Google has announced a new URL Inspection API that allows external applications to interact with Google’s Search Console and provide URL inspection data. The new API access will help SEOs and publishers find more problems and debug them more easily.
Search Console API expands the usefulness of data
The acronym API stands for Application Programming Interface. An API can be thought of as a bridge that allows two software programs to communicate with each other.
For example, a tool like Screaming Frog can use an API to connect to Google Search Console and use this data to automate the process of discovering insights.
Connecting Screaming Frog to Search Console is done via Configuration tab Then API > google search console.
How to Enable Search Console API Access in Screaming Frog
API Currently Allows Screaming Frog (and other apps) to collect data such as clicks, impressions, CTR, and ranking. The API can also be used to discover new URLs for crawling and adding orphaned URLs to site audit reports.
The Search Console API also allows WordPress plugins and many other SEO tools to access Search Console in a secure manner through the API.
Google provides an example of how to use this particular API access:
- “For example, checking for discrepancies between the spec declared by the user and the spec chosen by Google, or debugging structured data issues from a set of pages.
- CMS and plugin developers can add page- or template-level insights and continuous inspection of existing pages. For example, monitor changes in critical pages over time to diagnose problems and help prioritize fixes. “
URL Inspection Tool API
URL inspection tools provide valuable information about URLs indexed by Google. It provides information on indexing issues as well as structured data and AMP errors.
The tool does not provide a way to test live URLs, and the functionality is not accessible through the API.
According to Google’s developer documentation:
“View the indexed or indexable status of the provided URL. Only the version’s status in Google’s index is currently available; you cannot test live URL indexability.”
use quota
Google notes that there is a usage quota of 2,000 total queries per day and a rate limit of 600 queries per minute.
However, the new URL Inspection Tool API opens up new ways to track website SEO progress and help identify problems and suggest solutions. New features should start appearing in tools and plugins in the near future.
Citation
Read the Google Search Center official blog announcement
Welcome to the new Search Console URL Inspection API
