Partner Portal Account Verification – Domain Proof Not Being Accepted

Microsoft’s vetting flow treats “domain ownership” as part of Employment/Domain verification, and the accepted proofs are quite narrow. Based on the documented requirements, the path forward is to align exactly with those and then use the built‑in appeal/escalation flow in Partner Center.

Key points from the requirements

1. Employment/Domain verification requires proof that the email domain is owned by the company:
   • Accepted documentation when employment/domain verification is rejected includes:
     • Assignment letter from an authorized representative of the organization.
     • Domain ownership records, such as a WHOIS record.
     • Domain purchase invoices or registry confirmation records.
   • This is explicitly called out for Partner Center accounts when employment verification fails.
2. Business verification is separate and uses company formation / registration documents:
   • Formation documents (articles of incorporation, partnership deed, etc.).
   • Government‑issued registration or tax certificates.
   • These must be dated within the last 12 months or have an expiry at least two months in the future.
3. For domain/email verification, Microsoft also enforces:
   • No generic or group alias emails as the primary contact; it must be an individual work email on the company domain.
   • Partner Center account details (entity name, address, domain, email domain) must match the documents.

Practical steps to move forward

1. Ensure the primary contact and domain data are aligned
   • Primary contact email must be an individual work email on the same domain being verified (no aliases like support@ or info@).
   • Confirm that the legal entity name, address, and domain in Partner Center exactly match what appears in:
     • Company formation documents.
     • WHOIS/domain registration data.
     • Any registrar confirmation/renewal record.
2. Re‑submit domain ownership proof in the forms Microsoft explicitly lists Since a traditional “domain certificate” is no longer available from the registrar, focus on the three accepted categories:
   • WHOIS output: Export or screenshot the WHOIS record clearly showing:
     • Domain name.
     • Registrant/organization name (matching Partner Center legal entity).
     • Registration/expiration dates.
   • Domain purchase/renewal record: If the registrar only sends email confirmations, treat these as “registry confirmation records”:
     • Ensure the email shows the domain, registrant name, and billing/renewal date.
     • If possible, download or print to PDF and annotate that this is the registrar’s standard confirmation in lieu of a formal invoice.
   • Assignment letter: If Microsoft continues to reject registrar evidence, add an internal document they explicitly accept:
     • A signed letter on company letterhead from an authorized representative (e.g., director, officer) stating that the company owns and controls the domain, including:
       • Legal entity name and address.
       • Domain name.
       • Statement that the domain is used for corporate email and is under the company’s control.
3. Use the built‑in “Fix now” / appeal flow for escalation
   • Go to Account Settings | Legal Info in Partner Center and select Fix now.
   • Upload the combination of:
     • Business verification document (formation or government registration, dated within 12 months if required).
     • WHOIS record.
     • Registrar confirmation/renewal email or portal screenshot.
     • Assignment letter from an authorized representative.
   • Use the comment box to clearly explain that:
     • The registrar no longer issues “domain certificates” and that the attached confirmation email/portal screenshot is the registrar’s official proof of registration.
     • All documents match the same legal entity and domain as in Partner Center.
4. If vetting remains rejected
   • For store/Partner Center vetting, the documented escalation path is via the same Fix now mechanism and, if still rejected, through Partner Center support.
   • When opening or updating the support case, reference that the documentation being requested matches the accepted list in Microsoft’s own guidance (WHOIS, domain ownership records, purchase/registry confirmation records, assignment letter) and that a traditional “domain certificate” is no longer issued by the registrar.

This combination—WHOIS + registrar confirmation/renewal + assignment letter + correct primary contact email/domain—matches the documented acceptable proofs and gives the vetting team everything they explicitly say they can use to verify domain ownership.

References:

• Verify your company account information
• Verify your account information when you enroll in a new Partner Center program
• What is the “Know Your Business Customer” requirement for company accounts?