1How to Create a Google Service Account

First, we need to create the Service Account in Google Cloud.

1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com/
2. Create a Project (or select an existing one).
   Click the project dropdown at the top of the screen and click New Project. Name it something like "Agency GSC Access".
3. Enable the Search Console API:
   In the search bar at the top, type Google Search Console API and select it. Click the Enable button.
4. Create the Service Account:
   Go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts using the left-hand navigation menu. Click + CREATE SERVICE ACCOUNT at the top. Name the service account (e.g., agency-gsc-bot) and click Create and Continue. You do not need to assign any roles. Click Done.
5. Generate your Keys:
   You will now see your new Service Account in the list. Note the Email address. Copy this email address; you will need it later. Click on the email address to open the Service Account details. Go to the Keys tab. Click Add Key > Create new key. Choose JSON and click Create. A JSON file will automatically download to your computer. Keep this safe!

2How to Grant the Service Account Access to GSC

Now that you have a Service Account, you need to tell Google Search Console that this account is allowed to read your data.

1. Open https://search.google.com/search-console
2. Select the property (website) you want to connect to Agency from the top-left dropdown.
3. Scroll down the left menu and click Settings.
4. Click on Users and permissions.
5. Click the Add User button in the top right.
6. In the Email address field, paste the Service Account Email you copied in Part 1.
7. Set the Permission level to Restricted (or Full, but Restricted is perfectly fine for Agency as it only needs read access).
8. Click Add.

3How to Add Your Credentials to Agency

Finally, we need to give Agency the keys so it can log in as the Service Account.

1. Open the JSON file you downloaded in Part 1 using any text editor (like Notepad, TextEdit, or VS Code).
2. Copy the entire contents of the file.
3. In Agency, navigate to your Settings or Skills Marketplace page where the Search Console configuration is located.
4. Locate the Service Account JSON field.
5. Paste the full JSON key file content into the box.
6. Under Site URL, enter your Search Console property URL. This must match exactly as shown in GSC (e.g., https://www.hobo-web.co.uk/).

4Security & Privacy

We take the security of your Google Search Console data very seriously. Here is exactly how your credentials are treated:

• Read-Only Access: When Agency connects to Google Search Console on your behalf, it forces a Read-Only scope (https://www.googleapis.com/auth/webmasters.readonly). It is physically impossible for Agency to make changes to your Search Console settings, delete users, or modify your property data.
• Vault Encryption: Your Service Account Private Key is never stored in plain text. It is encrypted at rest using a secure system vault key.
• Safe Extraction: When you paste your Service Account JSON into the settings field, it is parsed securely. The private key never leaks back to the frontend UI once saved.
• Why a Service Account?: Using a Service Account instead of a standard "Sign in with Google" button allows Agency to perform background tasks (like queuing PageSpeed audits when traffic spikes) without your browser needing to be open. It restricts access strictly to the bot.

6How to Navigate the Console

Once your Search Console data is flowing, you can explore it via the tabs at the top of your Console interface.

• Overview (https://thisisagency.ai/console/): Your primary dashboard showing traffic trends, overall clicks, impressions, and algorithm impact analysis.
• Keywords (https://thisisagency.ai/console/keywords/): Explore the top search queries driving traffic to your site.
• Winners / Losers (https://thisisagency.ai/console/winners-losers/): Automatically compares current performance against previous periods to highlight which pages and queries are gaining or losing traction.
• Rank Tracker (https://thisisagency.ai/console/tracker/): Monitor your visibility and average position for specific target keywords over time.
• Performance (https://thisisagency.ai/console/performance/): Automatically pulls your top-trafficked URLs directly from Search Console and sequentially triggers automated PageSpeed Insights scans (Mobile, Desktop, and Accessibility) for them. It consumes 1 credit per scan.
  Talking to Elsa: Because Agency uses "frontend grounding," all the Search Console and Performance data you see in your browser is securely passed to Elsa behind the scenes. You don't need any special commands—just open the chat sidebar and ask her things like, "How is my mobile performance affecting my top keywords?" or "Summarize my Winners & Losers," and she already knows exactly what you're looking at.
• Pages (https://thisisagency.ai/console/url-bank/): A complete inventory of your website's URLs, broken down into sub-tabs:
  • Indexed: URLs successfully indexed by Google.
  • Zero Traffic: URLs that are indexed but currently receive no clicks.
  • Indexation Issues: URLs with technical issues or warnings from Google.
• Connected (https://thisisagency.ai/console/import-clients/): Manage connected properties and client data.
• Settings (https://thisisagency.ai/console/settings/): The setup area where you configure your Service Account credentials and target Site URL.