# Google Search Console Guide: Reading the Core Reports

Author: Fatih Emin Çakıroğlu (https://fatihemincakiroglu.com)
Source: https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/blog/search-console-rehberi
Published: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20

Google Search Console is the free tool that shows directly how Google crawls, indexes and displays your site in search results.

But there are many reports and some warnings cause needless panic. This article explains the core reports by the question each one answers and suggests a weekly routine.

> Short answer: The Search Console reports you will use most are Performance (clicks, impressions, CTR, average position), Page indexing (which pages are not indexed and why), URL Inspection (one URL's status and a live test), Sitemaps and the Core Web Vitals report under Experience. The goal is not to index every URL but to get the canonical version of every important page indexed.

## Setting up Search Console: which property type?

When adding a site you choose one of two property types.

| Property type | Scope | Verification |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Domain property | All subdomains, http and https together | DNS record |
| URL-prefix property | Only the specified protocol and path | HTML file, meta tag, Google Analytics, Tag Manager and other methods |

I recommend opening a domain property where possible and adding URL-prefix properties for key sections such as /en/ if needed.

## How to read the Performance report

The Performance report shows your impressions and clicks in Google Search by query, page, country, device, search appearance and date. The default view is the last three months, but you can go back up to 16 months. The last 24 hours view offers hourly, preliminary data.

- **Clicks**: Clicks from a search result to your site.
- **Impressions**: How often a link to your site appeared in search results.
- **CTR**: Clicks divided by impressions; a hint about how compelling titles and snippets are.
- **Average position**: Average rank in results; it averages many queries, so it can mislead on its own.

The most useful habit is comparing two periods and drilling into pages and queries. If traffic dropped, first find which page group lost it, then match dates against the [Google updates log](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/google-updates). I explain how to diagnose sudden drops in [traffic loss after a core update](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/blog/cekirdek-guncelleme-trafik-dususu).

To separate brand queries, Google's branded queries filter is available in the Performance report for eligible properties. It is reporting-only and does not affect rankings; Google also notes some queries may be misclassified.

## Page indexing report: what to look at

This report splits URLs into “Indexed” and “Not indexed” and groups the latter by reason. According to Google's help documentation, the goal is to get the canonical version of every important page indexed; duplicates and alternates are expected to stay out.

Each reason has a “Source” value showing whether the website or Google is responsible. After fixing an issue, “Validate fix” asks Google to recheck the affected URLs; the documentation says this typically takes up to about two weeks.

> **The most asked-about status** “Crawled – currently not indexed” is not a technical block but a quality and priority decision. I cover diagnosis and fixes in [crawled but not indexed pages](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/blog/tarandi-dizine-eklenmemis).

The sitemap filter is very handy: choosing “All submitted pages” shows only the URLs you have declared you want indexed.

## When to use the URL Inspection tool

URL Inspection shows one page's status in Google: is it indexed, which URL Google chose as canonical, when it was last crawled. The live test checks the page's current state through Googlebot's eyes.

**Inspecting a single page**
1. **Enter the URL**: Paste the full address into the top search bar.
2. **Read index status**: Do the user-declared and Google-selected canonicals match?
3. **Run a live test**: Is the page reachable, is there a noindex, does main content appear in rendered HTML?
4. **Request indexing if needed**: Use it after a significant change; requesting the same URL repeatedly does not speed things up.

On JavaScript-built pages, checking the rendered HTML is the fastest way to see whether content and links reach Google. For crawling basics, see the [technical SEO guide](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/guides/teknik-seo).

## Sitemaps and Experience reports

The Sitemaps report shows whether your XML sitemaps were read and how many URLs were discovered. A sitemap should only list canonical URLs that return 200 and that you want indexed; redirected or noindex pages pollute it.

The Experience section holds the Core Web Vitals and HTTPS reports. The Page experience report that summarised them was removed; the data remains in these two reports. Core Web Vitals uses real-user data, with thresholds of LCP ≤ 2.5 s, INP ≤ 200 ms and CLS ≤ 0.1. See the [Core Web Vitals article](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/blog/core-web-vitals-2025).

- [ ] Is the sitemap status “Success” and the discovered URL count as expected?
- [ ] Does the sitemap contain redirected, 404 or noindex URLs?
- [ ] Which URL templates sit in the “Poor” group of Core Web Vitals?
- [ ] Are any pages still served over HTTP in the HTTPS report?

## How do AI features show up in Search Console?

Impressions and clicks from AI Overviews and AI Mode are counted within overall Web search data. In June 2026 Google announced separate generative AI performance reports for AI Overviews and AI Mode, and on 31 August 2026 said they were available to all sites. If your property does not show the report yet, give it a few days; the data still appears in the overall Web totals.

Visits from AI assistants show up in GA4, not Search Console; I cover that channel in [AI traffic in GA4](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/blog/ga4-yapay-zeka-trafigi). For AI Mode in Turkey, see [Google AI Mode in Turkey](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/blog/google-ai-mode-turkiye).

## A weekly Search Console routine

- Performance: compare the last 7 days with the previous period and note the biggest losers and gainers.
- Page indexing: any new rise in “Not indexed” for key templates (product, category, service)?
- Manual actions and Security issues: confirm both are empty.
- Sitemaps: if you launched a new section, check that its sitemap was read.
- Email alerts: make sure Search Console notifications reach the right people.

To turn this data into a monthly management report, use the framework in the [SEO reporting guide](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/guides/seo-raporlama). The site's [free SEO tools](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/tools) help with structured data and redirects. To interpret your Search Console data together, see [SEO consulting](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/seo-consulting) or [book an intro call](https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/book-a-call).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the difference between Search Console and Google Analytics?

Search Console shows the stage before users reach your site: impressions and clicks in Google Search. GA4 measures visitor behaviour and conversions on the site. Linking the two gives you an end-to-end view of organic traffic.

### Why don't Search Console clicks match GA4 sessions?

The tools count different things in different ways: Search Console counts clicks, while GA4 counts sessions that depend on cookie consent and the tag firing. Some queries are also hidden in Search Console for privacy. Small gaps are normal; focus on trends.

### How long until data appears?

On a newly verified property, data starts arriving within a few days. The most recent days in the Performance report may be preliminary; base decisions on data from a few days back.

### Can I add more than one person to Search Console?

Yes, under Users and permissions in Settings you can add owners, full users or restricted users. When working with an agency or consultant, granting full or restricted access is safer than ownership.

### What should I do if I see something in the Manual actions report?

A manual action means Google's team found a spam policy violation on your site. Fix the issue completely as described in the report and submit a reconsideration request.

### Average position fell but clicks rose; how is that possible?

When your site starts appearing for new queries at lower positions, average position drops while total visibility and clicks can rise. That is why reading average position per query or page makes more sense.

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Please attribute as: "Fatih Emin Çakıroğlu (fatihemincakiroglu.com)". Original: https://fatihemincakiroglu.com/en/blog/search-console-rehberi