To this day, current Google Apps documentation still says you can do it :
Troubleshooting CNAME Records :
There are two reasons to create a CNAME record for Google Apps: verifying domain ownership and customizing a URL.Dig as you might through the user interface, you'll be offered a way to verify using TXT records, but nada for CNAME records.
Some enterprising folk around 18 months ago figured a workaround. But even that no longer works.
It seems that Google has quietly - nay silently - axed support for CNAMEs for domain verification.
Whilst still mentioning in current documentation that you can.
So the nontrivial effort I've just gone through getting a CNAME record created by an extraordinarily-slow-to-respond IT department, was a waste.
But not just any kind of waste. A waste for which Google itself is responsible.
It's one thing to remove a feature. Sure - I have no problem with that.
After all, it's a free service anyway, so no complaints there.
But at least tell us.
The current documentation which says you can use a CNAME for domain verification, combined with the preponderence of articles throughout the web explaining how to do it, combined with the complete absence of acknowledgement from Google that they've removed the option, combined with (in the first few pages of search results) complete absence of any bloggers like me (that I managed to find) pointing out the omission, was a perfect recipe for getting me - and doubtless many others - to waste time arranging things that Google no longer supports.
Just tell us.
Y'know, a Google blog post or something with all the right keywords : "by the way, kids, we're axing the CNAME option for Google Apps domain name verification".
By not telling us, and especially by failing to properly update your documentation, you've wasted my time, and doubtless that of others.
Not happy.
Not impressed.
What is wrong with a little footnote in your other help pages (the ones that do now mention TXT records), that CNAME records used to be supported but no longer are?
I mean, if I'd come across one official page (as I did - linked above) on the Google site saying "CNAMEs are supported" and another one saying "CNAMEs used to be supported but no longer are", I'd figure the second supersedes the first. But what's with this insistence on not even mentioning the removal of the CNAME option?
It makes no sense to me, and it is an exercise in providing a bad customer experience. I'm generally a raving Google fan, but this is certainly one of those big speed bumps you really don't want to be giving even your fans.
Sure, it wouldn't hurt anywhere near so much if there wasn't an unresponsive IT department in the picture, making all DNS changes take hours of wasted time and days of elapsed time. But at least if Google's information had been more open and accurate about the change of features, I could have ensured we weren't now in for a second round of delay.
The lesson? When writing documentation, never assume you've correctly updated every place that needs updating. (Hopefully you have updated everything, but don't assume it.) Include a note as to the change, so that a) people used to the old system can be less confused; and b) if any bits of doco slipped through the cracks, people will be able to figure out (with the aid of the change note) what information is current vs outdated.
Thus saith the blogger.
