If you don't already have Search Console connected, this is the one-time setup, five steps, most of them a couple of minutes each. New to the tool itself? Our SEO basics guide covers what Search Console actually shows you before you dive in here.
01 Sign in with a Google account
Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in. Any free Google account works, you don't need Google Workspace or a developer account, and one login can manage as many sites as you need.
02 Add a property
Click Add Property and choose one of two property types:
- Domain property — covers every subdomain and both http/https in one view. This is the better default for most people, but it only supports DNS verification.
- URL-prefix property — covers only the exact URL you type in. Use this if you can't access your domain's DNS settings, or you only control one specific subfolder.
03 Verify ownership
Google needs proof you control the site before it'll show you any data. Pick whichever method fits your setup:
- DNS TXT record — add a record Google gives you to your domain's DNS settings. Required for Domain properties, and generally the most durable option since it survives a full site rebuild.
- HTML file upload — upload a verification file Google provides to your site's root directory.
- HTML tag — paste a meta tag into your homepage's
<head>. - Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager — if you already have either installed with admin access, Google can verify through that existing connection instead of adding anything new.
- Domain name provider — some registrars (GoDaddy, Squarespace Domains, and others) let Google verify directly through a partnership, skipping the manual DNS step.
04 Submit your sitemap
Once verified, open the Sitemaps report in the left sidebar and submit your sitemap's URL (usually yoursite.com/sitemap.xml). This gives Google a direct map of your pages instead of relying purely on discovering links.
05 Check your first two reports
Two reports matter most on day one:
- Pages (formerly called Coverage) — shows what's indexed and, importantly, what's excluded and why. A brand-new site will often show very little indexed at first; that's normal, not a problem.
- Performance — shows the actual queries, clicks, impressions, and average position your site is already getting in Google search, once there's any data to show.
If anything in the Pages report looks off, an unexpectedly high "excluded" count is usually a robots.txt or noindex issue worth checking.
Check your robots.txt & meta robots tags →Common Questions
Do I need a Google account to use Search Console?
Yes, but any free Google account works, you don't need a paid Workspace account or a special developer account. The same login can manage multiple sites.
Domain property or URL-prefix, which should I choose?
Domain property is usually the better default since it covers every subdomain and protocol in one view. Choose URL-prefix only if you can't access your domain's DNS settings, or you only control one specific subfolder rather than the whole domain.
How do I authenticate my domain?
For a Domain property, add a TXT record to your domain's DNS settings with the value Google gives you, then click Verify. It typically takes a few minutes to propagate, occasionally longer depending on your DNS provider.
Can anyone use Google Search Console?
Yes, it's free for anyone who can verify ownership of a site. Personal blogs and large businesses use the same tool, you just need to complete one of the verification methods above for the site in question.
Once you're verified, the real work starts: actually checking it
Search Console will have your data. Weeklift reads it every week, sorts what changed into rising keywords, losing keywords, and zero-click pages, and emails you the summary, so setup day isn't the only day you look at it.
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Already set up? See 8 common SEO mistakes to check your site against, using the same free tools linked above.