To connect Google Search Console to a Framer site, add your site as a URL-prefix property in Search Console, choose the HTML tag verification method, paste the meta tag into your Framer site's custom code for the head, publish, then click Verify. After that, submit your sitemap, which Framer generates automatically at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. The whole job takes about ten minutes once your custom domain is live.
Search Console is Google's free tool for site owners. It shows which searches bring people to your site, which pages Google has indexed and any problems it finds. Every small business site should have it.
How do you set it up, step by step?
Based on Framer's help article:
- Go to Google Search Console and sign in with the Google account the business controls.
- Click Add property and choose URL prefix.
- Enter your full address with https, such as https://www.yourbusiness.com, exactly as the site loads.
- Choose HTML tag as the verification method and copy the meta tag.
- In Framer, open Site Settings, go to General, find Custom Code and paste the tag into the head section.
- Save and publish the site.
- Back in Search Console, click Verify.
- Open Sitemaps in the left menu, enter sitemap.xml and submit.
Framer notes that you cannot upload an HTML verification file to a Framer site, so the meta tag is the simplest option.
Should you use a domain property or a URL-prefix property?
| Property type | Covers | Verification |
|---|
| URL prefix | Only URLs under the exact address and protocol you enter | Several methods, including the HTML tag |
| Domain | All subdomains and both http and https | DNS record only |
A URL-prefix property is easier on Framer. A domain property gives a fuller picture if you have several subdomains; you add a TXT record at your domain registrar to verify it. You can have both.
Where is the Framer sitemap?
Framer creates and updates the sitemap automatically when you publish, according to its sitemap help article. Add /sitemap.xml to your domain to see it. It lists published pages and CMS item pages that are not set to be hidden from search.
What should you check in the first month?
- Pages (indexing) report: which pages are indexed and why others are not. Template demo pages or thank-you pages may appear; hide them from search engines in Framer's page settings if they should not be found.
- Performance report: queries, clicks, impressions and average position. It fills in over days and weeks.
- URL Inspection: check a key page and request indexing after big changes.
- Sitemaps: confirm the status is Success.
New sites often take a while to appear. Indexing is not guaranteed and depends on Google's systems.
How do you read the Performance report?
Start with four numbers for the last three months:
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|
| Clicks | Visits from Google search |
| Impressions | How often your pages appeared in results |
| Average CTR | Clicks divided by impressions |
| Average position | Roughly where you appeared |
Then open the Queries tab. Look for searches with many impressions and few clicks: the page appears but people do not choose it. Rewriting that page's title and description to match the query better is often the quickest improvement. See page titles and meta descriptions in Framer. The Pages tab shows which pages earn the clicks, which tells you where to put your effort.
Does Search Console show AI Overviews traffic?
Google says traffic from its AI features, such as AI Overviews, is included in the Performance report under the Web search type. See Google's AI features guidance. It does not show visits from ChatGPT or Perplexity; for those, see tracking ChatGPT and AI traffic in Google Analytics.
What about Bing?
Bing Webmaster Tools can import your verified Search Console sites, which saves repeating the steps. Bing's index is used by some other search and AI tools, so it is worth adding.
What if verification fails?
- The tag was pasted into a page's custom code instead of the site-wide head
- The site was not republished after pasting
- The property URL does not match how the site loads (www or not, https)
- The domain is not yet connected to the Framer site
Open your live home page, view the source and search for "google-site-verification" to confirm the tag is there.
When should you do this?
Right after connecting your custom domain, and before you announce the site. If you are moving from another builder, keep the old property and add the new one, and set redirects for changed URLs. See moving from Wix or Squarespace to Framer and business domain name and email.
If you build sites for clients, verify with the client's Google account, or add them as an owner, before handover. See how to hand over a Framer site to a client. Search Console setup is also in our Framer template launch checklist. It works the same for every getsites template.
Related guides: getting recommended by ChatGPT as a local business and how to choose a website template.
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify my Framer site in Google Search Console?
Add a URL-prefix property, choose HTML tag verification, paste the meta tag into the head section of your Framer site's custom code, publish, then click Verify.
Does Framer create a sitemap automatically?
Yes. Framer generates and updates a sitemap at /sitemap.xml when you publish.
Can I upload a verification file to Framer?
Framer says you cannot upload an HTML verification file. Use the meta tag or a DNS record instead.
How long does it take for a Framer site to appear in Google?
It varies. Submitting the sitemap and inspecting key URLs helps, but Google does not guarantee when or whether pages are indexed.
Does Search Console show AI Overview clicks?
Google says AI features traffic is included in the Performance report under Web search. It is not shown separately.