How to Add Your Website to Google Search Console
Google Search Console is Google's free tool for site owners. Adding and verifying your site, then submitting a sitemap, is the closest thing there is to "submitting your website to Google" — and it shows you exactly what Google sees.
Common signs of this issue
- You have never set up Google Search Console, or you are not sure whether anyone did.
- A new website has launched and you want Google to find it properly.
- A web designer set it up years ago under their own Google account and you have no access.
- Someone told you to "submit your sitemap" or "request indexing" and you don't know where that happens.
- You want to know which searches bring people to your site, and Google Analytics isn't showing search terms.
Safe checks you can do yourself
None of these require sharing passwords with anyone.
- Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with a Google account the business owns — not a personal Gmail of a former employee or your web designer's account. This account becomes the key to your Google data.
- Choose a property type. A Domain property (just
yourdomain.com) covers every version of your site — http, https, www, and subdomains — and is the better choice if you can reach your DNS settings. A URL-prefix property (https://www.yourdomain.com) covers only that exact version but offers easier verification options. - Verify a Domain property by adding a TXT record at wherever your domain's DNS is managed — your registrar, your host, or Cloudflare. Search Console gives you the exact text to paste. DNS changes can take minutes to a day to be seen, so if verification fails at first, wait and retry.
- For a URL-prefix property, the easiest routes are usually an HTML meta tag pasted into your site's header, uploading a small HTML file, or connecting an existing Google Analytics or Tag Manager account. On WordPress, Google's Site Kit plugin or your SEO plugin can add the tag for you. Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify all have a place in their settings for it.
- Once verified, open Indexing, then Sitemaps, and submit your sitemap address. Common ones are
/sitemap.xml(Shopify, Wix, Squarespace),/wp-sitemap.xml(WordPress without an SEO plugin), and/sitemap_index.xml(Yoast and Rank Math). Open it in a browser first to confirm it exists. - Paste your homepage address into the URL Inspection bar at the top, then click Request indexing. Do the same for a few of your most important pages. You do not need to do this for every page — that is what the sitemap is for.
- Under Settings, then Users and permissions, add a second owner account the business controls, and give any helper Full or Restricted access rather than ownership. That way nobody leaving takes your access with them.
- Come back after a few days. The Performance and Pages reports need time to fill in, and a brand-new property starts empty.
What this usually means
Search Console does not make Google rank you, and it is not a paid listing. What it does is give you a direct line: you tell Google where your pages are, and Google tells you which pages it has indexed, which it has left out and why, what searches you appear for, and whether it has found security or usability problems. For a small business it is the single most useful free website tool there is.
Verification is the only fiddly part, and it exists to prove you control the site. The DNS method feels technical but is usually a single copy-and-paste into your domain settings, and it survives redesigns and platform changes — a meta tag can disappear when a theme is swapped, which silently breaks verification later.
If your site is already in Google, adding Search Console changes nothing about your rankings; it just turns the lights on. If your site is not in Google, the Pages report and URL Inspection tool will usually name the reason — noindex, a robots.txt block, a redirect problem, or pages Google chose not to index — which turns a guessing game into a checklist.
What not to do
- Don't set it up under a staff member's or contractor's personal Google account. When they leave, your access can go with them.
- Don't pay for "Google submission" services. Adding your site to Search Console is free, and no service can do more than you can here.
- Don't request indexing for every page one by one. There is a daily limit, and the sitemap already hands Google your full page list.
- Don't delete an old verification tag or DNS record if you are not sure what it is. It may be keeping someone else's working access alive, possibly your own.
- Don't expect traffic numbers to appear straight away. A new property can take a few days to show any data.
When to get help
Most owners can do this themselves in under an hour. Help is worth it when the snag is access rather than the tool: you don't know where your domain's DNS is managed, the domain is registered under a former designer's account, or Search Console says someone else already owns the property and you can't find out who. Someone experienced with domains can untangle that ownership chain safely, and it is worth doing properly once, because the same account and DNS access control your email, your SSL certificate, and much else.
Not sure what to do next?
Answer a few short questions and we'll point you to the safest next step — DIY, a freelancer, or a direct review. No passwords required.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes, completely. There is no paid version and no fee for being listed in Google's search results. Anyone charging to submit your site to Google is selling something you can do yourself.
Should I choose a Domain property or a URL-prefix property?
Choose a Domain property if you can add a DNS record, because it covers every version of your site in one place. Use URL-prefix if DNS access is difficult; you can add both.
How do I verify my domain in Search Console?
For a Domain property, copy the TXT record Search Console gives you and add it in your domain's DNS settings. Then click Verify. If it fails, wait a few hours for DNS to update and try again.
Where do I find my sitemap address?
Try yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml first. WordPress uses /wp-sitemap.xml by default, and Yoast or Rank Math use /sitemap_index.xml. If one opens in your browser as a list of links, that is the one to submit.
How long after submitting will my site appear on Google?
Often days to a few weeks for a new site. Submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing for the homepage helps, but it does not guarantee timing or ranking.
Do I also need to submit my site to Bing?
It is worth it. Bing Webmaster Tools is also free, can import your sites straight from Search Console, and Bing's results feed other search tools as well.