Are you the rightful owner?

As a website owner, you undoubtedly want to verify ownership of your site with search engines and webmaster tools. Obviously, this can be achieved in a plethora of ways, but one of the simplest methods is to upload an HTML verification file to your site. This article will provide a step-by-step guide for uploading an HTML verification file to your WordPress site, making it simpler than ever to prove ownership!

What on earth is an HTML Verification File?

Essentially, an HTML verification file is a teeny HTML file that’s placed in the root directory of your website. Its purpose? To demonstrate ownership of the website in question. Popular search engines like Google and Bing often provide these files as an attempt to verify the authenticity of a particular website.

Why Participate in Verification Activities?

There are several benefits to verifying your WordPress site with search engines, including improving search engine ratings and gaining access to valuable data, such as search traffic statistics and crawl errors.

Three Steps to HTML Verification File Success

Step 1: Verification File Creation

Before uploading an HTML verification file to WordPress, you must first make the file! This procedure demands that you follow the search engine’s verification process you intend to verify. For example, Google’s Search Console verification process must be followed. Though verification procedures vary by search engine, you will generally be required to create a unique HTML file with a defined name and a unique code determined by the search engine. Following that, save the HTML file on your computer and remember the name and location for the next phase.

Step 2: Upload the HTML Verification File to WordPress

The following step in the process is to upload the HTML verification file to your WordPress site. To accomplish this, you need to log into your WordPress dashboard and follow these straightforward instructions:

• Click on appearance
• Select Editor
• Click on Theme Functions
• Locate the “ ?>” tag, hover above it
• Click on the Upload icon located in the top right corner
• On the file manager window that opens, select the location on your computer where you saved the HTML file
• Pick the HTML file and then click Open
• Once the file is uploaded, return to your WordPress dashboard and select the “Visit Site” button.
• Congratulations! You should now be able to see the URL of the HTML file you just uploaded!
• To verify your website with search engines, copy and paste the verification code that the search engine provided into the HTML file you just uploaded.

Step 3: Verify Your WordPress Site

Once you’ve uploaded the HTML verification file to your WordPress site, it’s time to verify your ownership. This verifies the process from one search engine to the next, but usually, it entails returning to the verification page on the webmaster tools site and clicking on the “Verify” button. Once you’ve clicked on the “Verify” button, the search engine will look for the verification file on your page, and once located, it will send you a notification.

Wrapping It Up

Congratulations! You’ve effectively uploaded an HTML verification file to your WordPress site, indicating to search engines that you are the rightful owner of your website. It’s important to remember to maintain the verification process by keeping your verification file safe and secure. The guide provided above should help make verifying your website with search engines easier for you to achieve, and it’s a fantastic first step toward enhancing website performance.