To set up Google Search Console, sign in at search.google.com/search-console with a Google account, add your website as a property, verify that you own it, and submit your sitemap. The setup itself takes about 15 minutes, although DNS verification can take longer to confirm.
This guide walks through each step, explains the two property types and covers what to do once you are verified.
What is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows how your website performs in Google Search. It tells you which searches your pages appear for, how often people click, where you rank on average and whether Google can crawl and index your pages.
It is often confused with Google Analytics, but the two do different jobs. Search Console reports on what happens before the click: the searches, impressions and rankings. Analytics reports on what happens after the click: what visitors do on your site. Most businesses need both.
What you need before you start
- A Google account. Use one that belongs to the business, not a personal address that could leave with a staff member.
- Access to your DNS settings, which usually sit with your domain registrar or hosting company. You need this for the recommended verification method.
- If you cannot reach your DNS, admin access to the website itself, for example your WordPress login.
Domain property or URL prefix: which should you choose?
When you add a website, Search Console asks you to pick one of two property types. The choice decides how much of your site is covered and how you prove ownership.
| Domain property | URL prefix property | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Every version of your site: http and https, www and non-www, and all subdomains | Only the exact address you enter, such as https://www.example.co.za |
| How you verify | A DNS record | HTML file, HTML tag, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager or a DNS record |
| Best for | Most businesses | Sites where you cannot change DNS, or when you want to track one section separately |
If you can get into your DNS settings, choose the Domain property. It gives you one complete view of the site and you will not miss data from a version you forgot to add.
How to set up a Domain property with DNS verification
- Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in.
- Open the property menu in the top left corner and select Add property.
- Under Domain, type your domain without https:// or www, for example
example.co.za, then select Continue. - Google shows you a TXT record that starts with
google-site-verification=. Copy the whole line. - In a new tab, log in to the company that manages your DNS. This is usually your domain registrar or host, or Cloudflare if you use it.
- Add a new record of type TXT. Set the host or name to
@, or leave it blank if your provider prefers that, and paste the copied line as the value. Save the record. - Return to Search Console and select Verify.
If verification fails at first, wait and try again. DNS changes can take anything from a few minutes to a day or two to spread. Once you are verified, leave the TXT record in place. Google checks it from time to time, and removing it will cost you access.
How to set up a URL prefix property
Use this method if you cannot edit your DNS. Select Add property, choose URL prefix and enter the full address of your site, including https:// and www if your site uses it. Then pick one of these verification methods:
- HTML tag. Google gives you a meta tag to place in the head of your home page. On WordPress, SEO plugins such as Rank Math and Yoast have a field for this, so you do not need to edit any code.
- HTML file. Download the file Google provides and upload it to the root folder of your website.
- Google Analytics. If your site already has a Google Analytics tag and your account has edit rights, Search Console can verify through it.
- Google Tag Manager. This works the same way if the Tag Manager container is installed and you have permission to publish.
Select Verify once the tag or file is live. This method usually confirms straight away.
What to do after you are verified
Submit your sitemap
Open Sitemaps in the left menu, enter the address of your sitemap and select Submit. On WordPress sites that use Rank Math or Yoast, the address is usually sitemap_index.xml. A sitemap helps Google find every page you want in search.
Check which pages are indexed
The Pages report under Indexing lists the pages Google has indexed and gives a reason for each one it has left out. Look for important pages marked as not found, redirected or excluded by a noindex tag.
Inspect your key pages
Paste any address from your site into the URL Inspection bar at the top to see how Google views that page. When you publish or update a page, use Request indexing to ask Google to crawl it again.
Add the people who need access
Go to Settings, then Users and permissions, to add colleagues or your agency. Give them Full or Restricted access and keep yourself as the owner. Never share your Google password to give someone access.
How to use Google Search Console once the data arrives
Performance data normally begins to appear within a few days. The Performance report is where you will spend most of your time. Three checks are worth making every month:
- Queries. See the exact searches that bring people to your site, and spot the ones you did not know you ranked for.
- Pages with many impressions but few clicks. These often need a clearer title or meta description.
- Countries. Confirm that your visibility is in the places where you actually do business.
Common problems and how to fix them
- Verification keeps failing. Check that the TXT record sits on the root domain and not on a subdomain, and that no extra spaces were copied with it.
- The reports are empty. New properties need a few days to collect data. If nothing shows after a week, check that the site is not blocking search engines.
- The numbers look too low. You may have added a URL prefix for http when your site runs on https, or the other way round. A Domain property avoids this.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes. It is free for any website, with no paid version.
Do I need both a Domain property and a URL prefix property?
No. A Domain property already includes every address on your site. Add a URL prefix property only if you want a separate view of one section.
Does Search Console improve my rankings?
Not by itself. It shows you where you rank and what is holding pages back. The improvement comes from acting on that information.
How long does verification last?
For as long as the DNS record, tag or file stays in place.
Need help reading the data?
Setting up Search Console is the first step. Turning its reports into a plan is where the results come from. Our SEO services start with exactly this: a full audit of how Google sees your site and what to fix first.