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Overview of the Certified Domain Verification Process

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Last Updated: June 13, 2008 3:19 PM

The Certified Domain validation process is as follows:

Certified Domain request
The requestor enters the Certified Domain control panel, types in the domain name for which the certificate is being requested and enters applicable contact information.
Whois lookup
We review the information listed in the Whois database. Domain authorization email messages are sent to the domain’s registrant, administrative and technical contacts.
Domain authorization
The domain administrators — i.e., the domain's registrant, administrative and technical contacts as listed in the Whois database — approve or deny the Certified Domain request. If approved, the request proceeds to the next step. If denied, the certificate request is denied.

Note: All of the contacts must approve the request in order for us to continue processing the Certified Domain request.

Telephone verification
Upon the requestor's prompt — via the Certified Domain control panel — we call the phone number provided by the requestor. Once connection is established, an automated message plays a message containing a PIN, which the requestor must enter in the Certified Domain control panel in order for us to complete the validation process and issue the Domain Origination Certified seal.
Fraud screening
We perform a fraud screening procedure for the domain in the Certified Domain request. If fraud is suspected, a more meticulous fraud review is applied to the process. If we determine that the domain is fraudulent, the Certified Domain request is denied.
Issuance
The Domain Origination Certified seal is issued. A computationally generated Domain Origination Certified seal is added to the Whois listing for the domain in question. The requestor may add the seal to their Web site as well.