Definition
A property is a site, or part of a site, that you have added to Google Search Console. All data in Search Console, from clicks and impressions to index status, belongs to a property, and you only see data after you have verified that you own it.
Domain vs URL prefix
| Domain property | URL-prefix property | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | All subdomains, http and https, all paths | Only URLs that start with the exact prefix, including protocol and subdomain |
| Verification | DNS record only | Several methods, such as an HTML file, a meta tag or DNS |
| Example | example.com | https://www.example.com/blog/ |
A domain property is the better default: one property covers www, the bare domain and every subdomain, so no traffic falls outside it. Choose a URL-prefix property when you cannot edit DNS, or when you want to look at one section of a site on its own.
Where to see your properties
The property selector at the top left of Search Console lists them. Domain properties appear as sc-domain:example.com in the API. Bing and Yandex keep their own site lists, and each site needs its own verification there. To set one up, follow Add and verify a site in Search Console.
Ask mowteng
The gsc_list_sites tool returns every property you can access and your permission level on each. gsc_add_site adds a property, but ownership must still be verified in Search Console before data appears. If a site is missing from the list, read No Search Console properties showing.
List my Search Console properties, say which are domain properties and which are URL prefixes, and show my permission level on each.