I need to add a .txt file to the root

Casey_Samson
Excursionist
44 0 8

I have no other choice but to add a .txt to the root directory of my website. Shopify chat and phone support have been atrocious. This is to regain control of our Google Analytics account. 


What can be done here? This is such a simple task but without it, I have no access to google analytics. 

Before someone suggests, NO Google will not accept the META tag. It MUST be the .txt file.

Replies 11 (11)

Not applicable

Are you able to manage the name server for your domain? If so Google should be able to give you back access using a DNS record. 

Casey_Samson
Excursionist
44 0 8

this is NOT a DNS record. this would be an uploaded .txt FILE. as in


www.yourdomain.com/analytics.txt

Not applicable

@Casey_Samson Who manages your domain? GoDaddy or Shopify? You need to point the domain to a web server you can upload a .txt file to. You can't upload things directly to the root of your storefront sorry. The answer is you can't at least not without temporarily changing the server in your DNS records.

Best,

Achieve Team

Casey_Samson
Excursionist
44 0 8

Godaddy. And they advised it is not possible to upload a txt file. It is NOT related to DNS. 

There has to be a solution somehow, or I will never be ever to regain access to our Google Analytics 

compute
Shopify Partner
6 0 1

Hi, did you find a solution to this??

I am trying to do exactly the same, Shopify can't help and nor can Google.

I have been told by Google today that it's a problem they have not dealt with before so there is very little online about this.

the adding .txt and adding a redirect isn't accepted by Google.

I was told today that if I can't add the file in the root of the site, or get in touch with the person who has admin rights on the account I will have to tell my client that they will have to use a new Analytics account, and lose all the previous data.

Not applicable

Everyone! txt file verification at the root directory is not the only way. Ask google to do email verification if you have an mailbox associated with the domain. OR have them do a DNS record verification that proves you own the domain. 

I know it feels like sometimes it’s hopeless but it’s not just keep pressing Google you’re not going to upload a txt on Shopify’s root directory that’s for sure.

compute
Shopify Partner
6 0 1

hi @Anonymous thank, but email verification won't work for this.

My client has been communicating with Google Analytics Support about this problem via an email on same domain.

This is not the same as the search console verification, where it can be an html file in root, DNS txt entry or meta tag.

Google have told me either txt file in root, or if we cannot get in touch with the old analytics admin we have to start with a new analytics account.

I've emailed Google loads about this, had online chats and even phone calls and google hangouts, but still nowhere nearer.

ArtMag
Excursionist
33 0 12

@Anonymous 

 

Could you give a breakdown of what you did? It does seem this method should work, based on this guide from Google's Analytics Help site:

 

If your website does not allow uploading files, then add a meta tag with the following information to the page that is identified as the Default URL in Google Analytics:

GooGhywoiu9839t543j0s7543uw1 - pls add {INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS} to GA account {INSERT UA-ID} with ‘Manage Users and Edit’ permissions - date {INSERT DATE}.

I'm guessing this should be the tag, with the relevant email, account ID and date added:

 

<meta name="analytics.txt" content="GooGhywoiu9839t543j0s7543uw1 - pls add {INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS} to GA account {INSERT UA-ID} with ‘Manage Users and Edit’ permissions - date {INSERT DATE}.">

 

Is that correct?

Should this be added in theme.liquid under <head>? 

Should the date format be YYYY-MM-DD?

AR_16
Tourist
14 0 2

Yep, that ended up being correct! We got it figured out. Thanks for the reply

JustAnAnalyst
Visitor
2 0 1

Google will accept proof of ownership through a meta tag now. I just went through it myself and got access to my account today. It worked!

I couldn't figure out how to upload the .txt to the root file. Instead, I got in contact with Google Analytics Support. I told them that I cannot access the root file because it's a Shopify site, but I can add it to the site as a meta tag if they'll accept that as a form of verification. They did.

It was much easier than the .txt file. I took a screenshot and sent to Google Support. I regained access to the account the next day.

You CAN do a meta tag, at least as of June 19th, 2021.

AR_16
Tourist
14 0 2

Thanks so much for this, so helpful! The person I was chatting with from Google told me I could verify with a metal tag but could not help me at all with how it should look like. Did you use the same string the provide for the txt. file? This one:GooGhywoiu9839t543j0s7543uw1 - pls add {INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS} to GA account {INSERT UA-ID} with ‘Manage Users and Edit’ permissions - date {INSERT DATE}. If so, would you mind showing what the meta tag format was? Thanks so much!