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🔍 Connect Google Search Console and Access Sitemap Data

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Camilo Aponte

Camilo Aponte

Last updated on Sep 30, 2026

🌐 What This Article Covers

This guide walks you through finishing a Google Search Console (GSC) URL-prefix property connection and then accessing your sitemap data inside Search Atlas. If you have already verified ownership of your property in GSC, follow the steps below to bring that data into the platform.

✅ Step 1: Verify Your URL-Prefix Property in Google Search Console

Before Search Atlas can read your sitemap data, your website must be verified in Google Search Console as a URL-prefix property. If you have not done this yet, complete these steps first:

  1. Go to Google Search Console (search.google.com/search-console).
  2. Click Add property and choose URL prefix as the property type.
  3. Enter your full website URL, including https:// (for example, https://www.yoursite.com).
  4. Choose a verification method — the HTML tag method is the quickest for most users — and follow the on-screen instructions.
  5. Click Verify. Once GSC confirms ownership, your property is ready to connect.

Important: Make sure the URL you enter in GSC exactly matches the URL you use in Search Atlas, including whether it has or does not have a trailing slash.

🗺️ Step 2: Submit Your Sitemap in Google Search Console

Submitting your sitemap tells GSC which pages to crawl and index. Search Atlas reads this sitemap data once the connection is active.

  1. Inside Google Search Console, open your verified URL-prefix property.
  2. In the left sidebar, click Sitemaps.
  3. Under Add a new sitemap, enter your sitemap path — typically sitemap.xml or sitemap_index.xml.
  4. Click Submit. GSC will begin processing the sitemap. This can take a few hours to a few days.

If you are unsure of your sitemap URL, try visiting https://www.yoursite.com/sitemap.xml in a browser. Most platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, and Wix generate one automatically.

🔗 Step 3: Connect Your GSC Property to Search Atlas

Once your property is verified and your sitemap is submitted in GSC, connect the property to Search Atlas:

  1. In the Search Atlas left sidebar, click Site Metrics.
  2. Click Analyze or open a saved project for your website.
  3. Follow the on-screen prompt to connect Google Search Console. You will be asked to sign in with the Google account that has access to the verified property.
  4. Select the correct URL-prefix property from the list of available properties.
  5. Confirm the connection. Search Atlas will begin pulling data from GSC.

Note: Only properties where your Google account has at least full user permissions in GSC will appear in the selection list.

📊 Step 4: Access Sitemap Data in Search Atlas

After the GSC connection is active, your sitemap and page data become available across several areas of Site Metrics:

  • Site Metrics → Pages — View individual URLs from your sitemap, their index status, and performance metrics pulled from GSC.
  • Site Metrics → Keywords — See which search queries are driving traffic to your sitemap pages.
  • Site Metrics → Overview — Get a high-level summary of impressions, clicks, and crawl coverage for the connected property.

Navigate to any of these sub-pages using the left sidebar: Site Metrics → [sub-page name].

⏱️ How Long Does Data Take to Appear?

Data availability depends on two factors:

  • GSC processing time: After you submit a sitemap, Google may take anywhere from a few hours to several days to crawl and index your pages. Search Atlas can only display data that GSC has already processed.
  • Search Atlas sync time: Once your GSC property is connected, Search Atlas syncs data periodically. Allow up to 24 hours after a new connection for full data to populate.

If metrics appear incomplete, check your sitemap status directly in GSC under Sitemaps to confirm Google has successfully processed it.

🛠️ Common Issues and Fixes

  • Property not appearing in Search Atlas: Confirm your Google account has full user or owner access to the property in GSC. Viewer-level access is not sufficient.
  • Sitemap shows errors in GSC: Review the error details in GSC under Sitemaps and fix any broken URLs or formatting issues before re-submitting.
  • URL mismatch: Ensure the URL in your GSC URL-prefix property and the URL entered in Search Atlas are identical — including https://, www, and trailing slashes.
  • No data after 24 hours: Disconnect and reconnect the GSC property inside Site Metrics, then allow another sync cycle to complete.

💬 Need More Help?

If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.