sc-domain vs URL-prefix: which Search Console property should you publish?

When you open Search Console you'll see properties prefixed either with sc-domain: or a full https:// URL. They look similar but count different things — and picking the wrong one to publish can under-report your traffic. Here's the plain-English version.

URL-prefix properties

A URL-prefix property covers exactly one prefix — https://www.example.com/ and https://example.com/ are two separate properties, and neither includes the other's traffic or your subdomains. It's verified per-prefix (HTML tag, file, DNS, or Analytics). If you only verify https://example.com/ but most visitors land on the www version, you'll see a fraction of your real clicks.

Domain properties (sc-domain:)

A domain property covers every subdomain and both protocols — www and bare, http and https, blog., app., all of it — under one roof. It's verified once via DNS. For almost everyone this is the truest single picture of your organic traffic, which is why it's worth setting up.

Which to publish on RealRank

Publish the property that represents your whole site. In practice that's almost always the sc-domain: domain property — it aggregates every entrance to your site, so your momentum and volume reflect all of your organic traffic rather than one subdomain. RealRank handles sc-domain: properties natively and displays a clean hostname for them on the board.

If you only have a URL-prefix property

It still works — RealRank will rank it — but consider adding the domain property too (a single DNS record) so nothing is missed. Once it's verified in Google, it'll appear on your RealRank dashboard ready to publish.

Not sure any of it is safe to connect? We break down the exact read-only permission in what read-only access really means. Otherwise, connect and pick your property.