The Domain Validated (DV) certificate is a type of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate used to verify the domain holder. DV certificates are generally used by small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as owners of personal websites.

The DV certificate issuing authority (CA) issues the certificate automatically after verifying ownership of the domain. DV certificates can usually be issued within a short time, sometimes in as little as a few minutes.

DV certificates are issued by the certificate authority solely on the basis of verification of the domain holder. This means that the authenticity of the company or business organisation, or the legitimacy of its business activities, is not verified. In the case of DV certificates, websites using SSL are protected solely by the security provided by SSL encryption.

DV certificates are generally the cheapest of all certificate types, typically costing a few tens of dollars per year. As DV certificates can be issued automatically following verification of domain ownership, they are the quickest and easiest to install on websites. However, because DV certificates are easy to issue, they offer less protection than other types of certificates, such as Extended Validation (EV) or Organisation Validated (OV) certificates.

Authentication methods

Below, we provide a brief overview of the verification methods available for Domain Validation certificates.

Email verification (DCV Email)

This method is described on numerous websites and blogs; essentially, the accreditation provider sends a verification email containing a link to confirm ownership of the domain. Such an email can be sent either to the email address specified in the domain’s Whois records, or to one of the following five addresses: admin@, administrator@, hostmaster@, postmaster@, webmaster@.

Validation via a DNS record

This is a fairly popular method for those who may not have a mail server set up and who block WHOIS emails by opting for private registration. The principle is simple: a special record must be created in the DNS, and the accreditation provider verifies it. The process is fully automated.

Authentication using a hash file (HTTP CSR Hash)

An even simpler method is to obtain a special .txt file, which you must upload to your server; the certification authority will then verify its presence and issue a certificate. The process is fully automated.