⚒️Google Service Accounts

SEO Utils uses Google Service Accounts for multiple tasks like submitting index, checking/submitting index for URLs, or pulling data from Google Search Console (GSC) to do some advanced tasks that the GSC dashboard doesn't provide to you.

Create a Google Service Account

Step 1

Visit the Google Cloud Console at https://console.cloud.google.com/ and create a Project if you don't have one.

Create a project on Google Cloud Console

Step 2

In your Google Cloud Console dashboard, search for "Service Accounts" and click on it.

Click on "Service Accounts" from the search results

Hit the "Create Service Account" button, and enter a service account name. Then, hit the "Done" button.

Enter service account name

Copy the email of the service account. You will need that email to invite the service account to your Google Search Console so it can access data from Google Search Console.

Copy the email

Step 3: Create a Google Service Account key file

Click on the Service Account's email, select the "KEYS" tab, then click the "Create new key" button.

Create a key for your service account

A model will pop up. Select "JSON" and click the "Create" button.

Select JSON in Key type field.

After creating the key, Google will download it to your machine. Keep that file. You will need it when adding the Google Service Account to SEO Utils.

Add the Google Service Account to SEO Utils

Open the SEO Utils app on your machine, and locate the App dropdown menu in the top-right corner. You will see the Google Service Accounts menu.

Click on Google Service Accounts menu to create one

Hit the "Add Account" button and select the key file you downloaded in the previous step.

Select the downloaded key file after cliking the "Add Account" button

Congratulations! You have successfully added a Google Service Account to SEO Utils!

Connect to Google Search Console

After adding the service account to SEO Utils, you need to grant it access to your Google Search Console properties to pull performance data and submit indexes.

Grant Access in Google Search Console

1. Copy the Service Account Email: After adding the JSON file, you'll see the service account email displayed (e.g., [e-mail])

Copy the Google Service Account email

1. Add to Google Search Console:

• Go to your Google Search Console Dashboard

• Select your property

• Navigate to Settings → Users and permissions

• Click "Add user"

• Paste the service account email

• Select permission level:

  • Owner: Required for submitting indexes via Google Indexing API

  • Full: Sufficient for pulling performance data only

Important: To submit indexes, the service account must have Owner permission in Google Search Console. Full permission is only adequate for reading performance data.

Configure Properties for Index Submission

You can configure which properties each service account can submit indexes for. This setting only affects index submission, not performance data access.

Property Configuration Options

All Properties (Default)

• When enabled, the service account can submit indexes for all properties in your SEO Utils account

• This is the default setting for new service accounts

Specific Properties

• When disabled, you can select specific properties that this service account can access

• Toggle off "All Properties" to reveal a list of available properties

• Check the properties you want this service account to submit indexes for

Select specific properties for this service account to access

Note: This property configuration is for index submission only. The service account can still pull performance data from all properties where it has been granted access in Google Search Console.