Verify your website in Google Search Console

Introduction

Google Search Console is Google’s free tool that lets you check how Google sees your website, detect indexing problems and understand which searches bring users to your pages.

It used to be known as Google’s webmaster tools, but the service is now called Google Search Console. If you have a website, verifying it is one of the first recommended steps for taking care of your SEO and checking the technical status of your site.

In this guide, you will learn how to verify your domain or website, which method to choose and what to do after completing the verification.

Video guide

Steps to verify your website in Google Search Console

1. Access Google Search Console

Open Google Search Console in your browser and sign in with your Google account.

You can access it at:

https://search.google.com/search-console/

If you manage several projects, use a Google account that you can keep long term. Avoid using a temporary account or one belonging to someone who may stop managing the site.

2. Add a new property

Click Add property. Google will show you two main options:

• Domain: verifies the entire domain, including http, https, www and subdomains such as blog.yourdomain.com.
• URL prefix: verifies only one specific address, for example https://yourdomain.com/.

For most modern websites, the Domain option is the most complete. However, if you do not have access to the domain DNS zone, you can use URL prefix and verify with an HTML file or meta tag.

Recommended example:

yourdomain.com

Valid example as a URL prefix:

https://yourdomain.com/

Make sure you type the domain correctly. For a domain property, you should not include https:// or a trailing slash.

3. Choose the verification method

Google needs to confirm that you really have permission to manage the site. The most common methods are:

• DNS TXT record: recommended for Domain properties.
• HTML file: Google gives you a file that you must upload to the main directory of your website.
• HTML tag: you must add a meta tag inside the code of the home page.
• Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager: useful if you already have them installed correctly.

If your domain is hosted with a service that uses DirectAdmin or cPanel, you can normally use the DNS TXT method from the domain DNS management area.

4. Verify through DNS in DirectAdmin or cPanel

If you chose the Domain option, Google will show you a TXT record similar to this:

google-site-verification=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To add it:

1. Log in to your hosting panel.
2. Open the DNS Management, Zone Editor or DNS zone editor section.
3. Add a new TXT record.
4. In the host or name field, use the main domain or @ if the panel asks for it.
5. In the value field, paste the full code given by Google.
6. Save the changes.

Then return to Google Search Console and click Verify.

DNS changes may take a few minutes to apply, although in some cases they may need more time. If Google still does not detect the record, wait a little and try again.

5. Verify using an HTML file

If you chose URL prefix, an easy alternative is HTML file verification.

To do that:

1. Download the file provided by Google.
2. Access your hosting file manager or connect via FTP.
3. Upload the file to the main folder of your website, usually public_html.
4. Confirm that the file can be opened in the browser.
5. Return to Search Console and click Verify.

For example, Google may ask you to make the file available at an address like:

https://yourdomain.com/googlexxxxxxxxxxxx.html

Do not remove that file after verifying. Google may check the property again later.

6. Submit your sitemap

Once the website is verified, it is recommended to submit the sitemap. A sitemap is a file that helps Google discover the important URLs on your site.

In Search Console:

1. Enter your verified property.
2. Open the Sitemaps menu.
3. Enter the path to your sitemap.
4. Click Submit.

On many WordPress websites, the sitemap is usually at:

https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml

or at:

https://yourdomain.com/wp-sitemap.xml

If you use an SEO plugin, the sitemap may have a different path. Review the plugin settings or ask support if you are unsure.

7. Review the first reports

After verifying your website, Google Search Console may take some time to show data. Once it starts appearing, review in particular:

• Performance: queries, clicks, impressions and average position.
• Page indexing: valid pages, excluded pages and possible errors.
• Sitemaps: the status of the submitted sitemap.
• Experience: notices related to usability or performance when available.

These reports will help you detect technical problems and opportunities to improve the ranking of your website.

Useful tips

• Keep the verification method active. Do not remove the DNS record, HTML file or meta tag after verifying the site. If Google cannot verify the property later, you may lose verified access.
• Use HTTPS whenever possible. If your site works with an SSL certificate, verify and work with the https:// version.
• Choose the property type carefully. A Domain property is more complete because it groups different site versions. A URL Prefix property can be useful if you only want to control one specific version.
• Do not confuse domain with hosting. The domain is your website address, such as yourdomain.com. Hosting is the space where files, email and databases are stored. For DNS verification, you need access to the domain DNS zone.
• Review your hosting plan limits if your website grows. If Search Console starts showing more traffic and your site receives many visits, it may be a good time to review whether your professional hosting, VPS or dedicated server plan still fits your needs.

Frequently asked questions

Does Google Search Console automatically improve my rankings

No, not directly. Verifying your site will not make you rank higher by itself, but it gives you valuable information to detect errors, submit sitemaps, analyze search queries and improve your SEO.

Do I need to verify my website if it already appears in Google

Yes, it is recommended. Even if your site is already indexed, Search Console lets you see errors, excluded pages, search performance and other useful data that are not available from the normal search engine.

Which verification method is best

For full verification, the DNS TXT record method is usually the most recommended. For quick verification of one specific URL, you can use the HTML file or HTML tag method.

Can I ask technical support for help

Yes. If your domain or hosting is with miHosting and you do not know how to add the DNS record, upload the HTML file or submit the sitemap, you can open a support ticket. The technical team will be able to guide you so the verification is completed correctly.

Conclusion

Verifying your website in Google Search Console is a simple and very useful step for any website owner. It allows you to understand how Google crawls and indexes your content, detect important errors and make better decisions to improve your rankings.

If you use hosting with DirectAdmin or cPanel, you can complete the verification through DNS, an HTML file or a meta tag depending on the level of access you have.

And if the process feels complicated, enter your miHosting client panel and open a support ticket. Our team can help you review the verification, sitemap, SSL and other technical aspects of your site so you can focus on growing your project.