as a few others regarding their website verification process:

Previously, if your website returned an HTTP status code other than 404 for non-existent URLs, you would be unable to use the file verification method…..We’ve simplified the file verification process to eliminate the checks for non-existent URLs.

I’m glad they finally did this. I thought it was odd I was able to verify many of my sites just fine using Yahoo! and Bing’s file verification methods, but not with Google’s. It was actually rather annoying having to use the meta verification method every time, then later having to go remove it. This will make it a little easier to verify and manage my own, as well as many client websites in the future.

Now you can simply download the HTML file they provide and upload it to your site without modification. They’ll check the file, and if the contents are correct, that’s it, you’re done!