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Verify Your Domain for Google Workspace in Site Layout Settings

Add Google's verification meta tag to your Sierra Interactive site to confirm domain ownership and activate your custom email address.

Summary

To finish setting up Google Workspace with a custom email address (like you@yourdomain.com), Google needs proof that you own your domain. This article walks you through verifying ownership by adding Google's meta tag in Site Layout Settings, no DNS changes required.

Table of Contents

  1. Why This Feature Matters
  2. Before You Begin
  3. Step-by-Step Instructions
  4. Alternative: Verify with a DNS Record
  5. Best Practices
  6. Troubleshooting Common Issues
  7. FAQs

Why This Feature Matters

  • Activate your custom email address. Google Workspace won't fully activate email at your domain (you@yourdomain.com) until ownership is verified.
  • Protect your sender reputation. Verified domains establish legitimacy with Google, supporting better email deliverability.
  • Skip the DNS request. Because the meta tag method uses your Sierra site rather than DNS records, you can complete verification yourself in minutes.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

  • A Google Workspace account with admin access. You'll need to sign in at admin.google.com as an administrator.
  • Primary Manager or Manager-level user access in Sierra
  • A live, published Sierra site. Google verifies by reading your site's live code, so your site must be publicly accessible.

⚠️ Google's interface changes frequently. The steps below reflect the general Google Admin verification flow, but exact labels and screens may differ. For Google's current instructions, see Google's domain verification documentation.

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: Get Your Verification Meta Tag from Google

  1. Go to admin.google.com and sign in with your Google Workspace admin credentials.
  2. Open the menu (≡ icon, top-left) and go to Account > Domains > Manage Domains.
  3. Find your domain and start the verification process. 
  4. If Google prompts you to sign in to your domain registrar (such as GoDaddy) to verify automatically, decline — your verification tag goes into Sierra, not your registrar. Choose the manual or Other option instead.
  5. Select the HTML Tag verification method (you may need to look under Alternate Methods).
  6. Copy the entire meta tag Google provides, including the quotation marks.
  7. Keep this Google Admin tab open — you'll return to it in Part 3.

Part 2: Add the Meta Tag to Your Sierra Site

  1. In a new browser tab, log in to your Sierra platform.
  2. Click the Gear icon and select Site Layout Settings.gear_site_layout_settings
  3. Open the Tracking and Conversion Codes section.tracking_code
  4. Paste the meta tag into the tracking codes included in document head field. 
  5. Scroll down and click Save.

Part 3: Complete Verification in Google Admin

  1. Return to your open Google Admin tab.
  2. Click Verify.
  3. Verification usually completes within minutes, though it can occasionally take longer. If it doesn't succeed immediately, wait a few minutes and try again.

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Alternative: Verify with a DNS Record

Google also supports verification through a DNS TXT record. Because Sierra manages DNS for most client domains, you won't add this record yourself — instead, submit a DNS update request to Sierra Support with the TXT record value Google provides. The meta tag method above is faster because you can complete it on your own, but the DNS method is useful if you can't access Site Layout Settings.

For background on how Sierra handles domains and DNS, see How Domains, DNS, and Support Requests Work.

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Best Practices

  • Copy the entire meta tag. A partial paste even a missing quotation mark will cause verification to fail.
  • Use two browser tabs. Keep Google Admin open in one tab and Sierra in another so you don't lose your place mid-process.
  • Leave the meta tag in place after verifying. Removing it can cause your domain's verified status to lapse. It's invisible to site visitors and doesn't affect performance.
  • Pair verification with email authentication. Domain verification proves ownership to Google; to maximize deliverability, also review Domain Authentication for Email Deliverability.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Verification fails after clicking Verify.
    Confirm the full meta tag was pasted and saved in Site Layout Settings, then try again after a few minutes. Google reads your live site, so recent changes may take a moment to appear.
  • You can't confirm the tag is on your live site.
    Clear your browser cache, then view your homepage's source code (right-click > View Page Source) and search for "google-site-verification" to confirm the tag is present.
  • Google keeps redirecting you to your domain registrar.
    Decline the registrar sign-in prompt and choose the manual or Other verification path so you can use the HTML Tag method.

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FAQs

  • Can I use a verification method other than the HTML tag?
    Yes. Google also supports DNS TXT record and HTML file upload methods. For Sierra sites, the HTML tag is the fastest self-serve option; the DNS method requires a request to Sierra Support since Sierra manages your DNS.
  • How long does verification take?
    Usually within a few minutes of clicking Verify. Occasionally it takes longer while Google re-checks your site. 
  • Do I need to keep the meta tag after verifying?
    Yes, leave it in place. Removing it can cause your verified status to lapse, and it has no visible effect on your website.
  • Does adding this tag affect my site's performance or appearance?
    No. The meta tag lives in your site's code header and is invisible to visitors.

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