This MS-102 practice question tests your understanding of deploy and manage a microsoft 365 tenant. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An administrator adds the custom domain 'adatum.com' to a new Microsoft 365 tenant. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, the domain status shows 'Pending verification'. Which type of DNS record must the administrator add to the public DNS zone to complete the domain ownership verification?
TXT record
Correct. A TXT record with the verification code proves ownership of the domain.
MX record
Why wrong: Incorrect. MX records route email, not verify ownership.
CNAME record
Why wrong: Incorrect. CNAME records alias domains, not used for verification.
SPF record
Why wrong: Incorrect. SPF records are for email authentication, not domain verification.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
TXT record
To verify domain ownership in Microsoft 365, you must add a TXT record containing a unique verification string provided by the Microsoft 365 admin center to the public DNS zone. The DNS provider checks for this TXT record, and when found, Microsoft 365 confirms you control the domain. This is a standard domain verification method defined in RFC 1035 and used by many cloud services.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
TXT record
Why this is correct
Correct. A TXT record with the verification code proves ownership of the domain.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
MX record
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. MX records route email, not verify ownership.
CNAME record
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. CNAME records alias domains, not used for verification.
SPF record
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. SPF records are for email authentication, not domain verification.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the TXT record used for domain verification with the TXT record used for SPF or DKIM, or assume an MX record is required because email is involved, but Microsoft 365 uses a dedicated verification TXT record separate from any email-related records.
Detailed technical explanation
The TXT record verification string is a unique token generated per domain per tenant, ensuring only the domain owner can prove control. Microsoft 365 periodically queries the public DNS for this record; if not found within 72 hours, verification fails and the domain remains unverified. In real-world scenarios, DNS propagation delays can cause verification to take up to 30 minutes, so administrators should wait before retrying.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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FAQ
Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant — This question tests Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: TXT record — To verify domain ownership in Microsoft 365, you must add a TXT record containing a unique verification string provided by the Microsoft 365 admin center to the public DNS zone. The DNS provider checks for this TXT record, and when found, Microsoft 365 confirms you control the domain. This is a standard domain verification method defined in RFC 1035 and used by many cloud services.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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