Practice you desire to add your site to Google Search Console? Earlier Google lets you add your site, view its analytics, or submit its sitemap, it asks you to verify your site buying.

Essentially, Google site verification is near proving that you own the site. Hence, you demand to complete the Google Search Panel verification process before managing your sites through Google tools.

Thankfully, this process is pretty elementary, and there's a variety of ways to verify your website with Google Search Panel. This mail volition cover 9 dissimilar Google site verification methods, including manual ones and WordPress plugins.

Permit's get started!

v Manual Methods for Google Site Verification

These manual Google site verification methods work for all websites, including WordPress sites.

To go started, access your Google Search Console dashboard. From here, you tin open your property list to the left and click Add property to verify a new website:

Adding a property to Google Search Console with an arrow pointing to the "Add property" button.
Calculation a holding to Google Search Panel.

Search Console volition ask you lot to select a property blazon. You tin can enter a domain or a URL prefix. If yous enter a domain name, you'll be able to verify your website via DNS. The URL prefix method will let you lot choose between four verification methods:

Selecting a property type in Search Console with the "Domain" option in focus.
Selecting a property blazon in Search Console.

Either approach works merely fine when information technology comes to site verification. Still, nosotros recommend the URL prefix method because it gives you more options.

The following section will explore the four verification methods y'all can use to select the URL prefix property type. Then nosotros'll show yous how to verify your website via DNS at the end (the Domain option). Go ahead and enter your site'southward URL under the URL prefix and click on Proceed.

Before Google lets you add your site, view its analytics, or submit its sitemap, it asks you to verify your site ownership ✅ Learn how to do that with this guide 👇 Click to Tweet

1. HTML Verification File

With this method, you demand to upload an HTML file to the root directory of your website. It's simple, just the downside is that y'all will need access to your server to upload the file, either via FTP/SFTP clients or something like cPanel File Manager.

Pace ane: Download the Verification File

After you lot add your site to Google Search Console, you should come across an option to download an HTML verification file in the Recommended verification method tab:

A window showing the option to download a verification file from Google Search Console.
Download a verification file from Google Search Panel.

Click on the button adjacent to Download the file. Salvage this file somewhere you'll call back — yous'll need it in a minute.

Footstep ii: Upload the File via SFTP

Adjacent, y'all'll need to connect to your website via FTP/SFTP. Here are instructions for how to utilise SFTP at Kinsta.

Once you've successfully connected, upload the file that you downloaded from Google to the root binder of your site (this is the binder that contains the wp-content folder, wp-config.php, etc.) At Kinsta, this binder is named public.

After uploading the file, information technology should look something like this:

An SFTP application open to show a file transfer with an arrow pointing to an example .html file.
Upload verification file via FTP/SFTP.

One time the file is in your site's root folder, return to Google Search Console. Information technology's fourth dimension to verify your property.

Pace 3: Click the Verify Push in Google Search Console

One time you've uploaded the file to your site, get back to Google Search Console and click on the VERIFY button to complete the procedure. Google Search Console volition locate the file on your server and verify that y'all own the website.

You tin use that same method to verify the Kinsta Content Delivery Network (CDN) with Google Search Console. Verifying your CDN on Google Search Console will enable the search engine to clamber and index your images.

2. HTML Tag

With the HTML tag method, you need to add a elementary meta tag to your site'due south <head> section. If you're using WordPress, you can exercise this by:

  • Adding the tag directly to your child theme'due south header.php file
  • Using a plugin to inject information technology into the header

Nosotros'll prove you how to practice this using the plugin method, but it'southward also OK to add together it directly to your theme every bit long as you're using a kid theme (if you don't use a child theme, you'll lose your Google site verification every fourth dimension yous update your theme).

Stride 1: Copy the Meta Tag

To find the meta tag, you tin get to the Other verification methods section in the Google Search Panel interface:

The HTML meta tag window showing highlighted boxes around "HTML tag" and the resultant tag code.
The HTML meta tag.

Use the COPY push to re-create the meta tag in the box. Now, let's get ahead and add it to your WordPress website.

Step 2: Add the Meta Tag Using Insert Headers And Footers

Next, you lot can install the free Insert Headers and Footers plugin on your site. Navigate to Settings > Insert Headers and Footers and paste the meta tag in the Scripts in Header box:

The WordPress option to add an HTML meta tag to Insert Headers and Footers plugin, with an arrow pointing at the menu option.
Add HTML meta tag to Insert Headers and Footers plugin.

Click on Salve to relieve the changes to your website'southward header, and that'south it. You can also add the meta tag manually, but we recommend the plugin arroyo if y'all're not comfortable editing WordPress core files.

To stop the process, go back to the Google Search Panel interface and click on the VERIFY button. If y'all added the lawmaking to your website, Google Search Panel would be able to identify it.

iii. Google Analytics

If you already accept the Google Analytics asynchronous tracking code installed on your site, you can easily verify your site using Google Analytics. This process boils down to two unproblematic steps:

  1. Select Google Analytics under Other verification methods.
  2. Click on VERIFY.
The Google Analytics verify account screen with a highlight box around the "Verify" button.
Google Analytics business relationship verification screen.

If you added Google Analytics to WordPress using a plugin, the tracking code should be on your homepage. That ways that you can go ahead and use this method.

four. Google Tag Manager

Merely similar Google Analytics, if you lot're already using Google Tag Manager, you tin can verify your site with just a single click. You'll demand to take the Google Tag Manager container snippet agile on your site.

Once again, in that location's no deep or involved process necessary. Here's all you lot need to do:

  1. Select Google Tag Manager nether Other verification methods.
  2. Click on VERIFY.
The screen to verify your Google Tag Manager account with the "Verify" button highlighted by a box.
The screen to verify your Google Tag Manager account.

If you're using Google Tag Manager, this method volition enable you to verify your website on Search Panel almost immediately.

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5. DNS Verification

If you want to verify your website using the Domain method, yous'll need to add a TXT record to your domain'due south DNS configuration. Here's what that verification window looks like:

TXT record highlighted for verifying ownership via DNS
Google DNS Verification Modal

If you lot're using Kinsta DNS, you tin add this TXT record directly from your MyKinsta dashboard.

Outset, click on the Kinsta DNS selection. Then, select Manage for the site that you want to verify with Google Search Console:

The Kinsta DNS option from the MyKinsta dashboard with an arrow pointing at the "Manage" button.
The Kinsta DNS option from the MyKinsta dashboard.

Next, y'all tin click on Add DNS Tape and select the TXT selection under Type. Add your Google Search Panel TXT record nether Content:

The window for adding a TXT record through MyKinsta with an arrow pointing at the "Add DNS Record" button.
Add TXT record at Kinsta.

Keep in mind that this process will vary depending on which domain provider you're using. If yous want to transfer your domain name to Kinsta to manage information technology using our DNS, you can follow these instructions.

four WordPress Plugins to Assistance With Google Site Verification

If you're using a WordPress SEO plugin, at that place'southward a good adventure that your plugin of choice offers an easy tool to aid with Google site verification. We'll evidence you how to exercise it with the iii popular WordPress SEO tools and 1 plugin directly from Google.

vi. Yoast SEO

To complete the Google Search Panel verification procedure with Yoast SEO, yous can start by going to SEO > General in your WordPress dashboard and selecting the Webmaster Tools tab.

Next, observe the Google verification lawmaking field and add the code that yous can get from Google Search Console:

Google site verification in Yoast SEO in WordPress with a highlight box around the "Google verification code" form label.
Google site verification in Yoast SEO.

To find your Google Search Console verification code, you can follow these three steps:

  1. Navigate to the Other verification methods section in the Google Search Console interface.
  2. Select the HTML tag selection.
  3. Copy the unabridged tag. Yoast SEO will automatically strip out the extra details, leaving only the code.
The window for finding your HTML tag for your Google verification code.
Where to observe Google verification code.

Now you lot can add together the lawmaking to your Yoast SEO settings page and salve the changes to it. Return to the HTML tag tab in Google Search Console and click on the VERIFY button.

7. SEOPress

To verify your site in Google Search Console with the SEOPpress plugin, get to the SEOPress > Advanced section in your WordPress dashboard. Here, scroll downwardly to notice the Google search verification entry.

SEOPress Advanced settings simplify the Google site verification process.
SEOPress simplifies the Google site verification procedure.

You need to enter your Google site verification HTML meta tag hither. It'll wait something similar this: <meta name="google-site-verification" content="......." />. Add your site verification meta tag and save the changes.

We've discussed how to get this meta tag for your site (or "property" every bit Google calls it) in the HTML Tag section above.

Now, the plugin will automatically add this HTML tag to all your site'southward pages.

Finally, click on the VERIFY button under the HTML tag section in Google Search Console.

8. Rank Math SEO

If y'all're using the Rank Math SEO plugin, you can verify your website in Google Search Console past going to Rank Math > General Settings > Webmaster Tools in your dashboard. Here, yous'll meet a field that reads Google Search Panel, which is where your Search Console verification code goes:

Adding the Search Console verification code to Rank Math with a highlight box around where the input should go.
Adding the Search Console verification code to Rank Math.

To observe that verification code, you lot tin follow the exact instructions every bit with other WordPress SEO plugins. Navigate to the Other verification methods section in the Google Search Panel interface, and and so select the HTML tag option. Later you lot copy the entire tag, Rank Math will automatically identify the verification code.

Next, return to Google Search Console and click the VERIFY push button under the HTML tag. Search Console should recognize your website at present.

9. Site Kit by Google

The Site Kit past Google plugin enables you to connect your WordPress website with Google services with just a few clicks. It'south an official plugin, and you can use information technology for free.

Once yous install and activate the plugin, navigate to Site Kit > Dashboard in your dashboard and select the SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE option:

Signing in with Google through the Site Kit plugin.
Signing in with Google through the Site Kit plugin.

Google volition prompt you lot to verify website ownership and to connect it with Search Panel. To go on, click on Sign in with Google over again:

The Site Kit setup wizard welcome screen that says
The Site Kit setup wizard.

If you have multiple Google accounts, you'll be able to cull which one yous want to use for the Search Panel account connected with your website. Google will ask you lot to confirm that y'all're comfortable with Site Kit having access to the following types of data:

A list of Site Kit permission requirements with options to "Allow" or "Cancel".
An overview of Site Kit'south permissions.

After you click on Allow, Site Kit volition ask you to confirm site buying for Google Search Panel. Site Kit does this by adding a flake of HTML code to your website. All that yous have to do is select Go on:

The option to enable Site Kit to verify that you own your website with an arrow pointing to the "Proceed" button.
Enable Site Kit to verify that yous ain your website.

Moving on, Site Kit will ask yous for permission to and your Google account data and brandish information technology on your dashboard. Click the Allow button again. Then you'll see a success bulletin telling you lot that your website is verified on Google Search Console:

A Site Kit setup success message saying
A Site Kit setup success message.

When you lot return to your Site Kit dashboard in WordPress, yous'll run across that it's connected to Google Search Console. A new Site Kit > Search Panel tab will appear in your dashboard, giving you access to information from inside your website.

Which Method Should You Utilize?

Adding a website to Google Search Console takes but seconds. However, it would help if you lot verified that you own the site, which tin vary in complexity depending on your chosen verification method.

If you're using Google Analytics or Tag Director, y'all already have some Google code on your site. Google Search Console should identify that code and verify your website without y'all needing to add annihilation else to it. Alternatively, you can add an HTML file, include a tag, or use DNS verification (the all-time approach if you don't want to add more lawmaking to your site).

Finally, if you're using a WordPress SEO plugin, the most popular options include Google Search Console verification features. Those will help yous verify your website. All you have to practice is enter a verification code.

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Summary

Congratulations! You now know all you lot need to go started with your Google site verification.

Just recall that Google will periodically check on your site's verification. No matter which method y'all choose, information technology'due south essential to leave that method in place — you cannot remove it after confirmation.

It'south now time to start scaling your website traffic.

Do y'all accept any other questions almost the Google Search Console verification process? Get out a annotate, and we'll try to help!

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