Integrations · Google
Get your agency added to a client's Search Console
Google offers no way for an app to add a Search Console user below Owner, and a link never asks for Owner. So the client signs in once for reporting, then the link shows them the exact three clicks to add your email at Full or Restricted — and tells you when they say it's done.
Google Search Console at a glance
- How access is granted
- Guided. The client adds you by hand, with the steps and the level you chose shown on the link.
- Permission levels
- Full or Restricted. Owner is never requested.
- What your client needs
- Owner on the Search Console property (verified or delegated).
- Reporting
- Automatic once the client signs in: queries, clicks, impressions, CTR and position.
- Feeds into Agency Pilot
- Top 50 queries and top 25 pages on the client dashboard, and search clicks in Mission Control.
- Data delay
- Google publishes Search Console data 2–3 days late. Dashboards say which day the data runs through.
What your client does
On the onboarding link you send. No password is ever asked for or shared.
- 1
Opens the link and connects Google, which lets Agency Pilot read Search Console reports for the site.
- 2
Follows the steps shown for adding your agency: Settings → Users and permissions → Add user.
- 3
Enters the email address the link shows, picks the level the link names (Full or Restricted) and clicks Add.
- 4
Marks the step done on the link so you're notified.
What happens on your side
- Search Console reporting connects the moment the client signs in — no waiting for the manual step.
- The step shows your agency's email and the permission level, so there is nothing for the client to guess.
- You see the step's status on the link and in Connected accounts.
Search Console permission levels
| Role | What it allows | On an Agency Pilot link |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Full control, including adding and removing users and changing settings. Verified owners proved ownership; delegated owners were added by one. | Never offered |
| Full | View all data and take most actions, such as submitting sitemaps and requesting indexing. | Offered — usual for SEO work |
| Restricted | View most data. Cannot take actions. | Offered — for reporting only |
Adding a user in Search Console
- 1
Open search.google.com/search-console and choose the property from the menu at the top left.
- 2
Click Settings in the left menu, then Users and permissions.
- 3
Click Add user.
- 4
Enter the agency's email address and choose Full or Restricted.
- 5
Click Add. Access starts immediately — there's no invitation to accept.
Domain properties and URL-prefix properties are separate. If the client has both, add the agency to the one you'll report on (usually the Domain property).
What the Search Console connection feeds
- Search clicks and impressions on the client dashboard, by day.
- Top 50 search queries and top 25 pages for the period, with clicks, CTR and average position.
- The Search clicks tile in Mission Control and the client portal.
- SEO audits and monthly reports that roll up organic performance.
Exactly what we ask Google Search Console for
A link only requests the permissions the platforms on it need. Nothing here is used for anything other than the reason next to it. More on how we handle access.
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| webmasters.readonly | Reads search performance for the client's site. Read-only; Google classes it as non-sensitive. |
| openid, email, profile | Labels which Google login the connection belongs to. |
Removing access later
- 1
Settings → Users and permissions → the three dots next to your agency's email → Remove access.
- 2
The reporting connection ends from Onboarding → Connected accounts or from the client's Google Account third-party connections.
If something doesn't work
The client can't find Users and permissions
They're not an owner of the property. Ask them to check Settings → Ownership verification, or have the owner open the link.
The property shows no data
New properties take a few days to collect data, and Search Console reports lag 2–3 days. Check that the property matches the site (www vs non-www, http vs https) or use a Domain property.
You were added but can't see the property
The client added a different email from the one on the link. Ask them to remove it and add the address shown on the step.
Google Search Console: common questions
- Why isn't Search Console fully automatic like Google Analytics?
- Google's Search Console API can only add owners, and handing an agency ownership is not something a link should ever ask for. So we automate the reporting and guide the one manual click.
- Full or Restricted — which should I ask for?
- Full if you'll submit sitemaps, request indexing or use the URL inspection tool. Restricted if you only need to read the data.
- Do I need to verify the site myself?
- No. Being added as a Full or Restricted user gives you access without verifying. Verification is only needed to become an owner.
- Does the client need to do anything for reporting to work?
- Just sign in on the link. Reporting uses that connection and doesn't depend on the manual step.
Keep going
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