Google Search Console now lets you connect an Instagram, TikTok, X, or YouTube account and see how those posts perform in Google Search and Discover. Here's what the new "platform properties" give you and how to act on the data.

What changed

On July 7, 2026, Google introduced a new Search Console property type called platform properties. Until now, Search Console only reported on websites you own and verify. Platform properties extend it to social and video content: you connect a supported account and Search Console shows how that content performs on Google Search and Discover.

Four platforms are supported at launch:

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • X
  • YouTube

The most notable part: this works even if you don't have a website. Creators and brands whose entire presence is social can now get first-party Google performance data for the first time. It builds on the "social channels in Search Console" experiment Google ran in December 2025, and it's distinct from Search Profiles (launched June 2026), which are shareable public pages rather than an analytics view.

Two reports come with a platform property:

  • Performance report — total clicks, impressions, and related metrics, which you can filter and sort by individual posts and by queries (the search terms that led people to your content). The data is exportable for analysis in other tools.
  • Insights report — a high-level overview of recent traffic trends, your top-performing posts, and how people discover your account on Google.

There's also an Achievements element that tracks milestones — for example, passing a new total-click threshold from Search within a 28-day period. The feature is rolling out gradually over the coming weeks, so it may not appear in your account immediately.

Why it matters for rankings on Google, Bing, and other search engines

Social and video content has always driven Google visibility — Instagram Reels, TikToks, YouTube videos, and X posts routinely appear in Search results and in the Discover feed — but creators had no direct way to measure it. You were stuck inferring Google-driven reach from each platform's own analytics, which don't distinguish Google traffic from in-app discovery.

Platform properties close that gap. Because the Performance report includes clicks and the actual queries (unlike Google's generative-AI report, which shows impressions only), you can finally see which of your posts Google is surfacing, for which searches, and how much traffic that sends. That's actionable: it tells you which topics and formats earn Google visibility so you can make more of what works, and it gives agencies and creators a defensible, first-party number when reporting social performance to clients or stakeholders.

What to do about it

  1. Check whether the feature has reached your account. In Search Console, open the property selector and choose "Add property." If platform properties are available to you, you'll see the option to add a social/video platform. If not, it's still rolling out — check back rather than assuming it's broken.
  2. Connect your accounts. Select the platform (Instagram, TikTok, X, or YouTube) and follow the on-screen instructions to authorize the connection. Add each account you want to measure.
  3. Baseline your data now. Export the Performance report so you have a starting point for clicks, impressions, and top queries. Early data is your benchmark for judging future changes.
  4. Find your Google-winning posts. Sort the Performance report by clicks and impressions to see which specific posts Google surfaces most. Study what they have in common — topic, format, hook, length — and produce more like them.
  5. Mine the query data. Look at the search terms driving people to your content. These are real Google demand signals; use them to shape titles, captions, and topics for upcoming posts.
  6. Use the Insights report for the trend. Check recent traffic patterns and how people discover your account, and watch the Achievements milestones to track momentum over 28-day windows.
  7. Fold it into cross-channel reporting. Combine platform-property data with your website's Search Console data (and Bing Webmaster Tools) for a full picture of how all your content earns search visibility.

Common mistakes / what to avoid

  • Assuming no report means no visibility. The rollout is gradual — not seeing platform properties yet doesn't mean your social content isn't appearing on Google.
  • Ignoring it because you have a website. Even with a strong site, your Reels, TikToks, and videos are a separate Google surface worth measuring on their own.
  • Reading one day as a trend. Look at multi-week movement and the 28-day Achievement windows, not a single spike or dip.
  • Treating platform-property clicks as your platform's total traffic. This measures Google Search and Discover specifically — not in-app views or traffic from other sources.
  • Confusing it with Search Profiles. Search Profiles (June 2026) are public, shareable pages; platform properties are a private analytics view. They solve different problems.

Quick-win checklist

  • Open Search Console and look for "Add property" → social/video platform
  • Connect your Instagram, TikTok, X, and/or YouTube accounts
  • Export a baseline of clicks, impressions, and top queries from the Performance report
  • Identify your highest-click posts and note what they share
  • Pull query data to inform upcoming titles, captions, and topics
  • Review the Insights report for traffic trends and discovery sources
  • Combine with website Search Console (and Bing) data for cross-channel reporting

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