Google Search Console for Beginners: Sitemap and Reports

Add your site

You’ll be asked to choose a property type.

Domain. Covers every version of your address. Verified through your domain's DNS settings.
URL prefix. Covers one exact address. Verified with one of the supported simpler methods.

If DNS sounds scary, the URL prefix route is often easier. A web developer can do the DNS step in minutes.

Send your sitemap

Find your sitemap address. On Shopify it’s usually yoursite.com/sitemap.xml.
In Search Console open Sitemaps.
Paste the address and click Submit.
Check back for errors.

Sending a sitemap doesn’t guarantee every page gets indexed. It only helps Google find them.

The reports to open first

Report	The question it answers
Performance	Which searches and pages bring impressions and clicks?
Countries and Devices	Does the US, UK, Germany, France or mobile behave differently?
Page indexing	Why is an important page not in Google? Not every exclusion is a problem.
URL Inspection	What does Google know about this page, and what does the live page look like?

A simple habit

Once a month, open Performance and compare the last 28 days with the previous 28. If a page gets many impressions but few clicks, rewrite its title and description so they match what people searched. Filter by country to see the US and UK separately.

Why it doesn’t match Analytics

Search Console counts clicks from Google search. Google Analytics counts visits to your site. They measure different things and use different rules, so the numbers won’t be the same.

Try this first

Add your site, send the sitemap and come back in a few days. It takes time for data to appear.

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About the author: I'm Hakan Caba, an Etsy and e-commerce specialist with 12+ years of experience. I manage the Amazon, Etsy and Shopify channels of a US-based company, help Etsy sellers with shop management, ads and search, and co-founded siteupwell, a studio that builds and renovates websites. See how I can help with your shop.

Sources

Rules, numbers and dates change often. This page reflects the sources below as checked on Nov 9, 2026. Confirm current figures with the official source before you act.