In the August edition of Google’s SEO Office Hours Q&A video, John Mueller, Senior Search Analyst at Google, addressed 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 website owner facing the expiration of their domain and loss of hosting raised concerns about the potential misuse of their Search Console data by future domain owners.
They asked how to remove all URLs associated with the domain to prevent misuse after expiration.
Mueller’s response
Mueller explained several key points about Search Console data:
- The Search Console information is associated with the site, not the user. New owners who prove they own the site can see all the old data.
- There is no “delete all” button for Search Console data.
- To control the data, you must continue to own the domain name.
- If you keep the domain, you can regain ownership in Search Console without losing old data.
- If you’ve already removed the site, you can use domain verification in Search Console to ask Google to hide it from search results temporarily. This does not delete it from Google’s records; it just keeps it out of sight temporarily.
- Mueller suggests telling the buyer if you have active takedown 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 come across yet. The data in the search console is not tied to users, so anyone who verifies a site later will see that data. There’s no way to reset the displayed data there, so you will need to prevent the domain name from expiring.The advantage of this process is that you can re-verify in the search console without losing data.
To remove all content from search for a site that has already been removed from the server, you can use the domain verification for the search console and submit a temporary site removal request. This does not remove the site from the index, but it does prevent it from appearing for a period of time.
If you are selling the domain name, it would be nice to let the new owner know about this removal request so they can cancel it.”
Why this matters
This topic is relevant to all website owners, especially those who may sell or lose their domain. It shows how Search Console data is preserved 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 information
- 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 no longer use your site, it may be worth keeping the domain name to control who can see your Search Console information.
- If you can no longer access your site, 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 searches, even when domain ownership changes.
Listen to the full question and answer below: