How to connect Search Console to website?
By GEO Search Console Published
To connect Search Console to a website, you add the site as a property and prove you own it, then submit your sitemap. It takes a few minutes, and the reports start to fill in within a few days.
This page is part of our Google Search Console FAQ.
Steps to connect Search Console to a website
Connect Search Console to a website in five steps, following Google's help page on adding a property:
- Open Search Console and choose Add property from the property menu.
- Pick a Domain property or a URL prefix property (below).
- Verify that you own the site with one of the methods Google offers.
- Submit your sitemap in the Sitemaps report.
- Add anyone else who needs access as a user, so nobody shares a login.
Domain property or URL prefix property
A Domain property and a URL prefix property connect Search Console to a website in different ways:
| Property | What it covers | How you verify it |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Every version of the site: http and https, www and every subdomain | A DNS TXT record at your domain registrar or DNS host |
| URL prefix | One exact address, such as https://www.example.com/ | An HTML file, a meta tag, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager or DNS |
A Domain property is the better choice when you can edit DNS, because it catches every version of the site in one place. A URL prefix property is the fallback when you can only upload files or edit the page.
After you connect Search Console to the website
Once Search Console is connected to the website, Google keeps checking your proof of ownership, so leave the DNS record, file or tag in place.
If it disappears, you lose access.
Data starts to appear within a few days, and it only covers the time since you connected: Search Console never fills in earlier months. Google keeps 16 months after that, so if you want years of history, start a copy early with our Search Console data warehouse. The verification guide lists every method's steps.
References
- Add a website or platform property to Search Console, Search Console Help. support.google.com/
webmasters/ answer/ 34592 - Verify your site ownership, Search Console Help. support.google.com/
webmasters/ answer/ 9008080 - Sitemaps report, Search Console Help.