When you add a new property to Google Search Console, the verification code appears immediately in the verification method you choose. If you pick HTML file upload, you get a unique .html file to drop in your root directory. For the HTML tag method, GSC shows a meta tag snippet to paste in your site's <head> section. DNS verification displays a TXT record to add through your domain registrar. Google Analytics and Tag Manager options use your existing tracking codes as proof. If you already verified but need to find the code again, go to Settings in the left sidebar of your GSC property, then click Ownership verification. You'll see all active verification methods and can add new ones. The HTML tag and file options show the exact code or file name you used. DNS records display the TXT value. This is useful when migrating to a new CMS or troubleshooting why verification broke after a redesign. At Ottawa SEO Inc., we typically use HTML tag verification for client sites because it survives platform migrations and doesn't depend on file structure. We paste the meta tag into the theme's header template or through a plugin like Insert Headers and Footers for WordPress. DNS verification is cleaner for technical clients who manage their own DNS, but it requires registrar access and can take 24–48 hours to propagate. Avoid relying solely on Google Analytics or Tag Manager verification if you ever plan to switch tracking platforms, since removing those tags kills your GSC access. One mistake we see often: site owners verify the www version but forget the non-www version, or verify HTTP but not HTTPS. Add both as separate properties in GSC and verify each one. You can then set a preferred version in your domain property settings. If verification suddenly fails, check that your meta tag didn't get stripped during a theme update or that your DNS record didn't expire. GSC sends email warnings before removing unverified properties, giving you about 30 days to fix it.