Learn Google Search Console
Read your Search Console reports, understand data limits, and use the API when you need more control.
Browse the guide
6 topicsPerformance reports
Choose a view and understand what your chart shows.
- Weekly and monthly views
- Annotations
- Branded queries
- AI-powered configuration
- Generative AI reports
Social accounts
Set up a platform property and read its Google traffic.
- Property setup
- First data and reporting scope
GSC limits
Understand missing rows, reporting delays, and available history.
- 16-month data retention
- Export row limits
- BigQuery alternatives
API guide
Programmatic access to your search performance data.
- Query builder
- Rate limits
- Authentication
AI agents
MCP servers that put the Search Console record in front of an agent.
- MCP server setup
- Claude Code for SEO
- SEO workflows with MCP
Research
Assess published findings and reproduce the measurement examples.
- Query gaps and study methods
Guide
Start with the report in front of you
Google's Search results Performance report shows clicks, impressions, click-through rate, and average position. Choose a date range and metric before investigating a change.
If daily spikes make the trend hard to read, follow weekly and monthly views. The guide compares the same report in two views and explains which numbers to check.
Find annotations, branded queries, and AI configuration guides in Performance reports.
If you manage a social or video channel, start with social platform properties.
Understand a missing or changing number
A short table, a recent dip, and missing older history need different checks:
- Missing rows: understand why a table may not account for the chart total.
- Data delay: distinguish preliminary data from completed reporting.
- Data retention: plan for history that leaves Search Console.
- Export limits: choose an extraction method for your task.
Work with the data outside the report
If you're building a repeatable workflow, start with the Search Console API guide. It covers authentication, queries, and request limits.
If you want an agent to work with Search Console data, use the MCP and agents guides. Check which data source and authentication method each workflow uses before following its setup.