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I am trying to verify domains using the Google Site Verification API.

For some email addresses, the verification request succeeds fine. For other email addresses, it says "Could not resolve the email address". I cannot see any reason why it should reject one email address but not another.

My only guess is that the provided email address must be listed in the domain name system somewhere as a domain contact. However this is not documented anywhere that I can see, but of course that's entirely normal for Google's developer documentation which is thoroughly crap and often inconsistent and out of date.

Request to endpoint:

https://www.googleapis.com/siteVerification/v1/webResource?access_token=<token>&project=`<proj_id>&verificationMethod=DNS_TXT`

Parameters to request:

{"site": {"type": "INET_DOMAIN", "identifier": "<domain name>"}, "owners": ["<email address 1>", "<email address 2>"]}

Response from request:

{'error': {'errors': [{'domain': 'global', 'message': 'Could not resolve the email address: <email address 2>', 'reason': 'invalidParameter'}], 'message': 'Could not resolve the email address: <email address 2>', 'code': 400}}

Can anyone suggest why some email addresses would be rejected and other accepted?

Oleg Valter is with Ukraine
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Duke Dougal
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  • Resolving the email address is different than a permissions issue. Can you log the addresses, to see if there is a bad character (space, comma, etc.) in the email address? Is the address listed in your accounts with permissions: `https://console.developers.google.com/project/apps~YOUR-APP/permissions`? And, why are some of your parameters empty? – GAEfan Aug 20 '14 at 04:46
  • StackOverflow has deleted my parameters because they were enclosed in angle brackets. I've tried a number of addresses. Some work, some don't. My understanding is I should be able to use any email address at all as the owner is that correct? – Duke Dougal Aug 20 '14 at 06:06
  • You can use any email address that is associated with a Google account. – Brandon Yarbrough Aug 21 '14 at 22:09
  • @brandonyarbrough is that documented anywhere? I'd like to read the official requirements for specification of email addresses for site verification. thanks – Duke Dougal Aug 21 '14 at 22:53

1 Answers1

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This error indicates that an email address is not associated with a Google account.

The Site Verification API is equivalent to using Google Webmaster Tools to manage domain ownership. The API is a programmatic way for Google accounts to assert ownership of domain names and/or delegate that ownership to other accounts, so that those accounts can do that things that Google requires verification of domain name ownership. A Good example is creating a Google Cloud Storage bucket for a domain name.

When verifying ownership of a domain, the account making the request can verify ownership only in its own name. It can, however, follow that up by delegating its ownership to other users.

Ownership can be delegated to any Google account, including service accounts, and these accounts are identified by their account email address.

The email addresses used must be associated with Google accounts. Permissions are assigned to accounts, and it is an error to assign a permission to an account that does not exist.

Brandon Yarbrough
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  • Thanks Brandon. The above information is exactly what I was after. Is it written in the Google documentation anywhere? – Duke Dougal Aug 22 '14 at 01:26
  • Best resource I can suggest is the API's documentation, especially the "concepts" and "limitations" sections: https://developers.google.com/site-verification/v1/getting_started – Brandon Yarbrough Aug 22 '14 at 07:30
  • This is effectively undocumented. I can't find anywhere in the documentation that explains what your answer does. It's unfortunate that Google's documentation is so lacking. – Duke Dougal Aug 22 '14 at 21:34