DNS Record for Domain Ownership Verification
An administrator adds the custom domain 'fabrikam.com' to a new Microsoft 365 tenant. After adding the domain, the status shows 'Pending verification'. Which type of DNS record must be added to the public DNS zone to complete domain ownership verification?
Quick Answer
The answer is a TXT record. This is the correct choice because Microsoft 365 uses a TXT record containing a unique verification value, which you add to the public DNS zone of your domain, to prove you control the domain; only the domain owner can modify DNS records, so successfully adding this record confirms ownership. On the MS-102 exam, this concept tests your understanding of the domain onboarding process, where the status “Pending verification” is a common trap that leads candidates to mistakenly choose MX or CNAME records for mail routing instead. Remember, TXT records are for verification and proof of control, while MX handles mail flow. A simple memory tip: “TXT for Trust” — the TXT record establishes trust that you own the domain before any services are configured.
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the verification TXT record with other TXT-based records like SPF or DKIM, or assume any DNS record type can be used for verification, but Microsoft specifically requires a TXT record with a unique token for domain ownership proof.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
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 with a specific verification value provided by the Microsoft 365 admin center to the public DNS zone. This proves you control the domain because only the domain owner can modify DNS records. Other record types like MX, CNAME, or SPF are used for mail routing or service configuration, not for ownership verification.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
MX record
Why it's wrong here
MX records are used for mail routing, not for domain verification.
- ✓
TXT record
Why this is correct
A TXT record with the verification string is added to the domain's DNS zone to confirm ownership.
- ✗
CNAME record
Why it's wrong here
CNAME records are used for aliasing one domain to another, not for verification.
- ✗
SPF record
Why it's wrong here
SPF records are used to authorize email senders, not for domain verification.
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Microsoft 365 Tenant Setup
Key term
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based cloud service from Microsoft that combines productivity tools like Office apps with security, device management, and online storage.
Key term
Custom domain
A custom domain is a personalized internet address (like contoso.com) that you can use with cloud services instead of the default domain provided by the service provider.
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Variation 1. An administrator adds the custom domain 'contoso.com' to a new Microsoft 365 tenant and needs to verify domain ownership. Which type of DNS record must be added to the public DNS zone to complete verification?
easy- A.MX record
- ✓ B.TXT record
- C.CNAME record
- D.record
Why B: To verify domain ownership in Microsoft 365, you must add a TXT record with a specific verification string provided by the Microsoft 365 admin center to the public DNS zone. The TXT record is used because it can store arbitrary text data, which the Microsoft 365 domain verification service queries to confirm that you control the domain. This is the standard method defined in RFC 1035 for domain ownership verification.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This MS-102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MS-102 exam.