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Verify Your Site with Search Console and Bing

Choose a URL-prefix property, copy only the code from the HTML tag method, paste it into the Site verification section, then click Verify. A domain property needs a DNS record instead.

Updated September 27, 2026

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In Google Search Console, add a URL prefix property for your site and choose the HTML tag verification method. Copy only the value inside content="…", paste it into Google Search Console in the Site verification section of WP Visibility → Settings, save, and click Verify in Search Console. Bing Webmaster Tools works the same way, or can import the verified site from Search Console.

Pick the method first

Property type How it verifies Does WP Visibility help?
Google Domain property (every subdomain and protocol) A DNS TXT record at your domain registrar or DNS host No. Add the record where your DNS lives.
Google URL prefix property (one exact address, such as https://example.com/) HTML tag, HTML file, Google Analytics, Tag Manager, or DNS Yes, for the HTML tag method
Bing Webmaster Tools Import from Search Console, a meta tag, an XML file, or a DNS record Yes, for the meta tag method

The DNS route is the most durable: it survives a theme change, a plugin switch or a move to another host. The tag route is the quickest when you do not control DNS. Methods checked September 27, 2026 against Google’s verification help and Bing’s.

Google Search Console, tag method

  1. In Search Console, add a property, choose URL prefix, and enter the exact address visitors use, https:// and www included or not.
  2. Under verification methods, open HTML tag and copy the tag. It looks like <meta name="google-site-verification" content="abc123…" />.
  3. In WP Visibility → Settings, scroll to Site verification and paste only the part between the quotes after content= into Google Search Console. The whole tag is not accepted; it saves as empty.
  4. Save, then go back to Search Console and click Verify.

Bing Webmaster Tools

The fastest route is Import from Google Search Console when you add the site: Bing reads your verified properties and adds them. Otherwise choose the meta tag option, copy the value of content from the msvalidate.01 tag, paste it into Bing Webmaster Tools in the same section, save, and verify.

The other two fields

Pinterest takes the p:domain_verify code to claim your domain, and Yandex takes the yandex-verification code. Paste only the code in both.

Where the tags print

Each filled field prints one tag, <meta name="google-site-verification" content="…"> and so on, on the homepage only, which is where every service looks. To check, view the source of your homepage and search for site-verification.

If verification fails

  • The tag is not in the homepage source. A page cache may be serving an older copy; purge it and try again.
  • The address does not match. A URL-prefix property for https://www.example.com/ does not verify from https://example.com/. Add the property for the address your site redirects to.
  • Two tags with different codes. Another plugin or the theme prints its own. Remove one.
  • Keep the value after verifying. Both services recheck periodically, and removing the code can unverify the site.

Once verified, submit the sitemap: Submit Your Sitemap.

Behavior checked against WP Visibility 2.10.3.