Connect search data and providers
Connect Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster, Cloudflare, PageSpeed Insights, and DataForSEO to SEO, and fix connections that stop syncing.
SEO works without any connections, but connecting your own accounts adds real search data: the searches people use to find you, your positions, your traffic, and your page speed. This guide shows you how to connect each provider and what to do when a connection stops working. It is for the person who manages the website's Google, Bing, or hosting accounts.
Before you begin
- Create your SEO project and set the right domain active. See SEO overview.
- Only connect the providers you'll use. Each is optional.
- You'll need access to the provider account for this website:
- Google Search Console: a Google account that can see the verified property.
- Bing Webmaster: a Microsoft account with the site verified, or a Bing Webmaster API key.
- Cloudflare: permission to create an API token for the website's zone.
- PageSpeed Insights: a Google API key with PageSpeed Insights API access.
- DataForSEO: a DataForSEO account with API access.
- Spacebrain never asks for your Google or Microsoft password. Sign-ins happen on their sites.
Where to find it
Open SEO → Settings → Integrations. The Data connections page groups providers into Search performance, Traffic & site experience, and Research & authority. Each shows a status: Recommended, Included, Available, Action needed, or Connected.
You can also start setup from SEO → Track search → Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster.
Connect Google Search Console
- Select Connect with Google. A Google sign-in window opens.
- Sign in with an account that can access the site, and approve access. Spacebrain asks for read-only Search Console data.
- Back in Spacebrain, under Choose Search Console property, select the Search Console property that matches this project. Only verified properties that match your domain are shown.
- Save your choice.
What you should see: Google Search Console is connected and ready to sync. Open SEO → Track search → Google Search Console and select Sync now.
Spacebrain keeps this connection read-only. Submit or manage sitemaps in Google Search Console itself.
Connect Bing Webmaster
- Select Connect with Microsoft and sign in.
- Choose the Bing verified site for this project.
No Microsoft sign-in? Select Use an API key instead, enter the Verified site URL and Bing Webmaster API key, then select Verify API key.
Once connected, you can use Submit a URL for indexing to ask Bing to crawl a page.
Connect Cloudflare (traffic and bots)
- Select Set up Cloudflare, then Open Cloudflare API Tokens.
- In Cloudflare, create a read-only token with Zone → Zone → Read and Zone → Analytics → Read.
- Paste it into Cloudflare User API token and connect.
The token is checked and stored encrypted. Spacebrain never changes your Cloudflare settings. You'll then see human traffic and known search bots and AI crawlers in Traffic Analytics.
Connect PageSpeed Insights (Core Web Vitals)
- Select Set up PageSpeed Insights.
- Paste a Google API key that has PageSpeed Insights API access, and save.
- Open SEO → Monitor SEO → Core Web Vitals, add important pages under PageSpeed URL on this project domain, and select Run PageSpeed checks.
Checks use your Google API quota. Spacebrain adds no data charge.
Connect DataForSEO (rankings and research)
DataForSEO provides live rankings, keyword ideas, competitors, backlinks, and AI visibility.
- Select Set up DataForSEO.
- Enter your DataForSEO API login and DataForSEO API password. These are the API credentials from your DataForSEO account, not your dashboard password.
- Select Verify and connect.
DataForSEO bills your account directly. Before each request, Spacebrain shows a confirmation with the estimated maximum, for example Confirm provider-charged research. Select Cancel if the scope isn't right. When the run finishes, the actual cost is saved with the result.
Public web graph (included)
Website authority and referring-domain signals from Spacebrain's included public web graph are Included. You don't need to set anything up. These ranks measure how well-linked your domain is on the open web. They aren't Google positions.
Check a connection's health
Each connected provider shows its status and a next step:
| Status | What it means | Button |
|---|---|---|
| Setup required | Not connected yet. | Set up |
| Choose the website property | Google is connected, but no property is picked. | Choose property |
| Ready for the first sync | Connected, no data yet. | Sync now |
| Connection healthy | Working normally. | Sync again |
| Search data is stale | Data hasn't refreshed recently. | Refresh data |
| Connected, but no data was returned | The provider sent nothing for this period. | Try again |
| Only part of the report is available | Some data is missing. | Retry sync |
| The latest sync failed | Access may have expired or changed. | Reconnect |
The card also shows Last successful sync. If a later sync fails, your earlier data stays visible.
If something goes wrong
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your property isn't in the list | Sign in with a Google account that has access to the verified property for this exact domain, or verify the property in Search Console first. |
| Google connection unavailable | Select Reconnect Google account and approve access again. |
| Connection could not be verified. | Recheck the API key, token, or login you pasted. Paste a new one and verify again. |
| DataForSEO rejects your login | Use the API login and API password from DataForSEO's API settings, not your website password. |
| No Core Web Vitals | Add at least one URL on your project domain, then select Run PageSpeed checks. |
| Search Console numbers differ from Google | Compare the same date range and property. Google data can lag by a few days. |
To remove a provider, select Disconnect on its card. You can also remove Spacebrain's access from the provider's own security settings. See connection lifecycle.
FAQ
Can Spacebrain submit my sitemap to Google?
No. The Google connection is read-only. Submit sitemaps in Google Search Console. You can submit individual URLs to Bing with Submit a URL for indexing.
Does Spacebrain charge for DataForSEO data?
No. DataForSEO bills your own account. Spacebrain adds no data charge.
If I delete a domain, are my connections removed?
No. Deleting a domain from SEO leaves your provider connections connected.
Next step
Start tracking rankings and sharing results: Search, research, and reporting.
Next step
Keep moving
Open the relevant Spacebrain screen or contact support if you need help.
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