Verify your domain in AYAsec using Contabo

Before AYAsec scans a domain, you need to prove you control it. That is one TXT record - but with Contabo, the first question is whether the record belongs here at all.

Why we ask. Verification is what stops AYAsec from being pointed at infrastructure you do not own. A scanner that will check any domain on request is a reconnaissance tool for whoever asks, which is why the source of an asset list matters. Requiring proof of ownership is what separates a security product from a reconnaissance service.

You verify each asset once. Verifying an apex domain automatically verifies its subdomains, so verifying example.com covers api.example.com, www.example.com and the rest. New subdomains added later do not need their own record. Re-verify only if you edit the hostname or delete and re-add the asset, because the new asset has a new UUID token.

After successful verification, you can remove the record. AYAsec checks it once and does not read it again. You can leave it in place if you prefer, but re-verification after recreating the asset requires the new token AYAsec gives you.

First: is Contabo serving your DNS?

Contabo is used most often for hosting - servers and storage - while the domain itself stays with the registrar it was bought from. In that setup, the DNS records that matter are at the registrar, and anything added at Contabo is never read.

Check your domain's nameservers before doing anything else. If they point somewhere other than Contabo, that is where this record belongs, and one of the other provider guides applies - we have them for Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, Azure DNS, Google Cloud DNS, DigitalOcean, GoDaddy and Hetzner.

This one check is the difference between two minutes and a confusing afternoon.

Before you start

Access to the Contabo customer control panel
Your verification token from AYAsec
The Analyst role or higher in your AYAsec workspace

If someone else manages your DNS, skip to Don't have access? - there is a message you can forward.

Step 1 · Copy your token from AYAsec

Open Assets Discovery in AYAsec and open the Assets tab, or open the asset's detail page. Start verification from the Not verified pill, Verify now in the card menu, or Verify domain in the asset context menu. In the dialog titled Verify asset - <host>, select DNS Record. Copy the two values shown:

Record name: _ayasec-verified.yourdomain.com
Record value: ayasec-verified-<asset UUID>

Keep the tab open.

Verifying a whole asset group? Open Assets Discovery > Asset Groups and then open the group. Use Verify domain for a group with a source apex or Verify unverified for one without. The dialog is titled Verify domain - <apex> and says Verifying <apex> covers all N targets in this group; its action is Verify now. Use ayasec-verified-group-<group UUID> as a separate TXT record at the same name - do not replace an existing asset token.

Step 2 · Add the record

Sign in to the Contabo customer control panel.
Open DNS management for your domain.
Add a record:

Field	What to enter
Type	`TXT`
Name	`_ayasec-verified`
Value	Your token

Save.

Step 3 · Verify in AYAsec

Go back to AYAsec and click Verify Now. It shows Verifying… while the check runs. Allow a few minutes before retrying if the first attempt does not succeed.

Check the record yourself

This matters more here than with other providers, because it answers the nameserver question at the same time:

dig TXT _ayasec-verified.yourdomain.com +short

On Windows:

nslookup -type=TXT _ayasec-verified.yourdomain.com

If your token appears, the record is live and served - and Contabo is indeed your DNS. If nothing appears after several minutes, the most likely explanation is that the domain is answered by a different provider.

If verification fails

What you see	What it usually means	Fix
Record not found	The domain is served by another provider	Check nameservers at your registrar and add the record there
Record not found, nameservers are Contabo	Not published yet, or the name is wrong	Wait a few minutes, then check the name reads `_ayasec-verified`
Token doesn't match	Extra characters in the value	Re-copy from AYAsec. Check for a trailing space
Timed out	Temporary lookup problem	Wait a minute and retry

Don't have access?

Most people verifying a domain do not administer its DNS. Forward this:

Hi - I'm setting up AYAsec to monitor our external attack surface, and it needs proof that we control the domain before it will scan anything.

Could you add one DNS record wherever our domain's DNS is hosted?

Type: TXT
Name: _ayasec-verified
Value: ayasec-verified-<paste token>

It's read-only proof of ownership - it doesn't change how the domain behaves and doesn't affect mail or the website. It can be removed after AYAsec verifies it - AYAsec checks it once and does not read it again. You can leave it in place if you prefer, but re-verification after recreating the asset requires the new token AYAsec gives you. Thanks.

Note that this message does not name a provider, because with Contabo the DNS is often somewhere else. Whoever manages it will know where.

Other ways to verify

If you cannot edit DNS, AYAsec accepts two alternatives:

File upload - a text file containing your token at https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/ayasec-verified.txt
Meta tag - <meta name="ayasec-verified" content="your-token"> on your homepage

Both prove the same thing. If your site runs on a Contabo server you control, the file method is often the fastest route here - you can place the file yourself without touching DNS at all.

Using a different DNS provider?

The record is identical everywhere; only the interface changes. See the guides for Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, Azure DNS, Google Cloud DNS, DigitalOcean, GoDaddy and Hetzner.

Once the domain is verified, Discovery and the first scan take a few minutes.

Run your first scan