To set up Google Search Console, sign in at search.google.com/search-console, add your site as a Domain property, and verify it with a DNS TXT record. Then submit your XML sitemap, check the Pages report for indexing problems, and use the Performance report to track clicks from Google. It is free and takes about 15 minutes.
How to set up Google Search Console
Step 1: Sign in and add a property
Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with the Google account you want to manage the site with. Click Add property. Choose a Domain property if you can edit your domain's DNS, because it covers every version of the site (http, https, www and subdomains) in one place. Choose a URL-prefix property if you can't, entering the exact address your site uses, such as https://www.example.com/.
Step 2: Verify that you own the site
For a Domain property, Search Console gives you a TXT record. Add it in your domain registrar or DNS provider, wait a few minutes, then click Verify. For a URL-prefix property you can also verify with an HTML file, an HTML tag in the page head, Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager. On Webflow, the simplest URL-prefix option is to paste the verification meta tag into Site settings, then publish. Leave the verification in place, or you will lose access.
Step 3: Submit your XML sitemap
Open Sitemaps in the left menu and enter your sitemap address, usually /sitemap.xml (Webflow) or /sitemap_index.xml (WordPress with Yoast). Click Submit. The sitemap should only list pages you want indexed, and Search Console will report how many URLs it found and any errors.
Step 4: Check which pages are indexed
Open Pages under Indexing. It shows how many pages are indexed and lists the reasons others are not, such as Crawled - currently not indexed, Excluded by noindex tag, or Page with redirect. Compare this with the pages you actually want in Google. If an important page is missing, the guide on why a page isn't indexed walks through the fixes.
Step 5: Inspect important URLs
Paste any page address into the URL inspection bar at the top. It tells you whether the page is on Google, which canonical Google chose, and whether it is mobile friendly. After fixing or publishing a key page, use Request indexing to ask Google to recrawl it.
Step 6: Add users and connect your tools
Under Settings, then Users and permissions, add anyone who helps with your site, such as your developer or SEO provider, with the access they need rather than sharing your login. You can also link Search Console to Google Analytics so both tools share data.
Step 7: Read the Performance report
Performance shows clicks, impressions, average click-through rate and average position from Google Search, by query, page, country and device. Data appears a couple of days after setup and builds from there. Use clicks as your main measure, compare against the same period last year to allow for seasonality, and check the Queries tab to see what people actually search for.
What to check every month
- Clicks and impressions in Performance, compared with the same month last year.
- New errors in the Pages report, especially 404s and pages excluded by noindex.
- Core Web Vitals, for pages Google flags as poor on mobile.
- Manual actions and security issues, which should both say no issues detected.
- The queries that bring clicks, so you know which pages to improve next.
Search Console is free, and it is the most reliable source of how your site performs in Google. Cynitek. reports results to clients in Google organic clicks from Search Console. If you want help reading yours, tell us about your website.
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes. Google Search Console is free for any website owner. You only need a Google account and the ability to verify that you own the site.
Should I use a Domain or URL-prefix property?
Use a Domain property if you can add a DNS record, because it covers http, https, www and subdomains together. Use a URL-prefix property if you can only edit the website itself.
How long until data shows in Search Console?
Performance data usually starts appearing within a few days of verification. Indexing reports can take a little longer to fill in, and history only starts from when the property was added.