Google Search Console has released a security update around user permissions and controls management where you can better manage the ownership tokens. Ownership tokens are used for when people verify your site in Search Console, Merchant Center and other Google products.
The update will make it easier to manage such access and remove those tokens and permissions when they are no longer needed. Google said- “We are rolling out further improvements to Search Console’s users and permission management, incorporating capabilities related to unused ownership tokens management. We have seen cases where these are accidently left behind after owners have moved on”.
We're rolling out further improvements to Search Console's user and permission management, incorporating capabilities related to unused ownership tokens management. This will improve the accuracy and reflect the actual state of unused ownership tokens. Read more… pic.twitter.com/3YYrqQK2Gc
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) April 16, 2024
Google had earlier in February 2023 has rolled out improvements to the user and permissions management report. The latest changes will improve the accuracy and reflect the actual state of the unused ownership tokens.
How it works?
Here are the steps to take to manage these ownership tokens-
- Visit the Users and Permissions interface
- Click “Unused ownership tokens”
- Choose the tokens you will like to remove and click “Remove”
- Click “Verify Removal” to get update for the unused ownership token.
It is always good to make sure that the right people have the access to your data and Search Console properties and more importantly that the wrong people do not have access to it.
Nir Kalush from Google said-“The update rolled out lets you verify the removal of unused verification token so that the removed owners cannot regain access to the property”.
When removing the previous verified owners make sure to remove all verification tokens for that user. Check your tokens and remove those who should not have access.
