Domain-validated certificate

<h2 id="issuing-criteria">Issuing criteria</h2>
<p>The sole criterion for a domain validated certificate is proof of control over whois records, DNS records file, email or web hosting account of a domain. Typically control over a domain is determined using one of the following:
</p>
<ul><li>Response to email sent to the email contact in the domain's <a href="/facts/Whois/B8wFy1BS">whois</a> details</li>
<li>Response to email sent to a well-known administrative contact in the domain, e.g. (admin@, postmaster@, etc.)</li>
<li>Publishing a <a href="/facts/TXT_Record/V75fxy8N">DNS TXT record</a></li>
<li>Publishing a <a href="/facts/Cryptographic_nonce/ENHRCGnw">nonce</a> provided by an automated certificate issuing system</li></ul>
<p>A domain validated certificate is distinct from an <a href="/facts/Extended_Validation_Certificate/z9DuN1J0">Extended Validation Certificate</a> in that this is the only requirement for issuing the certificate.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> In particular, domain validated certificates do not assure that any particular legal entity is connected to the certificate, even if the domain name may imply a particular legal entity controls the domain.
</p>
<h2 id="user-interface">User interface</h2>
<p class="note">Main article: <a href="/facts/Extended_Validation_Certificate/z9DuN1J0">Extended Validation Certificate § Creation of special UI indicators in browsers</a></p>
<p>As of 2020, all major browsers user interfaces display EV, <a href="/facts/Organization_Validation_Certificate/J7aYI4Bx">OV</a>, and DV certificates identically, but provide options to query the type of certificate via multiple clicks.
</p>
<h2 id="characteristics">Characteristics</h2>
<p>As the low assurance requirements allow domain validated certificates to be issued quickly without requiring human intervention, domain validated certificates have a number of unique characteristics:
</p>
<ul><li>Domain validated certificates are used in automated X.509 certificate issuing systems, such as <a href="/facts/Let%2527s_Encrypt/Phod5jG9">Let's Encrypt</a>.</li>
<li>Domain validated certificates are often cheap or free.</li>
<li>Domain validated certificates can be generated and validated without any documentation.</li>
<li>Most domain validated certificates can be issued instantly (in less than a minute) via special tools which automate issuing process.</li></ul>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Let%2527s_Encrypt/Phod5jG9">Let's Encrypt</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Coclin, Dean (2013-08-13). "What Are the Different Types of SSL Certificates?". Certificate Authority Security Council. Retrieved 2019-12-20. <a href="https://casecurity.org/2013/08/07/what-are-the-different-types-of-ssl-certificates/" target="_blank">https://casecurity.org/2013/08/07/what-are-the-different-types-of-ssl-certificates/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"There's certs and certs – VeriSign badmouths rivals". www.theregister.com. <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2002/07/24/theres_certs_and_certs_verisign/" target="_blank">https://www.theregister.com/2002/07/24/theres_certs_and_certs_verisign/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"What's the difference between DV, OV & EV SSL certificates?". www.digicert.com. Retrieved 2021-09-05. <a href="https://www.digicert.com/difference-between-dv-ov-and-ev-ssl-certificates" target="_blank">https://www.digicert.com/difference-between-dv-ov-and-ev-ssl-certificates</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Domain-validated certificate open-in-new

Domain-validated certificate