Use HTML meta-tag verification when you can edit the monitored website's page template but cannot conveniently change DNS or upload a file to the /.well-known directory.
Get the verification tag
- Open the monitor's Public Status Page settings.
- Open Ownership.
- Select Meta tag under Verification method.
- Wait for the method to save automatically.
- Copy the complete generated tag.
The tag follows this pattern, but you must use the token shown in your own settings:
<meta name="uptimebasics-verification" content="your-generated-token">
Changing verification methods generates a new active token. Do not reuse a token from an earlier method.
Add the tag to your website
Place the exact generated tag inside the <head> of the monitored hostname's home page. Uptime Basics checks the origin root, such as https://www.example.com/, even when the monitor watches a deeper path.
The tag must be present in the initial HTML returned by the server. A tag inserted later by JavaScript is not visible to the verification request. Keep it near the start of the <head> and preserve the generated name and content values.
If the monitor uses www.example.com, add the tag to that hostname. A tag that exists only on example.com does not prove control of the monitored www hostname.
Check verification
- Publish the website change.
- Open the public page in a private browser window and view its page source.
- Confirm the generated tag appears in the returned source.
- Return to Ownership and select Check verification.
A successful check changes the status to Verified and records the verification time.
If the tag is not found
- Confirm you copied the current tag after the method finished saving.
- Check the home page for the exact protocol and hostname used by the monitor.
- Use View page source, not only the browser inspector, to confirm the tag is server-rendered.
- Place the tag before large inline scripts or generated page content.
- Purge your website or CDN cache after publishing the tag.
- Avoid redirecting the checked hostname to a different hostname during verification.
- Confirm a sign-in screen, bot challenge, or maintenance page is not replacing the home page.
After correcting the page, select Check verification again. Verification is not checked continuously in the background.