Set up Google Search Console with Vercel Domains

When setting up Google Search Console for a domain, Google asks you to verify your domain ownership. This is normally done via your Domain registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy. But when deploying your website via Vercel you moved your DNS Record Management to Vercel as well, so it has to be done through Vercel.

Create a Google Search Console Account & Property

Skip this step if you have already done so!

Quickly add Google Search Console access to your existing Google account.

Create a domain or URL prefix property. Check the Google Docs for the difference. For personal web pages, I recommend the domain property.

Google Search Console Create Property

Now Google Search Console prompts you to verify your ownership over the domain. We have to do this via Vercel.

Google Search Console Verify Domain

Place the Google Search Console Verification DNS Record

The easiest way is via the Vercel CLI.

# install Vercel CLI globally
npm i -g vercel

# login to Vercel CLI
vercel login 

# add DNS record to verify domain ownership
vercel dns add example.com '@' 'TXT' 'google-site-verification=XYZ'

Now go back to the Google Search Console and click "Verify". Your Domain should be verified now.

This step can also be taken via the Vercel GUI. Just go to your dashboard, select the project and go under Settings>Domains. There click on a single domain and press the Edit button. Follow the link "View DNS Records & More for domain.com". Here you can add a DNS Record of type TXT with the name @ and value google-site-verification=XYZ.