I have encountered a domain name verification problem, need to get some help, the domain name verification needs to add the name of _vercel TXT record, but the domain name service provider we use JPdirect does not allow to add records containing the glide line “_”, how to solve it? Are there other ways to verify the ownership of a domain name?
Welcome to the Vercel Community! Thanks for joining us 
the domain name service provider we use JPdirect does not allow to add records containing the glide line “_”,
Is that all records, including CNAME?
Yes! including CNAME! The following is the setting instructions.
- This service is provided on a trial basis to allow you to experience the benefits of using your own domain name. We do not provide technical support on what to register, how to configure the server to register, etc.
- Please prepare your own mail server and web server.
- We do not accept customization of DNS server settings such as record type, number, TTL, and configurable contents.
- Records other than A records, AAAA records, MX records, CNAME records, and TXT records (NS, PTR, etc.) cannot be set.
- You cannot set a host name that includes “_”. This may prevent you from setting DKIM.
Are there other ways to verify the ownership of a domain name?
Understood.
An alternative way is to use our Nameservers. From our docs:
Once you have added your custom domain, you will need to configure the DNS records of your domain with your registrar so it can be used with your Project. The dashboard will automatically display different methods for configuring it:
- If the domain is in use by another Vercel account, you will need to verify access to the domain, with a TXT record
- If you’re using an Apex domain (e.g. example.com), you will need to configure it with an A record
- If you’re using a Subdomain (e.g. docs.example.com), you will need to configure it with a CNAME record
Both apex domains and subdomains can also be configured using the Nameservers method.
This is my project settings
And this is a pictrue in docs:
Where is the Enable Vercel DNS button? I don’t know how to use the Nameservers, please give me some guidance, thank you~
Thanks for getting back to me!
If you cannot set the exact record, you need to either reach out to the current owner and ask them to transfer the domain to your team, or we can follow our internal domain ownership process.
The latter involves asking the current owner to create a custom TXT record on the apex domain so we can validate ownership. Once we verify it, we can delete it from the old team, and you can add it to your account, skipping the addition of _vercel in your DNS records.
Thanks a lot!
I’d like to know some details. After current owner transfer the domain to my team, do I need to add a domain name to my project first?
Will I contact you after I add it?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Is there a more convenient channel for communication? I feel like there’s a time difference between our two regions, I was worried about not responding in a timely manner and not being able move a domain between Vercel projects with “Zero Downtime”.
Does custom validation have this problem?
Hey @albertgithubhome! If you can get the current owner to transfer the domain to your team, then it would no longer require validation. You would only need to accept the transfer when you receive a notification to claim the domain on your account.
Thanks for getting back to me! @amyegan
I have tested this operation using test domains this morning.
When I moved the test domain from Team A to Team B, Team B received the domain name.
However, when the B team added this domain name to its own project, it still required to add a TXT domain name record for verification.
We cannot add TXT domain name records with underscores. So can you help us complete the verification?
Did Team A also require TXT verification?
The project of team B require TXT verification.
I add the domain to a project of Team B.
I understood that. I was asking whether Team A previously required TXT verification or if the domain was working for Team A without TXT verification.
If you can tell me the domain name, I can check for more details.
The domain is www.quantum-s.co.jp as shown in the picture above.
I add this domain to my project of Team 2338-AI (Team B). It shows that a TXT record needs to be added for validation.
This domain name is currently being used by Team A’s project. Previously, team A added this domain name to their project without validation.
I want to move the domain to new Vercel project with “Zero Downtime”. I was worried about a period of website service unavailability, so I didn’t dare to remove this domain name from the old project and add it to the new project directly.
Can you help us complete the verification for Team 2338-AI (Team B)?
Alright, so it sounds like you did not actually transfer the domain to Team B but just added it to a project that Team B owns. The only options for domain verification are to add the TXT record (which you already stated you can’t do) or to transfer the domain from Team A to Team B.
If you follow these steps to transfer the domain to Team B then TXT verification would no longer be needed:
@amyegan Thank you for your continued attention to this issue.
I have moved the domain quantum-s.co.jp to my team 2338-AI and add this domain to my project qs-officialwebsite. But it shows that I still need to add a TXT record for validation.
We cannot add TXT domain name records with underscores as _vercel. But we can add others as vercel or specialvercel. So can you create a custom TXT record rule for validation?
This way of customizing TXT has been mentioned by @pawlean before.
What should I do next?
Thanks for sharing the domain. I found it in the system and it appears that the domain was transferred to your 2338-AI team but is still assigned to a project on the previous team. This error message could be a bug. 
But let’s try the domain ownership transfer process to see if that solves it for you. Please add the requested TXT record without the _ and let me know when it’s added. Then I can manually check that you’ve added the record and attempt the domain transfer again from our side.
I have added the requested TXT record without the _ as shown in the image above.
Type Name Value
TXT vercel vc-domain-verify=quantum-s.co.jp,c195a07fd8fd0edfc2df
TXT vercel vc-domain-verify=www.quantum-s.co.jp,1bfc2b4ec562323fbad1
Please help us complete the verification and apply the domain to new Vercel project with “Zero Downtime”.
Thank you very much!
Thanks for doing that. I can see the expected TXT record. I just sent you a DM with instructions about what you need to do next 
I verified this domain in the new project by configuring the nameserver ns1.vercel-dns.com and ns1.vercel-dns.com at JPDirect platform.
Thank you very much for your help.
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