Skip to content

Google Search Console

Check what Google knows about your public pages and which Google searches led people to them. Inspect a specific address when a page seems missing.

Visit Google Search Console

Which site addresses can you see?

Search Console is free. Sign in with a Google account that has access to the site's property. A property defines which addresses the reports cover. A verified owner can give you access to an existing property.

A Domain property can cover subdomains and both HTTP and HTTPS. Google normally verifies a Domain property through DNS, the settings for the domain. A Google Sites or Blogger site can be verified automatically if you use the Google account that manages it. A URL-prefix property covers only addresses beginning with the exact prefix you choose, including its protocol and any path. It has several verification options. Check which property you are viewing before drawing conclusions about a page.

What does URL Inspection tell you about a page?

URL Inspection starts with what Google already knows about the address. Look for whether Google indexed it and which address Google chose as the canonical, its main version of that page. The stored result can reflect an earlier crawl.

Test live URL tries to fetch the current page to check whether it might be indexable. That result describes the test and cannot predict Google's canonical choice or confirm that Google will index the page. A sitemap is a list that can help Google discover public pages. Discovery, indexing and appearing for a particular search are separate outcomes.

How do you check one existing public page?

Use an already verified property you are allowed to inspect. Choose a public page that is meant to appear in search and contains no customer data or private link codes. If you do not have an approved property and address, write down the expected checks for a fictional public page instead.

  1. Match the property to the address
    Select the existing property and confirm it covers the exact public address, including its hostname and any required prefix. Open URL Inspection and enter that address.
  2. Read the stored result
    Note the indexing status, last crawl and Google-selected canonical when shown.
  3. Write down one next check
    If the stored result predates a recent change, record both dates. If Google selected a different address, compare it with your intended public address. The exercise ends with an observation from the existing report.

What do impressions and clicks tell you?

In the Search results Performance report, set a date range and filter for the page you want to understand. Impressions count recorded appearances in Google's results. Clicks count when someone clicks through to your site. To calculate average position, Google averages the position of the highest result for your site or the group you are viewing across recorded impressions. An individual search can show a different position.

Use the query rows to see which search terms the report shows for that page. Google credits most activity for duplicate addresses to the main address it chose. Check that address if the duplicate has an empty report. Some queries are withheld for privacy and the table can be incomplete. An indexed page can have no impressions in your selected dates. To see whether visitors signed up or bought something, use your own app's records or analytics.

If you export the report for comparison later, keep the filters and date range with it. The standard report export includes up to 1,000 representative rows.