Understand property matching for URL-prefix and domain properties

Learn how TechDash chooses a verified property for the website.

Last checked 20 August 2026

After Google authorization, TechDash asks Search Console for the properties available to that account. It ignores properties whose permission level is not active, then chooses the first match using fixed rules. You do not choose a property from a list in the current app.

Understanding those rules helps when Google sign-in succeeds but TechDash reports that it cannot find the website.

URL-prefix properties

A Search Console URL-prefix property includes a protocol, hostname, and optional path. Google treats these details as part of the property boundary. For example, https://example.com/ does not cover http://example.com/, and https://www.example.com/ is a different property from https://example.com/.

TechDash matches root URL-prefix properties only. It constructs candidates from the website saved in TechDash:

  1. The exact stored origin, including any port
  2. The same protocol and hostname without a leading www.
  3. The same protocol and hostname with a leading www.

This means a TechDash website saved as https://www.example.com can match either https://www.example.com/ or https://example.com/. It cannot match http://example.com/ because the protocol differs. It also does not match a narrower path property such as https://example.com/shop/, even though that property may contain some monitored pages.

If more than one URL-prefix candidate is available, TechDash prefers the exact stored origin before the www alternative.

Domain properties

Search Console represents a Domain property as sc-domain:example.com. Google Domain properties cover protocols, subdomains, and paths beneath that domain.

TechDash looks specifically for the Domain property of the website's registrable domain. For shop.example.co.uk, that is sc-domain:example.co.uk. It does not select a Domain property for a parent domain, public suffix, or a more specific subdomain.

TechDash checks URL-prefix candidates before checking the Domain property. If the account contains both a matching root URL-prefix property and a matching Domain property, the URL-prefix property is saved.

Permissions and verification

The Search Console API returns a permission level for every listed property. TechDash accepts:

  • siteOwner
  • siteFullUser
  • siteRestrictedUser

You therefore do not have to be the owner if another owner has granted your Google account access. TechDash's error copy refers to verified properties, but the practical requirement is that Search Console lists the property with one of these active permission levels.

TechDash does not verify ownership, add properties, or request access on your behalf. Complete those actions in Search Console.

Check a failed match

If Couldn’t connect Search Console says the hostname is not in the account's properties:

  1. In Search Console, use the property selector to confirm the intended property appears for the same Google account.
  2. Compare the protocol and hostname with the website shown in TechDash.
  3. For a URL-prefix property, confirm it is a root property and includes the correct http:// or https://.
  4. For a Domain property, confirm it is the registrable domain shown in the TechDash error.
  5. Confirm your permission has not been removed.
  6. Select Connect to Google Search Console and authorize the correct account again.

The Connected to Search Console dialog displays the exact property string that was saved. A URL-prefix property includes its protocol and trailing slash. A Domain property begins with sc-domain:.

Why the selected property matters

TechDash sends the saved property string with every Search Analytics and URL Inspection request. Google's URL Inspection API requires the inspected URL to belong to that property. The property also defines the performance dataset used by top-page imports and daily rolling comparisons.

The current UI has no property picker or change-property action after connection. Check the property in the success dialog before relying on imported or scheduled data.

Sources

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