# A plain-English guide to Google Search Console

By Web Smart HQ · Published 2026-10-04 · Updated 2026-10-21

**Short answer:** Google Search Console is a free Google tool that shows how your website performs in Google Search. Setup takes about 20 minutes. It shows clicks, the searches you appear for, which pages are indexed and why others aren't. Since 31 Aug 2026 it also has a Generative AI report worldwide. It's Google's own data, not an estimate.

## Key takeaways

- Search Console is free. You only need a Google account and access to your website or domain settings.
- Use a Domain property if you can. It covers every version of your site.
- Submit your sitemap once, then check the Pages report every month.
- Make sure you're an owner, not just your web designer.

## What is Search Console, and what isn't it?

Google Search Console is Google's free tool that shows how Google sees your website: which searches you appear for, how often people click, and which pages Google has indexed. It also emails you when something breaks. Google's [About Search Console](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9128668) page lists what it covers.

It isn't Google Analytics. Analytics shows what people do on your site. Search Console shows what happens before they arrive. In June 2026 Google told site owners to treat Search Console as their main source, and said third-party SEO tools can't see its ranking data.

More NZ businesses are looking for it: about 12,100 searches a month for "google search console" in Sept 2026, up about 49% on a year earlier (Google Ads keyword data for New Zealand).

## How do you set it up and submit a sitemap?

You set up Search Console by signing in at search.google.com/search-console, adding your site as a property and verifying it, then submitting your sitemap once. Use your business's Google account, not your designer's. There are two kinds of property.

### Domain vs URL-prefix property

|  | Domain property | URL-prefix property |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Covers | Every version: http, https, www, no-www and subdomains | Only the exact address you enter |
| How you verify | Add a DNS TXT record at your domain provider | Upload a file, add a meta tag, or use Google Analytics or Tag Manager |
| Best for | Most businesses, if you can reach your domain settings | When you can't change DNS settings |

### Domain property in 5 steps

1. **Choose "Domain"**: Type your domain without www or https, e.g. yourbusiness.co.nz.
2. **Copy the TXT record**: Google gives you a line of text starting with "google-site-verification".
3. **Add it at your domain provider**: Log in to the company that manages your domain's DNS. Add a new TXT record and paste the text in.
4. **Click Verify**: DNS changes can take a while to show. If it fails, wait an hour and try again.
5. **Turn on email alerts**: Check that alerts go to an inbox you actually read.

A sitemap is a list of your pages for Google. Most sites have one at yourdomain.co.nz/sitemap.xml. Open that address in a browser first to check it loads.

In Search Console, open Sitemaps under Indexing. Type the sitemap address and click Submit. You want the status to say "Success". You only need to do this once; Google rechecks it on its own. Google's [Sitemaps report help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7451001) explains each status.

## Which reports should a small business watch?

A small business should check the Performance and Pages reports every month, use URL Inspection after changes, and glance at Core Web Vitals every few months.

### Five reports, and how often to look

| Report | What it tells you | Check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Performance | Clicks, impressions, average position, and the searches you appear for | Monthly |
| Pages (indexing) | Which pages are on Google, and why others aren't | Monthly |
| URL Inspection | Whether one page is on Google; lets you request indexing | After changes |
| Core Web Vitals | Whether pages load fast enough on phones | Every few months |
| Generative AI | Impressions in Google's AI features, by page, country, device and date | Monthly |

In [Performance](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7576553), click Queries to see the actual searches. Look for your services and suburbs. If you appear for a search but rarely get clicked, your page title may need work.

> **New: pick several countries at once** Since 6 Oct 2026 (reported), the Performance report's country filter lets you tick several countries and see their combined Google traffic. Before, you could only compare two side by side. Google's [filtering help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011165) explains it. Useful if you sell online to customers overseas.

## Can Search Console show traffic from Google's AI answers?

Partly. The Generative AI report shows how often your pages appeared in Google's AI features: AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search, plus AI features in Discover. Google started it with a test group of sites on 3 Jun 2026 and rolled it out to all websites worldwide on 31 Aug 2026, according to [Google's announcement](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/06/gen-ai-performance-reports).

You'll find it as a tab inside the Performance report. These impressions are also counted in your normal Performance totals. If the tab is missing, your site may not have enough data yet.

### What the Generative AI report shows (Oct 2026)

| Shows | Doesn't show (yet) |
| --- | --- |
| Impressions: how often your pages appeared in AI features | Clicks or click-through rate |
| Which pages, countries, devices (Search only) and dates | The questions people asked |

_From Google's Search Central blog, Jun 2026 (updated 31 Aug 2026). Google says it may add metrics over time._

Settings also has a Search generative AI control. It's set to Include by default. Choosing Exclude keeps your pages out of AI Overviews and AI Mode, so you'd get no impressions or visits from them, as Google's [control help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/16908024) explains. We'd leave it on Include.

> **ChatGPT visits may show as "direct" in Analytics** Search Console only covers Google. ChatGPT visits show up in Google Analytics, usually tagged "chatgpt.com". In mid Oct 2026 it was reported that ChatGPT links had stopped carrying that tag from early October, so those visits were counted as direct. The analyst later said it looked like a bug and the tag was back by 15 Oct ([Search Engine Roundtable](https://www.seroundtable.com/utm-parameters-missing-chatgpt-42299.html)). OpenAI hasn't confirmed it. If direct traffic jumped in October, this may be why.

## Fixing "Crawled - currently not indexed" and friends

"Crawled - currently not indexed" means Google read the page and chose not to add it for now, and the usual fix is to make the page more useful and link to it from your other pages. The [Page indexing report](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7440203) lists why pages aren't indexed. Some reasons are normal, such as redirects. Others need a fix. Here are the ones small business sites see most.

### Common statuses and what to do

| Status | What it means | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Crawled - currently not indexed | Google read the page and chose not to index it, for now | Make it more useful and distinct. Link to it from other pages. Then wait. |
| Discovered - currently not indexed | Google knows the page but hasn't read it yet | Common on new sites. Link to it internally and give it time. |
| Excluded by "noindex" tag | The page asks Google not to index it | Fine for thank-you pages. Remove the tag on pages you want found. |
| Blocked by robots.txt | Your robots.txt file stops Google reading it | Check yourdomain.co.nz/robots.txt for a stray "Disallow". |
| Not found (404) | The page no longer exists | Redirect old addresses to the closest new page. |
| Page with redirect | The address forwards to another page | Normal. No action needed. |

> **Don't keep pressing "Request indexing"** Request indexing once after a real change, using the [URL Inspection tool](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9012289). Asking again and again doesn't speed things up. Improving the page and linking to it does more.

## Keep ownership in your name

You should be a verified owner of your own Search Console property, and anyone helping with your SEO should be added as a user, not given your password. Add them under Settings, then Users and permissions. Google's help on [owners, users and permissions](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7687615) explains each level.

If a past designer set it up, check you're listed as an owner. If not, verify the site yourself with your own account. See [who owns your website and domain](https://websmarthq.com/guides/who-owns-my-website-and-domain/).

## Where Web Smart HQ fits

Business Plus ($899 + GST) includes Search Console setup, with your analytics set up in your name. Every site we build has a sitemap and robots.txt from day one. Packages start from $499 + GST on our [pricing page](https://websmarthq.com/pricing/).

Already have Search Console and not sure what it's telling you? Try our [free website check](https://websmarthq.com/free-website-check/). We check 12 things and send you the three fixes that matter most, in plain English. For ongoing help, see [SEO](https://websmarthq.com/seo/).

## Questions

### What is Google Search Console, and is it free?

Yes, it's free. Google Search Console is Google's own tool for website owners. It shows the searches you appear for, how many people click, which pages are indexed and why others aren't. It emails you about problems too. Since 31 Aug 2026 it includes a Generative AI report worldwide, showing impressions in Google's AI features. All you need is a Google account.

### How do I add my website to Search Console?

Sign in at search.google.com/search-console and add a property. A Domain property covers every version of your site. You verify it by adding a DNS TXT record at your domain provider. A URL-prefix property covers one exact address. You verify it with a file, a meta tag, or Google Analytics. Use a Domain property if you can reach your DNS settings.

### How do I submit a sitemap?

First check your sitemap loads: most sites have one at yourdomain.co.nz/sitemap.xml. In Search Console, open Sitemaps under Indexing. Type the sitemap address into the box and click Submit. Wait for the status to show "Success". You only need to do this once. Google rechecks the sitemap on its own when your pages change.

### What does "Crawled - currently not indexed" mean?

Google has read the page but decided not to add it to its index, at least for now. Common causes are thin or duplicate content, a very new site, or a page with few links pointing to it. Make the page more useful and different from your other pages. Link to it from related pages, then request indexing once. It can take weeks.

### Which Search Console numbers should a small business watch?

Four, once a month. Clicks, to see if Google traffic is growing. Queries, to check you appear for your services and suburbs. Pages, to see which pages bring visits. And the Pages indexing report, to catch pages Google has dropped. Average position is useful, but it's an average across many searches, so don't read too much into small changes.

### Can Search Console show traffic from Google's AI answers?

Partly. Since 31 Aug 2026 every site has a Generative AI report, a tab in the Performance report. It shows how often your pages appeared in AI Overviews, AI Mode and AI features in Discover, by page, country, device and date. It shows impressions only. There are no clicks or queries yet, so you can't see exactly how many visits came from AI answers.

### Why does ChatGPT traffic show as "direct" in Google Analytics?

ChatGPT links usually carry a "chatgpt.com" tag that tells Analytics where the visit came from. In Oct 2026 it was reported that the tag went missing for about a week, so those visits looked like direct traffic. It was later reported as a bug, with the tag back by 15 Oct. OpenAI hasn't confirmed it. Look for a direct-traffic bump in early October.

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Source: https://websmarthq.com/guides/google-search-console-guide/
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