What is the Google Search Console called now?
By GEO Search Console Published
The Google Search Console is still called Google Search Console. Before that it was Google Webmaster Tools, and Google renamed it on May 20, 2015.
Nothing has replaced it since: the reports have changed, but the name has stayed. This page is part of our Google Search Console FAQ.
Why Google renamed Webmaster Tools to Search Console
Google renamed Webmaster Tools to Search Console because most of its users weren't webmasters.
Google's announcement of Google Search Console said the tool had served users for nearly ten years, and that its research showed a much wider group: hobbyists, small business owners, SEO experts, marketers, programmers and designers.
A name about search fit that group better than a name about webmasters.
What changed in Google Search Console since the rename
Google Search Console has changed a lot since the rename, though the name hasn't.
The old Search Analytics report became the Performance report, Index Coverage became the Page indexing report, and the URL Inspection tool replaced Fetch as Google. Newer reports cover Core Web Vitals and, now, AI Overviews and AI Mode in the Generative AI features report.
Old guides that say Webmaster Tools describe the same product, but their screenshots and report names are out of date.
Bing kept the Webmaster Tools name
Bing's version of the tool kept the old name: it is still Bing Webmaster Tools.
It does the same job for Bing, it is free, and its AI Performance report shows when Microsoft Copilot cites your pages.
References
- Announcing Google Search Console, the new Webmaster Tools, Google Search Central Blog, May 20, 2015. developers.google.com/
search/ blog/ 2015/ 05/ announcing-google-search-console-new - Page indexing report, Search Console Help. support.google.com/
webmasters/ answer/ 7440203