Google Search Console: The Ultimate Guide for 2026

Google Search Console reveals whether and wherever your pages look successful hunt results. And includes immoderate useful method tools.

This guideline explains what Google Search Console does, really to group it up, and really to usage its reports to amended your hunt visibility.

What Is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console (GSC) is simply a free Google SEO tool that helps you show your hunt capacity and method SEO health.

GSC reports connected metrics crossed accepted hunt results, AI Mode, and AI Overviews. Like position successful hunt results, clicks, and the Core Web Vitals (user acquisition metrics). These insights fto you diagnose problems and amended really your tract appears successful Google’s various hunt experiences. 

Here are immoderate of the cardinal things you tin do pinch GSC:

• Review really your tract is performing successful Google Search, crossed accepted listings, AI Overviews, and AI Mode
• See which pages Google tin crawl and index
• Submit sitemaps and individual URLs for discovery
• Identify and troubleshoot method SEO issues

How to Set Up Google Search Console

To entree Google Search Console, sign successful to Search Console pinch your Google relationship and adhd a property—the website you want to monitor. 

You person 2 options erstwhile mounting up Google Search Console: adhd a domain spot aliases a URL prefix property.

Add a Domain Property

Adding a domain spot gives you the astir broad position of your tract successful GSC because it includes each protocols, subdomains, and paths nether the domain.

When you adhd a domain spot to Google Search Console, you person to verify ownership done your domain sanction strategy (DNS) provider. This confirms you power the domain and allows Google to cod information crossed the full site.

To adhd a domain property, take the “Domain” action successful the spot setup surface and participate your guidelines domain (without http, https, aliases www). For example, if your domain URL is “https://www.yoursite.com,” participate “yoursite.com.” Then click “Continue.”

Copy the TXT grounds provided by GSC to adhd to your DNS configuration.

Open a caller tab, spell to your domain registrar, and find your DNS settings. For this example, we'll usage GoDaddy arsenic our domain registrar. 

Access your DNS settings successful GoDaddy by clicking connected the 9 dots beside “My Account” successful the navigation bar, and clicking “Domains.”

In your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio dashboard, prime the 3 dots beside your domain sanction and click “Edit DNS.”

You should now beryllium successful the “DNS Management” window. Add a caller TXT grounds by clicking “Add New Record” successful the “DNS Records” section.

A “New Records” shape will popular up. Add your TXT grounds utilizing the values supplied by Google:

• Type: TXT
• Host/Name: @
• Value: [Paste the TXT grounds from Search Console]
• TTL: Default aliases 1 hour

When you’re done, click “Save.”

After adding the grounds to your DNS configuration, return to Search Console and click “Verify.”

DNS changes tin return anyplace from a fewer minutes to up to 48 hours to update. If verification fails astatine first, hold astatine slightest an hr and effort again by selecting the spot from your GSC dashboard.

Once you’ve successfully verified domain ownership, you’ll spot a confirmation connection and your spot will statesman collecting data.

Add a URL Prefix Property

Adding a URL prefix spot is useful erstwhile you want to way information for a circumstantial conception of your site, specified arsenic a blog subfolder.

To adhd a URL prefix spot to GSC, click the “URL prefix” option, participate the afloat URL (including protocol and path) into the field, and click “Continue.” 

In this example, we’ll usage “https://www.yoursite.com/blog/.”

Google supports aggregate verification methods for URL prefix properties:

• HTML record (recommended)
• HTML tag
• Google Analytics
• Google Tag Manager
• Domain sanction provider

In this example, we’ll usage the “HTML file” verification method. To do this, download the provided file.

Upload the HTML verification record to the guidelines directory of the website you’re verifying. The guidelines directory depends connected the URL prefix you entered. For example, the guidelines directory is “/blog/” if you’re verifying “https://www.yoursite.com/blog/.” 

Once the verification record is uploaded to your guidelines directory, return to GSC and click “Verify.”

As pinch domain verification, you whitethorn request to hold a bit. If you aren’t capable to verify your tract correct away, effort again later—Search Console will effort to automatically verify the property.

Owners, Users, and Permissions

Your permissions successful Google Search Console find what you tin power and dangle connected whether you're an proprietor aliases a user.

Owners person afloat power complete a spot successful GSC and tin position each data, configure settings, usage each Search Console tool, and negociate different users. 

There are 2 types of owners successful Google Search Console, some pinch the aforesaid permissions:

• Verified owner: This proprietor is the personification who verified ownership of the property
• Delegated owner: This proprietor was granted entree by a verified owner

Users tin entree Search Console data, but their permissions are much constricted than an owner’s.

Google Search Console personification roles are:

• Full user: This personification tin position each information and return definite actions
• Restricted user: This personification tin position astir information but is different limited
• Associate: This personification can’t entree Search Console straight but tin execute circumstantial tasks depending connected the association

How to Add a User and Grant Permissions

If you’re a spot proprietor and want to adhd a caller user, spell to “Settings” > “Users and permissions.”

From the “Users and permissions” menu, click “Add User.”

Enter the caller user’s email address, take an entree level, and click “Add.”

Once added to Google Search Console, the personification tin entree your property.

How to Add a Sitemap to Google Search Console

To adhd a sitemap listing the pages you want successful hunt results that Google tin usage to much efficiently crawl and scale (find and store) your pages, spell to “Sitemaps” successful GSC, participate your XML sitemap URL, and click “Submit.”

Once Google processes your sitemap, GSC shows a position connection indicating whether the sitemap was submitted successfully aliases contains errors.

To make judge your sitemap is decently group up, tally a crawl-based audit of your tract utilizing a dedicated SEO checker for illustration Semrush’s Site Audit.

After Site Audit has crawled your site, unfastened the “Issues” tab and hunt “sitemap” to spot if immoderate errors aliases warnings appear. If so, activity to hole them.

Google Search Console Reports and Features

Google Search Console reports show really your tract performs successful Google Search, which pages are indexed, and wherever method aliases acquisition issues tin impact visibility.

Performance Report

The Performance study shows really your tract appears successful Google’s accepted hunt results, AI Overviews, and AI Mode arsenic good arsenic really users interact pinch those results.

Just cognize that GSC doesn’t study connected metrics for AI Overviews aliases AI Mode separately.

Click “Search results” successful the left-hand navigation successful GSC to position the Performance report. The study shows 4 metrics:

1. Total clicks: How galore times users clicked your hunt results
2. Total impressions: How often your results were displayed to users
3. Average click-through rate (CTR): The percent of impressions that resulted successful a click
4. Average position: Your mean position successful hunt results

Below the floor plan astatine the apical of the Performance report, a array breaks down capacity by queries, pages, countries, and devices. And you tin reappraisal trends complete clip to place visibility issues worthy exploring.

When analyzing the Performance report, look for the following:

• Low CTR: Pages pinch beardown rankings but debased click-through rates whitethorn use from clearer title tags and meta descriptions. That said, CTR whitethorn besides beryllium little among AI-powered results.
• Missing keywords: If important queries are absent from the report, you whitethorn beryllium missing retired connected opportunities to thrust much visibility

If your tract appears successful Google Discover aliases Google News, you’ll spot abstracted reports for those surfaces wrong the Performance section.

URL Inspection Tool

The URL inspection instrumentality lets you cheque whether a circumstantial page is indexed by Google and diagnose issues that whitethorn forestall it from appearing successful hunt results.

Access the URL inspection instrumentality from the apical barroom aliases by clicking “URL inspection” successful the left-hand navigation.

Paste the afloat URL of the page you want to analyse into the hunt container and property “enter” aliases “return” connected your keyboard.The Page indexing instrumentality shows cardinal accusation astir the page, including:

• Index status: Whether Google has indexed the page
• Last crawl date: When Google past crawled the URL
• Structured data: Whether system information is coming and error-free

The instrumentality besides lets you trial a unrecorded type of a page to spot really Googlebot views it.Just click “Test Live URL” successful the top-right area of the screen.

From the results page, click “View Tested Page” > “Screenshot” to spot really Google renders the page.

If you’ve published a caller page aliases made important updates, you tin moreover petition indexing straight by entering the afloat URL successful the inspect hunt container and clicking “Request Indexing.” This prompts Google to re-crawl the page sooner, but you should cognize that indexing isn’t guaranteed. 

Page Indexing Report

The Page indexing study shows which pages connected your tract Google has and hasn’t indexed and provides specifications astir issues preventing pages from being indexed.

Pages must beryllium indexed to look successful hunt results, truthful it’s important to debar immoderate indexation problems.

You tin find the Page indexing study nether “Indexing” > “Pages” successful the left-hand navigation. The study separates URLs into indexed and non-indexed pages, helping you spot sum issues quickly. 

If you spot a abrupt driblet successful indexed pages, it could beryllium a motion that thing is incorrect and needs to beryllium addressed.

Scroll down to reappraisal the reasons why immoderate pages weren’t indexed. For example, pages returning 404 (Not Found) errors.

Click immoderate introduction successful the “Reason” file to spot a database of affected URLs and a explanation of the issue. 

At the very apical of the page listing URLs affected by a fixed issue, you’ll spot the action to get guidance connected really to hole the problem.

After you’ve addressed immoderate issues you discovered successful the Page indexing report, click “Validate Fix” to notify Google of the change. And hopefully get the affected pages indexed.

Sitemaps Report

The Sitemaps study shows whether Google tin publication your submitted sitemaps and really galore pages it discovers from them.

Access the Sitemaps study by selecting “Sitemaps” from the left-hand sidebar.

For each submitted sitemap, the study includes:

• URL: The sitemap URL you submitted
• Type: Sitemap format (e.g., sitemap, sitemap index, etc.)
• Submitted: When the sitemap was added
• Last read: The astir caller crawl date
• Status: Whether Google processed the sitemap successfully
• Discovered pages: The number of URLs Google recovered successful the sitemap
• Discovered videos: The number of videos Google recovered successful the sitemap

Note the “Status” column. “Success” intends Google was capable to process your sitemap without issues. 

Here’s an overview of what unsuccessful statuses successful the Sitemaps study mean, positive really you should attack them:

• Has errors: Google detected issues successful your sitemap. Review the listed errors and travel Google’s guidance to correct them.
• Couldn’t fetch:Google was incapable to entree the sitemap. Use the URL Inspection instrumentality to tally a unrecorded trial to analyse issues.

Click a sitemap introduction to unfastened a elaborate report. From there, prime “See page indexing” to spot whether each the pages successful your sitemap are indexed.

Core Web Vitals Report

The Core Web Vitals study shows whether your pages meet Google’s capacity and usability standards.

Google evaluates pages utilizing 3 Core Web Vitals (CWV) metrics:

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How quickly the main contented loads
2. Interaction to Next Paint (INP): How responsive the page is to personification interactions
3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How unchangeable the page layout is arsenic it loads

The Core Web Vitals study groups pages by “Good,” “Needs improvement,” and “Poor.”

Clicking connected an rumor shows the affected URLs. After fixing the issue, usage “Validate Fix” to inquire Google to re-evaluate the affected pages.

Because Core Web Vitals information is based connected existent personification interactions, changes whitethorn return clip to look successful the report.

Enhancements Section

The Enhancements conception includes reports related to your website’s system data—markup that provides much accusation astir your pages and makes you eligible to show for rich results that whitethorn entice much clicks from searchers.

Google lists the system information types it detects—such arsenic Breadcrumbs—under the “Enhancements” conception successful the sidebar.

Click a circumstantial system information type to unfastened a elaborate study astir immoderate invalid items that request to beryllium fixed.

To resoluteness issues pinch your system data, travel Google’s guidance for the circumstantial markup type.

Manual Actions Report

The Manual actions study shows whether your tract has received immoderate penalties for violating Google’s spam policies.

Websites pinch manual actions (penalties) whitethorn rank overmuch little successful Google hunt results—or whitethorn not rank astatine all. And that intends little postulation and visibility.

Check for penalties by opening the “Manual actions” study successful Search Console and statement what you see:

• “No issues detected” intends nary action is required
• “Issues detected” intends you’ve received astatine slightest 1 manual action to address

For elaborate proposal connected recovering from Google penalties, reappraisal Google’s manual action documentation.

Links Report

The Links study shows specifications astir your outer links (also called backlinks) and soul links.

Backlinks are links from different websites to your tract that thief Google admit your tract is charismatic and deserves bully hunt visibility.

Reviewing this GSC’s Links report helps you understand wherever backlinks are coming from and which pages pull them.To entree the report, prime “Links” from the sidebar.

You’ll spot your site’s full number of backlinks (“External links”) astatine the top.

The study besides includes these sections nether “External links”:

• Top linked pages: Pages connected your tract that person the astir outer links
• Top linking sites: Domains that nexus to your tract astir often
• Top linking text: Common anchor text utilized successful outer links

The Links study besides includes accusation astir internal links—links from pages connected your ain domain.

Internal links are important for SEO because they:

1. Help users and crawlers navigate your tract much efficiently
2. Distribute authority crossed pages, which tin support visibility successful hunt results

You’ll find soul nexus totals and your most-linked pages wrong the aforesaid report.

Shopping Section

The Shopping conception successful GSC appears for online stores and merchandise reappraisal sites that usage product system data and shows whether location are issues pinch product-related markup.

Depending connected the system information connected your site, you mightiness spot these Shopping reports:

• Product snippets: Shows issues affecting merchandise rich | results successful search 
• Merchant listings: Shows issues impacting free merchandise listings crossed Google
• Shopping tab listings: Shows issues preventing products from appearing successful the Shopping tab

Each Shopping study highlights immoderate invalid items that forestall the pages from showing arsenic rich | results connected Google.

After fixing immoderate markup errors, usage Google’s Rich Results Test to corroborate whether the markup was implemented correctly.

Connect Your Google Search Console Account to Semrush

Connecting your Google Search Console relationship to Semrush lets you entree broad hunt capacity accusation successful 1 place.

For example, Position Tracking allows you to import keywords straight from GSC. This lets you way rankings for hunt position your tract already appears for. You tin easy spot trends and do competitor comparisons.

Search Console information tin besides support devices for illustration Semrush’s On Page SEO Checker, which turns capacity insights into optimization ideas related to contented relevance, soul links, and different on-page elements.

Check retired our afloat database of Semrush devices that merge pinch GSC for much ideas. Test each of these devices and much pinch a Semrush One trial.