In the August edition of Google’s SEO office-hours Q&A video, John Mueller, Senior Search Analyst at Google, tackled a unique question about domain expiration and Search Console data.
The question highlights the potential risks to Search Console data when domains change hands.
A site owner facing the expiration of their domain and loss of hosting raised concerns about future domain owners’ potential misuse of their Search Console data.
They asked how to remove all URLs associated with the domain to prevent misuse after expiration.
Mueller’s Response
Mueller explained several important points about Search Console data:
- Search Console info sticks with the website, not the user. New owners who prove they own the site can see all the old data.
- There’s no “delete all” button for Search Console data.
- To control the data, you need to keep owning the domain name.
- If you keep the domain, you can regain ownership in Search Console without losing any old data.
- If you’ve already taken down the website, you can use domain verification in Search Console to ask Google to hide it from search results temporarily. This doesn’t erase it from Google’s records; it just keeps it out of sight temporarily.
- Mueller suggests telling the buyer if you have any active removal requests when selling a domain. This way, they can undo it if they want.
His full response:
“This is an interesting question that I don’t think we’ve run across yet. The data in search console is not tied to users, so anyone who verifies a site later on will see that data. There’s no way to reset the data shown there, so you’d have to prevent the domain name from expiring. The advantage of this process is that you can reverify in search console without any data loss.
To remove all content from search for a site that’s already removed from the server you can use the domain verification for search console and submit a temporary site removal request. This doesn’t remove the site from the index, but it will prevent it from being shown for a period of time.
If you’re selling the domain name it would be nice to tell the new owner of this removal request so that they can cancel it.”
Why This Matters
This topic is relevant for all website owners, especially those who might sell or lose their domain. It shows how Search Console data is retained from owner to owner.
It also reminds us to be careful with domain names and search data when ownership changes hands.
What To Do With This Info
- If you plan to let your domain name expire, remember that whoever buys it next can see your old Search Console data.
- Even if you’re not using your website anymore, it might be worth keeping the domain name to control who sees your Search Console info.
- If you can’t access your website anymore, you can use Search Console to ask Google to hide it from search results for a while.
- If you’re selling your domain, tell the buyer about any requests you’ve made to hide the site from search and about the old data in Search Console.
Understanding these points can help you protect your data and manage how content appears in search, even when domain ownership changes.
Hear the full question and answer below: