Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search results.
You can use Search Console to submit and check a sitemap, request re-indexing of new or updated content, view search analytics, and more.
Adding users to your Search Console account allows you to share the workload of keeping your site healthy and visible to Google.
This article walks through how to add and remove users and owners to your Google Search Console account, along with how to change permissions.
How Many Users Can I Add?
Google search Console limits each property to a maximum of 100 users or owners.
How to Add a New User
First, make sure you’re logged into Search Console as an owner, then follow these steps:
- Select the appropriate property you want to add a user to.
- In the navigation menu, click on the Settings icon.
- Select Users & Permissions.
- Click Add User. You’ll need the Google account email address associated with the user you want to add.
- Once you’ve added the user, choose the permission level you want to give them.
- To finish, click Save Changes.
How to Verify an Owner
Being verified as an owner grants higher permissions and access to some of the features of Google Search Console.
Because of this, the verification process requires some extra steps.
Start by requesting that the owner you want to verify starts the process on their end.
This will require them to complete one of several verification options:
- Upload an HTML file to your site, that can be verified by Search Console
- Add a tag into your site’s HTML code
- Add a Google Analytics tracker code (this is the easiest option if you already have a Google Analytics account set up for your site)
Verify your site through your domain name provider
Have the user share their personal token with you so you can finish the verification process.
How to Delete a User or Owner
The steps for removing users are basically the same as adding them:
- Start by selecting a property in the Search Console.
- In the navigation menu, click the Settings icon.
- Find Users & Permissions.
- Select the user you want to remove, and click on the three-dot menu. Then choose Remove access.
If you want to remove verification from a property owner, you’ll need to remove their unique verification token(s).
All of them will have to be removed for the user to be successfully unverified and lose access to your site through Search Console.
How to Change a User’s Permission Level
You can only change permissions for users that are non-verified owners, and you must be a verified owner yourself to do so.
Here are the steps:
- Start by selecting the appropriate property in Search Console and navigating to Users & Permissions.
- Select the user you want to update, and choose a different permission level.
As a note, you can change the permission level using any of the following:
- Owner: This is the highest level of user permissions, and can only be applied by going through the verification process outlined above.
- Full: Granting a user full permission allows them to view all data in the console, and they can make some changes like verifying fixes and requesting URL indexing.
- Restricted: If a user has restricted access, they will only be able to view data, and they won’t be able to make any changes.
- Associate: Associates are not granted access to your property directly, but you can assign them specific tasks or data for them to access.
Wrapping Up
Google Search Console is a powerful tool, but it’s important to be aware of who has access to your account and what they can do with that access.
Hopefully this article has given you a better understanding of how to manage your account and keep your site’s data secure.
Want to know more about how to get started with Google Search Console?
Check out our guide on submitting your site to search engines.
Let us know how you plan to use Google Search Console in the comments below.
