🔗 Connect GSC to an OTTO Shopify Subdomain Project

🔍 Overview

A Shopify store can run on a subdomain, such as store.yourdomain.com, while the main website uses yourdomain.com. If you manage them as separate OTTO projects, check that the GSC property you connect covers the intended website and is available in your Search Atlas account.

🤔 Why This Happens

Google Search Console supports Domain properties, which include subdomains, and URL-prefix properties, which cover a particular protocol, hostname, and optional path. Choose a property that covers your OTTO project's address. Evidence: Google’s property documentation.

• A project for store.yourdomain.com needs a GSC property that covers that subdomain.
• A root-domain URL-prefix property does not cover your store subdomain. A root Domain property does cover it, but Search Atlas's automatic matching may not select that property for a subdomain project. A property already connected elsewhere is not, by itself, evidence that it cannot be selected.
• If no accessible GSC property covers the subdomain, create one or request access to an existing property. A parent Domain property may already provide coverage even if you have never added a separate subdomain property.
• Connect a Google account with access to the property. Ownership is not required simply for the property to be listed; users with other supported access levels can also see it.

📋 Understanding GSC Property Types

GSC offers two types of properties. Knowing the difference makes it easier to choose the right one.

• Domain property: Appears as yourdomain.com and covers the root domain plus all subdomains, with both http and https. It requires DNS verification.
• URL-prefix property: Appears as a full address, such as https://store.yourdomain.com/, and covers URLs beginning with that prefix, including pages beneath it. Other protocols and hostnames are excluded. Verification options include an HTML tag or file, where supported by your hosting platform.

A URL-prefix property such as https://store.yourdomain.com/ provides reporting scoped to that HTTPS subdomain. Search Atlas's automatic matching looks for the project hostname in active property URLs, so a property explicitly containing the subdomain can help it find a match. Evidence: gsc/app/searchconsole/api/v2/views.py:4162–4167.

🛠️ Step 1: Check Whether the Subdomain Exists in GSC

1. Sign in to Google Search Console with the same Google account you plan to connect to Search Atlas.
2. Open the property drop-down at the top left.
3. Look for https://store.yourdomain.com/ in the list.
4. If the subdomain property is already available and verified, continue to connecting it in Search Atlas. Otherwise, add and verify the property using the following instructions.

➕ Step 2: Add and Verify the Subdomain Property

1. In the GSC property drop-down, click Add property.
2. Choose URL prefix and enter the full subdomain address, for example https://store.yourdomain.com/. Make sure the address matches your live store exactly, including https.
3. Follow the verification method Google suggests. Common options include adding a DNS record at your domain provider or adding an HTML tag to your Shopify theme.
4. Click Verify. Once Google confirms ownership, the property is ready to use.

If using HTML-tag verification, add Google's verification meta tag inside the head element of the live Shopify theme, typically in layout/theme.liquid, and save your changes before verifying. If using DNS verification, allow time for the record to propagate before retrying. Keep the verification tag or DNS record in place after verification.

🔗 Step 3: Connect the Property in Search Atlas

1. Open your Shopify subdomain project in Search Atlas. If you have not created it yet, add a new OTTO project using the full subdomain address, such as store.yourdomain.com.
2. Go to the GSC connection step in the project settings or setup.
3. Sign in with the Google account that owns the subdomain property.
4. Select the subdomain property (for example, https://store.yourdomain.com/) from the list.
5. Save your selection and confirm the connection shows as active.

⚠️ Common Issues and Fixes

• The root domain is not selectable: This is expected if the root domain is already connected to another project or does not match the subdomain project. Select the subdomain property instead.
• The subdomain property is missing from the list: Add and verify it in GSC (Step 2), then disconnect and reconnect your Google account in Search Atlas to refresh the list.
• The wrong Google account is connected: Sign out of Google, then reconnect using the account that owns the property.
• Your account has restricted access: Make sure your Google account is a verified owner of the property, not just a user with limited permissions.
• Verification keeps failing: Double-check that the address matches your live store, including https and any trailing slash, and that the DNS record or HTML tag was added correctly.
• No data appears right after connecting: A newly added GSC property takes time to collect data. Check back after a few days.

💡 Best Practices

• Use one GSC property per OTTO project so your data stays organized.
• Keep the root domain project and the subdomain project connected to their own matching properties.
• Always enter the subdomain exactly as it appears in your browser when your store loads.
• Keep the verification record or tag in place. Removing it can disconnect your property from GSC.

💬 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 instantly connected with a member of our team.