I updated the TXT section of the Edit Domain page under the Domain Verification Portion of GitLab.com
What does this MR do and why?
Problem
The domain verification page currently displays the TXT record in a confusing format that leads to user errors. The copy box shows:
_gitlab-pages-verification-code.example.com TXT gitlab-pages-verification-code=<verification_code>
This full DNS record format causes confusion because:
- Users often copy the entire line and add it to their DNS configuration
- The instructions say to add “the above key” to their TXT record, which lacks clarity
- Users may incorrectly create a TXT record for their main domain with the subdomain prefix included, which I have seen done before
Solution
This MR simplifies the domain verification process by:
-
Updating the copy box to contain only the TXT record value:
gitlab-pages-verification-code=<verification_code> - Clarifying the instructions to explicitly show both verification methods with clear examples
New Instructions
To verify ownership of your domain, add the above TXT record value to your DNS configuration within seven days. You can implement this in two ways:
- Subdomain method (recommended): Create a TXT record for _gitlab-pages-verification.example.com with the value above
- Primary domain method: Add the TXT record directly to example.com with the value above
Need help? How to set up DNS records?
Technical Details
The current implementation works despite the confusing format because the verification parser splits the TXT record by whitespace. However, this creates an unnecessary point of confusion that this MR resolves.
Files Modified
/app/views/projects/pages_domains/_dns.html.haml/ee/app/views/groups/settings/domain_verification/_dns.html.haml
If I didn't include anything, just let me know and I'll add it. This is a relatively small change, it doesn't event touch the logic that produces the TXT data or parses what comes through. It just helps the end user to navigate the functionality in an easier manner.
References
Screenshots or screen recordings
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