Google has added functionality to search consoles users and permissions related to ownership and user management. This bring functionality to search console which was previously only available in webmaster tools.
This marks the next step in migrating functionality which was present in webmaster tools over to search console, improving end users experience overall.
What are the new features?
Google has stated that the functionalities recently added to search console’s user and permissions management are:
- Distinguishing between verified and delegated owners
- Easier, immediate removal of verified owners (no need to remove their ownership token)
- Ability to change delegated owners’ permissions levels (owner, full, restricted)
- Ability to see your property’s verification tokens for all current and previous users and specifically see tokens leftover by previous owners
- Ownership events history
How does this affect my search console setup?
To best manage the permissions in search console for your users you must grant them the permission level that they need in order to accomplish their task. These permission levels include:
- Owner: Holds complete control over properties within Search Console. Owners possess the authority to add or remove other users, configure settings, access all data, and utilize all available tools. It’s imperative that each property has at least one verified owner; otherwise, no users will be able to access the property. There are two categories of owners, each endowed with identical permissions:
- Verified Owner: An individual who has substantiated their ownership of the property using a verification token, such as an HTML file uploaded to the website. To add or remove a verified owner, one must manipulate the presence of the token on the site.
- Delegated Owner: A person bestowed with ownership status by a verified owner, without the necessity of a verification token, such as an HTML file or tag. To include or exclude a delegated owner, any owner can seamlessly manage this through the Search Console user management interface.
- Full User: Possesses viewing rights to all available data and is empowered to perform certain actions.
- Restricted User: Holds simplified viewing rights concerning most data.
- Associate: Associates refer to individuals or accounts authorized to undertake specific actions on behalf of your website or access designated data. Unlike site owners and users, associates cannot directly access or view your Search Console account or data. However, they are granted permission to execute other tasks, with the nature of these actions and permissions contingent upon the specific type of association, such as the Chrome Web Store.
Removing a verified owner from Search Console
If you need to remove a verified owner from search console you must ensure that all verification tokens for that user have been removed. This most recent update from Google allows you to review any leftover ownership tokens which helps you to prevent previous owners from regaining control of the account.
If you want to show a user a specific report from search console but do not want to grant them access to the account you can click the Share link on the page in order to provide them with the necessary data.
Does your company need help managing your Search Console? Contact our SEO Company today for help!
