In order for Probely to run full-fledged scans, you need to verify your domains. Learn more about why do we require you to verify the ownership of a domain.
The problem
The domain verification using a .txt file fails with the error: Token file not found.
Troubleshoot the problem
To troubleshoot this problem, go through the following steps to identify the possible causes and respective solutions to fix it.
Step 1: Test the direct access
Test if the .txt file can be directly accessed in one of the following ways:
Open a browser and type the URL to the file:
https://<domain_to_verify>/<your file name>.txt
For example:
https://example.com/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.txt
Use a curl command like this:
curl -i https://<domain_to_verify>/<your file name>.txt
For example:
curl -i https://example.com/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.txt
If it fails with a 404 - Not Found error, the file is not directly accessible, and Probely cannot verify the domain.
Check the following possible causes and apply the respective solution:
Cause | Solution |
The .txt file does not exist in the server's root folder. | Ensure that the file is in the server's root folder. |
The .txt file is in the server's root folder but does not have the correct permissions. | Ensure the file has the correct permissions for Probely to access it. |
Step 2: Test redirects
Test if there are redirects when accessing the .txt file in one of the following ways:
Open a browser and type the URL to the file:
https://<domain_to_verify>/<your file name>.txt
For example:
https://example.com/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.txt
Use a curl command like this:
curl -i https://<domain_to_verify>/<your file name>.txt
For example:
curl -i https://example.com/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.txt
If there is a redirect, the .txt file is fetched from another URL, and Probely cannot verify the domain.
For example:
https://example.com/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.txt
could be redirected to
https://www.example.com/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.txt
Check the following possible causes and apply the respective solution:
Cause | Solution |
The file's URL is redirected to another URL. | Create a target with the domain of the redirected URL. In our example, you would have to create a target for |
Step 3: Test blockers
Test if there are “human checks” (e.g., a captcha) or WAFs blocking access to the .txt file as follows:
Open a browser in incognito mode.
Type the URL to the file:
https://<domain_to_verify>/<your file name>.txt
For example:
https://example.com/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000.txt
If a “human check” appears or a WAF blocks access to the .txt file, Probely cannot verify the domain.
Check the following possible causes and apply the respective solution:
Cause | Solution |
A “human check” is blocking access to the file. | Remove the “human check” when accessing the .txt file. |
A WAF is blocking access to the file. | Add Probely’s IPs to the WAF’s whitelist. Read more about how to configure Probely’s IPs in WAFs. |
After following these steps, identifying the causes, and applying the respective solutions, you should be able to verify the domain using a .txt file.
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