Understanding the "URL not in property" Error
When you see the "URL not in property" error in Google Search Console while trying to inspect URLs on your website, it means that the URL you're trying to inspect doesn't match the property type you have verified in Search Console.
Common Error Message: "URL not in property. Inspect a URL in the currently selected property or switch properties."
What Causes This Error?
There are two main reasons for this error:
- Incorrect Property Selection: You're trying to inspect a URL in the wrong property type in Search Console.
- Property Verification Issues: You haven't properly verified your website in Search Console or have verified the wrong property type.
Property Types in Google Search Console
Google Search Console has two different types of properties:
Domain Property
Covers all subdomains and protocols of a domain.
Example: credotransportation.com
This includes:
- https://credotransportation.com
- http://credotransportation.com
- https://www.credotransportation.com
- Any subdomains (blog.credotransportation.com, etc.)
Verification: DNS record verification only
URL-prefix Property
Covers only the exact URL prefix and its subdirectories.
Example: https://credotransportation.com/
This includes:
- https://credotransportation.com/cars.html
- https://credotransportation.com/tracking.html
- All pages under https://credotransportation.com/
But not http:// version or www subdomain.
Verification: Multiple methods available (HTML file, meta tag, etc.)
Solution 1: Switch to the Correct Property
Check Your Verified Properties
First, let's see what properties you already have verified in Search Console:
- Go to Google Search Console
- Look at the property selector at the top left (dropdown menu)
- Click it to see all your verified properties
Select the Correct Property
Choose the property that matches your URL structure:
- If you're trying to inspect
https://credotransportation.com/cars.html, select the URL-prefix propertyhttps://credotransportation.com/ - If you have a domain property
credotransportation.com, you can use that for any URL on your domain
If you have both property types, the domain property (credotransportation.com) is generally more comprehensive as it covers all URLs on your domain regardless of protocol or subdomain.
Solution 2: Verify a New Property
If you don't have the correct property type verified, you'll need to add a new property:
Add a New Property
- In Search Console, click the property selector at the top
- Click "+ Add property"
Choose Property Type
You'll have two options:
- Domain: Enter your domain without protocol (e.g.,
credotransportation.com) - URL-prefix: Enter your full URL with protocol (e.g.,
https://credotransportation.com/)
For most users, the Domain property is recommended as it's more comprehensive. However, it requires DNS verification which needs access to your domain settings.
Verify Ownership
Follow the verification steps provided:
- For Domain property: You'll need to add a TXT record to your DNS configuration
- For URL-prefix property: You can use various methods like HTML file, HTML tag, Google Analytics, etc.
The URL-prefix HTML tag verification is already set up on your site in the google-site-verification.html file.
Best Practices for URL Inspection
Use Full URLs
When inspecting URLs, always use the full URL including the protocol:
- Correct:
https://credotransportation.com/cars.html - Incorrect:
credotransportation.com/cars.html
Check Protocol Consistency
Make sure you're using the same protocol (http:// or https://) that your site actually uses.
Your site should be using HTTPS, so all inspected URLs should begin with https://.
Verify Multiple Property Types
For comprehensive coverage, consider verifying both property types:
- Domain property:
credotransportation.com - URL-prefix property:
https://credotransportation.com/
This gives you flexibility and different insights in Search Console.