Google has announced several updates to Google Search Console over the years, introducing new tools and changing how website owners access important reports. Some features have been moved or replaced, while others have been discontinued. Let's explore these changes and understand how they affect website owners and bloggers.
Google Search Console helps website owners monitor their site's performance in Google Search, identify indexing issues, and understand how Google discovers and processes their pages.
In this post, we will look at five important Search Console features and seven features or reports that have been removed, replaced, or integrated into other tools. Please note that these changes have been introduced at different times, so not all of them are new or part of a single update in 2026.
5 Important Google Search Console Features
The following features explain how Google Search Console reports and tools help website owners manage their websites.
1. Search Analytics in the Performance Report
Search Analytics was the name of an older Search Console report. Its functionality is now available through the Performance report in Google Search Console.
You can use this report to monitor clicks, impressions, click-through rate (CTR), and average position in Google Search results. These metrics help you understand which search queries bring visitors to your website and how your pages perform in search results.
2. Crawl Errors in the Page Indexing Report
Google Search Console provides information about indexing issues that may prevent pages from appearing in Google Search. The Page Indexing report helps website owners identify pages that Google could not index and understand the reasons behind those issues.
By reviewing this report regularly, you can identify technical problems and take appropriate steps to improve your website's indexability.
3. Sitemap Information in Search Console
Sitemaps help search engines discover important URLs on your website. Google Search Console includes a Sitemaps report that allows you to submit a sitemap and check its processing status.
The Page Indexing report provides additional information about indexed and non-indexed pages. Reviewing these reports together can help you understand whether Google is discovering and indexing the pages that matter most to your website.
4. 'Fetch as Google' Replaced by the URL Inspection Tool
The old 'Fetch as Google' feature is no longer available as a standalone tool. Its functionality was replaced by newer tools, including the URL Inspection Tool.
The URL Inspection Tool allows website owners to check a specific URL's indexing status, view information about Google's last crawl, and test whether a page is accessible to Google. The live test can also help identify certain technical issues that affect how Google accesses a page.
This tool is particularly useful when you publish a new article or update an existing page and want to investigate its indexing status.
5. User Management in Settings
Google Search Console provides user and permission management through its Settings section. Website owners can use these settings to manage access to their properties and control which users can view or manage Search Console data.
This is especially useful when multiple people manage a website, such as blog owners, developers, and SEO specialists.
7 Google Search Console Features That Were Removed or Replaced
Google has discontinued or changed several older Search Console features over time. The following examples explain what happened to these reports and tools.
1. Crawl Errors Report
The old Crawl Errors report was replaced by newer reporting tools. Information about indexing problems is now available through reports such as Page Indexing, while URL Inspection provides information about individual pages.
These tools help website owners investigate crawling and indexing issues more effectively.
2. Crawl Errors API
The old Search Console Crawl Errors API was discontinued along with the legacy crawl error reporting system. Developers who relied on this API need to use currently supported Search Console APIs or other appropriate tools, depending on the data they need.
Before replacing an older integration, check the current API documentation to confirm which reports and data are available.
3. Property Sets
The old Property Sets feature allowed website owners to combine multiple properties for reporting purposes. Google later replaced this functionality with domain properties and other reporting improvements.
A Domain property can provide a consolidated view of a website's performance across its subdomains and supported URL protocols. However, it is not an exact replacement for every historical Property Sets function.
4. HTML Suggestions
The old HTML Improvements report provided suggestions related to issues such as duplicate or missing title tags and meta descriptions.
Google discontinued this report. Website owners can still review titles and descriptions as part of their SEO work, using website audits and other tools to identify potential problems.
Although Google may generate different title links and snippets in search results, writing clear, descriptive page titles and useful meta descriptions remains a good practice.
5. Android Apps
The old Search Console included features for monitoring Android applications. Google discontinued its legacy app-related Search Console functionality as its app tools and reporting systems evolved.
Developers should consult the current Android and Google Play documentation to find the appropriate tools for managing app performance, quality, and distribution.
6. Blocked Resources
The old Blocked Resources report helped website owners identify resources that Googlebot could not access. This standalone report is no longer available in its original form.
Website owners can investigate rendering and crawling problems using URL Inspection, live tests, and other technical SEO tools. Ensuring that Google can access important resources, such as CSS and JavaScript files, can help it understand and render pages correctly.
7. Structured Data Reports
Google has changed its structured data reporting over time. Some legacy reports and structured data types have been discontinued, while supported rich-result types continue to have their own reports in Search Console.
Website owners should checka Google's current documentation to determine which structured data types are supported for rich results. You can also use Google's Rich Results Test to check eligible pages for supported structured data features.
Conclusion
Google Search Console continues to evolve, and some older reports and tools have been replaced, discontinued, or integrated into other features. Understanding these changes can help you monitor your website more effectively and avoid relying on outdated SEO tools.
Regularly review your Performance, Page Indexing, Sitemaps, and URL Inspection tools to understand how Google discovers and displays your content.
If you found this article helpful, please share it on your social media profiles so other bloggers and website owners can learn about these changes.
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