Verify an EmDash site in Google Search Console

Search engines ask you to prove you own a site before showing you its search data. The HTML tag method works well with EmDash: you add one <meta> tag to your home page with Header & Footer Code.

Google Search Console

1. In Google Search Console, add a URL prefix property for your site, for example https://example.com/.

2. Choose the HTML tag verification method and copy the tag. It looks like this:

   <meta name="google-site-verification" content="your-token" />

3. In EmDash, open Header & Footer Code → New snippet and paste the tag.

4. Use these settings:

   Setting	Value
   Name	Search Console verification
   Placement	Head
   Include paths	/

   Google only checks the home page, so including just / keeps the tag off every other page.

5. Save. If you use an edge HTML cache, purge it.

6. Back in Search Console, click Verify.

Caution

Keep the snippet in place after verifying. Google re-checks from time to time, and if the tag is gone, you can lose access to the property.

Note

A Domain property (covering every subdomain and protocol) needs a DNS TXT record instead. You add that at your DNS provider, not in EmDash.

Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing also accepts a meta tag. In Bing Webmaster Tools, add your site, choose HTML Meta Tag, and copy the tag:

<meta name="msvalidate.01" content="your-token" />

Paste it into the same snippet as the Google tag, one tag per line, and save. Then click Verify in Bing.

You can also import a verified site from Google Search Console into Bing, which skips this step.

Submit your sitemap

Once you’re verified, submit your sitemap (often /sitemap-index.xml or /sitemap.xml on an Astro site) in both tools so they find your pages faster.

Common problems

Symptom	Fix
“Verification tag not found”	View the home page source and search for the token. If it’s missing, check the snippet is On, its include path is /, and the layout renders <EmDashHead />. Purge any edge cache.
Tag found but in the <body>	Placement must be Head.
Verified, then lost later	The snippet was deleted or disabled. Check the change log.