SEO · 10 min read · Updated: 2026-10-26

Adding your site to Google Search Console: verification and sitemap submission

Search Console is the free, official way to see how your site appears on Google. Adding the site, verifying ownership and submitting the sitemap takes about half an hour.

In short

• Google Search Console is a free Google tool that shows how often your site appears and is clicked in Google Search, and which pages are indexed.
• Search Console has two property types: a domain property covers all subdomains and both http and https and is verified only by a DNS record; a URL-prefix property covers a single address and can also be verified by an HTML tag and other methods.
• A sitemap is submitted on the Indexing › Sitemaps screen by entering its address; on most sites it looks like yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
• Search Console data arrives with a delay of a few days; empty reports in the first days of a new property are normal.
• Registering with Search Console doesn't raise your rankings on its own; it lets you see problems and tell Google about your pages.

Your site is live. You search for your name on Google; sometimes it comes up, sometimes it doesn't. Instead of guessing which pages are on Google and which searches you appear in, there's a way to ask Google itself: Google Search Console.

In this article we explain adding a site to Google Search Console, verifying ownership and submitting a sitemap, following Google's official steps. We've also covered which property type to choose, which verification method suits you and what to look at in the first week.

If you use Heyşirket, connecting Search Console data to your company panel is a separate step; we explain it in connecting Search Console and Google Analytics to the company panel. This article is about setting up the Search Console property itself.

Part 1 · Definition What is Google Search Console and what is it for?

Google Search Console is a free tool for site owners to monitor how their site is doing in Google Search. A Google account is all you need to use it.

• Performance: Shows which searches your site appears in (impressions), how often it's clicked and its average position.
• Index status: Shows which of your pages are in Google's index, which aren't, and why.
• Sitemap: Lets you tell Google the list of your pages.
• Issue alerts: Warns you about mobile usability, page experience or security problems.

Part 2 · Property type Domain property or URL-prefix property?

In Search Console, sites are added as "properties". The first choice you face when adding a site is the property type. The two types differ in what they cover and how they're verified.

If you own your domain and can access its DNS settings, a domain property is the better choice: one property shows all versions of the site. If your site is on a platform's subdomain, such as examplefirm.heysirket.com, you won't have access to that domain's DNS; in that case use a URL-prefix property.

Part 3 · Steps How do you add a site to Google Search Console?

Adding a site to Search Console

1. Open Search Console

   Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with the Google account you'll use to manage your site. Choosing an account tied to your company email means you won't lose access when staff change.

2. Add a property

   Click Add property in the property selector at the top left.

3. Choose the property type

   Enter just your domain (examplefirm.com) in the Domain box, or your full address (https://examplefirm.com) in the URL prefix box, and continue.

4. Apply the verification method

   Google gives you a verification code. For a domain property it's a DNS TXT record; for a URL prefix you choose from several methods. Details in the next part.

5. Verify

   After adding the code, go back to Search Console and click Verify. If it succeeds, the property is added to your account. If the DNS record hasn't propagated yet, try again a little later.

Don't delete the verification code. Google rechecks ownership from time to time; if the code is removed, you can lose access to the property.

Part 4 · Verification How do you verify a site in Search Console?

Verification is proving to Google that the site really belongs to you. The two most common methods are the DNS record and the HTML tag.

Verifying with a DNS record (domain property)

1. Copy the record

   Copy the TXT value Search Console gives you, starting with google-site-verification=.

2. Add it in your DNS panel

   Create a new TXT record in the panel of the company you bought the domain from, or the service that manages your DNS. In most panels you enter @ in the name (host) field and paste the copied text into the value field.

3. Wait and verify

   DNS changes can take from a few minutes to a few hours to propagate. Then click Verify in Search Console.

Verifying with an HTML tag (URL-prefix property)

Search Console gives you a tag in the form <meta name="google-site-verification" content="...">. This tag has to be in the head section of your home page. On ready-made site platforms you usually enter only the content value, not the whole tag, into a settings field.

In Heyşirket, this field is Search Console doğrulama kodu (Search Console verification code) in the Ölçüm (Measurement) section of SEO ayarları (SEO settings) in the company panel. Paste only the content value inside the quotes and save; the tag is added to every page of your site automatically. Then go back to Search Console and click Verify. If you've connected your own domain, the DNS method also works; the domain connection steps are in connecting your own domain.

Part 5 · Sitemap How do you submit a sitemap to Search Console?

A sitemap is a file that gives Google the list of pages on your site. Google also finds pages by following links, but a sitemap helps new and deeper pages get discovered more reliably.

Submitting a sitemap

1. Find your sitemap address

   On most sites it looks like yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. Open it in a browser and check you see a list of pages.

2. Open the Sitemaps screen

   In Search Console, go to Indexing › Sitemaps in the left menu.

3. Enter the address and submit

   Type sitemap.xml in the Add a new sitemap field and click Submit.

4. Watch the status

   Within a few days the status should be Success and the number of discovered pages should appear. If you see an error, check again that the address opens in a browser.

On Heyşirket sites the sitemap is ready at /sitemap.xml and updates itself when you add a page or post. In the company panel, the Arama motorlarına bildir (Notify search engines) button on the SEO › Dizin ve site haritası (Index and sitemap) screen sends your sitemap to Google and Bing. If you set up the Search Console connection with permission to submit sitemaps, submission also happens automatically in the daily check. Step-by-step help in the panel: Help › Index and sitemap.

Part 6 · URL inspection How do I tell Google about a new page?

To see the status of a single page, use the search box at the top of Search Console, i.e. URL inspection. When you enter a page's full address, Google tells you whether it's in the index.

• If the page isn't indexed and has no problem, you can ask Google to crawl it with Request indexing.
• This request doesn't guarantee the page will be indexed; Google makes its own decision.
• Sending repeated requests for the same page doesn't speed things up.
• If the page isn't indexed, check why: a noindex tag, a robots.txt block or being a copy of another page are common reasons.

Part 7 · First checks What should you check in Search Console in the first week?

Reports for a newly added property take a few days to fill. Search Console data is published with a delay; empty charts in the first days aren't a problem.

First-week checklist

• The property is verified and the verification code is still in place.
• The sitemap has been submitted and its status is Success.
• The home page shows as indexed in URL inspection.
• There's no unexpected rise in "not indexed" pages in the indexing report.
• Only the right people are listed in Settings › Users and permissions.
• If you manage the site through a platform, you've connected Search Console to your panel.

When you connect Search Console to the Heyşirket company panel, click, impression and position data appear in the SEO centre. The connection is made by granting permission to a service account without sharing your Google password, and it's available on the Başlangıç package too. Steps: Help › Connecting Google Search Console and Analytics. To get to know the panel's SEO screens, see first steps with the SEO centre and the SEO tools page.

Tell Google about your sitemap On the Index and sitemap screen, see which of your pages are on Google and submit your sitemap with one button. Open Index and sitemap

Author: Heyşirket Editorial Team