What is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console is a free Google tool that shows how your website appears and performs in Google Search. It reports clicks, impressions, indexing status, and technical issues, and it lets you submit sitemaps.
Last reviewed .
What you can do with it
The Performance report shows which queries and pages earn impressions and clicks, along with click-through rate and average position. The Indexing reports show which pages Google has indexed and why others were left out.
You can submit an XML sitemap, inspect individual URLs, and check Core Web Vitals and structured data. Search Console's Mobile Usability report retired in December 2023; use Lighthouse and manual mobile testing to assess mobile usability.
Search Console versus Google Analytics
Search Console shows what happens before a visitor reaches your site: how often you appear and what people searched. Google Analytics shows what visitors do after they arrive.
The two are most useful together, and they can be linked.
How to set it up
Add your site as a property, then verify ownership with one of the methods Google offers, such as a DNS record or an HTML file. Data starts to appear after verification, so set it up early.
Common questions
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes. Anyone who can verify ownership of a site can use it at no cost.
What is the difference between Search Console and Google Analytics?
Search Console reports on search visibility, such as impressions, clicks, and indexing. Analytics reports on visitor behavior on your site.
How do I submit a sitemap in Search Console?
Open the Sitemaps report, enter your sitemap's URL, and submit it. Google then reports whether it could read the file and how many URLs it found.
Does Search Console show all search queries?
Not quite. Google withholds some rare queries for privacy, so totals may not equal every search that led to your site.
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