typhoonMay 5, 2022
Eugen Rochko

Mastodon has a verification mechanism, though it looks different from Twitter's. We do not ask for your documents. Instead, if you have a website that you are known by, you can verify that you are the owner of that website.

Link to your Mastodon profile from the website, either through a visible link, or through a <link> tag in the head of the document, with a rel=me attribute, and link back to that page from your Mastodon profile. It should then get a green checkmark, like @Mastodon.

May 4, 2022 at 9:45pmWeb
Show threadCassidy James BlaedeMay 4, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon I love this (feels very small web), but it doesn't appear to be supported in the mobile apps. I'll go check the issue tracker and file it if it's not already there!
Show threadCassidy James BlaedeMay 4, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon filed! https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon-android/issues/125
Domain verification not displayed · Issue #125 · mastodon/mastodon-android

Domain verification shows on the web as described by @Gargron but it doesn't appear in the app.

GitHub
Show threadCrystaleMay 4, 2022
@cassidyjames @Gargron @Mastodon under Tusky it looks like this
Show threadCassidy James BlaedeMay 4, 2022
@darckcrystale @Gargron @Mastodon yep, I’m aware, but Mastodon has an official app that should support Mastodon’s features. 😉
Show threadCrystaleMay 4, 2022
@cassidyjames sorry I keep forgetting it exists 
Show threadCassidy James BlaedeMay 4, 2022
@darckcrystale and to be fair, I said “apps,” referring to the official Android and iOS apps, but I could see how that’d be construed as “apps like Tusky,” too. :)
Show threadGlenMay 5, 2022
@cassidyjames @darckcrystale to be fair the android app is like 3 weeks old at this point so full features will probably take a while
Show threadMr. Funk E. Dude 🍑💨May 4, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon but ....you don't have a check mark in your profile! WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH EUGEN???
Show threadtekphloydMay 4, 2022
@Mastodon @Gargron, do you have any plans to add a DNS record lookup option for people that use a third-party service without access to the page source?
Show threadEugen RochkoMay 4, 2022
@tekphloyd @Mastodon Perhaps!
Show threadtekphloydMay 4, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon, that would be nice! ☺️😬
Show threadcaptain_morganMay 5, 2022
@Gargron @tekphloyd @Mastodon Yes! DNS TXT Records would be a great way to handle this too
Show threadDismal Manor GangMay 4, 2022
@Gargron @[email protected] put the link in the footer of a Wordpress 2020 Theme site using a@custom html block in footer 1.
Show threadMalcolm BastienMay 4, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon ya I’m also wondering if we can do this from our other socials
Show threadCassidy James BlaedeMay 4, 2022
@malcolm @Gargron @Mastodon the only one I’m aware of is if you set your Mastodon profile as your URL on GitHub, it adds a `rel="me"`, so it works to verify!
Show threadCassidy James BlaedeMay 4, 2022
@malcolm @Gargron @Mastodon unfortunately they also override `rel` attribute in links in READMEs so you can't use their magic username/username repo to add a link, it only works on the single profile-wide URL.
Show threadMichael May 4, 2022
@Gargron Heh, doubly verified now 😃
Show threadDavidMay 4, 2022
@Gargron hmm an incentive to actally set up a personal website? I might actually do it!
Show threadAurin AzadîMay 4, 2022
@Gargron I tried that with a link in one of the web pages I am linking to from my profile, but either I don't see my own checkmark or it does not work that way – and I have still missed something.
Show threadEugen RochkoMay 4, 2022
@atarifrosch I see it on your profile
Show threadAurin AzadîMay 4, 2022
@Gargron Oh, nice, thank you. Then it just hides before me. ;-)
Show threadJessica MuleinMay 4, 2022
@Gargron
Is that per node or how does that work?
Can i verify my own node people?
@Mastodon
Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022
@jmulein
Per profile page, you could say.
It works by crosslinking: your mastodon profile page contains a tag like <link rel="me" href="https://mywebpage.example/aboutme"/>. Your aboutme page needs to link back, e.g. <a rel="me" href="https://mastodon.instance/@myusername">Mein Mastodon-Profil</a>.
This crosslinking can be checked automatically, and the instance of the viewer does exactly that.
Show threadJessica MuleinMay 5, 2022
@anathem but is this only on mastodon.social or across federated nodes?
Can i validate people on my node or do they go through this process?
Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022

@jmulein
Everyone needs to do that crosslinking for their own profile. That green checkmark is proof of control: By linking back, one provides proof of control over the linked web page.

There is no admin flag for that, because the green checkmark really is validated by the instance of the _visitor_*. That way, you only have to trust the admin of your own instance to not tamper with the validation code.

*(except for anonymous profile views, then it's done by the instance of the profile owner)

Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022
@jmulein Oh, and: the verification can be done by any Mastodon instance for any Mastodon user on any instance. It's definitely not limited to the big flagship mastodon.social.
Show threadJessica MuleinMay 5, 2022
@anathem
Very interesting!
Show threadJessica MuleinMay 5, 2022
@anathem thank you!!!
Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022
@jmulein no problem, have fun in the fediverse! :)
Show threadHowlin’ HobbitMay 4, 2022

@Gargron

geez! wish I’d found Mastodon a lot sooner. I’ve had howlinhobbit.com for years (nearly decades, plural) but the site is currently hosed and my longtime hosting service has at some point gone from efficient and friendly support to a total mess.

all I’ve got now is a temporary headquarters on a free Wordpress.com site.

If I ever get the mess straightened out I’ll happily and visibly link to my Mastadon profile. (I’ve already done that via my Linktree.)

Show threadPeter Drake HAS MOVEDMay 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon Huh, that didn't work for me. I added that link to my page https://sites.google.com/a/lclark.edu/drake/ (a period at the very bottom of the page), but that link isn't green in my profile. Does it take time to propagate or something?
Peter Drake

Associate Professor of Computer Science Chair, Department of Mathematical Sciences Lewis & Clark College Email: [email protected] Phone: x7539 Office: Bodine 307 GitHub: PeterDrake Mastodon: qoto.org/@peterdrake Except when classes are virtual, I'm usually in my office at least 9-4 M-F outside of

Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022

@peterdrake Your web page does too much javascript magic. Your link in question is not delivered in the plain html code, and even after javascripting, it is injected into the HTML as <div data-code="<a rel="me" href="https://qoto.org/@peterdrake">.</a>"> ... thats not parseable by any SGML parser.
I fear you'd have to ask Google on how to deliver some plain HTML on that page.

@Gargron

Show threadPeter Drake HAS MOVEDMay 6, 2022
@anathem @Gargron Yeah, it looks like the "embed code" feature on Google Sites mangles it beyond recognition.
Show threadPeter P. Lupo ✅Feb 9, 2024

@peterdrake @anathem @Gargron

If you have your own domain, it's possible. I've documented it here:
https://pages.pplupo.com/2024-02-09-Mastodon-verification-on-Google-Sites-with-Cloudflare/

pplupo Pages | Mastodon verification on Google Sites with Cloudflare

How to verify any website you own using Cloudflare

Software Engineering Management Blog
Show threadPeter Drake HAS MOVEDFeb 9, 2024
@pplupo @anathem @Gargron Alas, I do not.
Show threadMichael ClemensNov 7, 2022
@peterdrake @Gargron @Mastodon I tried exactly this on Google Sites (including the part about the period, ha) and it failed for me as well.
Show threadmathew 🦜☕May 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon Doesn't seem to be working for me.
Show threadBorkedMay 5, 2022
@FreeRice @Mactoys Hmm… do either of you have a website? 🤔
Show threadflesh roots  🍕May 5, 2022
@Gargron also probably worth mentioning having an account under a vetted, well-trusted URL like social.network.europa.eu is another way to verify, but it doesn't come with a comforting check-mark
Show threadSteve FoxMay 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon @vwbusguy yep. Works great. Quick and easy.
Show threadCabbid be Linuxing🏳️‍🌈🐧May 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon oooooh
now i get how it works
good thing to know because now i know what else to add into the head of my website
Show threadϺΛDИVTTΛHMay 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon This is also working with your #GitHub profile! https://fosstodon.org/@madnuttah/108202378051512634
ϺΛDИVTTΛH :fosstodon: (@[email protected])

Attached: 3 images Good morning, here's a pro tip: if you'd like to have your #GitHub profile verified on #mastodon, just add your mastodon url as your homepage to your GitHub profile. I've been told that it wouldn't be possible but it works like a charm. :ablobcatcoffee:

Fosstodon
Show threadself-made skeletonMay 5, 2022
@Gargron oh neat, i was worried bc my website is via google sites. good to know a link will do
Show threadself-made skeletonMay 5, 2022
@Gargron i'm having no luck with it - at least on my end, the tick hasn't showed up and it's been maybe 15 mins. I had to add a custom embed because google sites doesn't let me edit html as far as I can tell >.<
Show threadSteinar BangMay 5, 2022

@Gargron @Mastodon Does the back-link have to be on the top page? Or is it Ok to have it on a subpage?

(i.e. on a wordpress site, can the link be in a blog post?)

Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022
@steinarb The back-link needs to be on the exact same page that you link to from your profile.
Show threadSteinar BangMay 5, 2022
@anathem Noted! Thanks for the info!
Show threadStefano MaffulliMay 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon is the checkmark visible on mobile clients?
Show threadStefano MaffulliMay 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon looks like @Tusky shows the ✔️ while the Mastodon app doesn't (or at least I can't see it)
Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022
@reed At least Fedilab does show it.
Show threadstarbuck3000May 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon : Hi, thanks for the tip. Is it okay to have multiple users associated to the same site (e.g., company website)?
Show threadDistractedMOSFETMay 5, 2022
@Gargron Hmm. Does this work for RSS feeds as well? Guess I should just try...
Show threadFediVerseExplorerMay 5, 2022
@Gargron
Hm. Someone can create a fake #Website, putting in a rel me, link it to a #fake #Mastodon #Account. Is this a real #verification?
@Mastodon
Show threadDer schwule Geist vom JörgMay 5, 2022

@Gargron @Mastodon

Or you people just believe me. ;)

Show threadColin DevroeMay 5, 2022
@Gargron @Mastodon the check marks aren’t in the iOS apps yet?
Show threadcalc.exeMay 5, 2022
@cdevroe probably because the """official""" mobile apps are shit
Show threadHannes HauswedellMay 5, 2022

@Gargron @Mastodon Ah, interesting. Doesn't seem to work for me, though.

I have a link from my homepage and just added the link-rel thing 🤔

Show threadDaveMay 5, 2022
@__h2__ After looking at your HTML source: Looks right... the only idea I got is a missing trailing slash on the URL to your homepage in your Mastodon profile (which browsers would add automatically). I didn't find the comparison code in mastodon yet, but I would not rule out that it is implemented to check for plain text equality with your <link rel="canonical"> meta tag value.
Show threadHannes HauswedellMay 5, 2022
@anathem I just changed it and it worked. I then changed it back, and it still works. So, I guess the check is only performed when updating the profile 💡