How to pull clicks and impressions from the Search Console API

Notch Metrics3 min read

Part of Search Console clicks in your MacBook notch

The endpoint

One POST, and everything comes from it.

curl -s -X POST \
  'https://www.googleapis.com/webmasters/v3/sites/sc-domain%3Aexample.com/searchAnalytics/query' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "startDate": "2026-10-01",
    "endDate": "2026-10-07",
    "dimensions": ["date"]
  }'

Every row comes back with all four metrics, so there is no metric list to specify: clicks, impressions, ctr and position are always present.

The site URL in the path

This is where most first attempts fail. The property identifier goes in the URL path and it must be encoded.

Property type Identifier Encoded
Domain sc-domain:example.com sc-domain%3Aexample.com
URL prefix https://example.com/ https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2F

A URL-prefix property keeps its trailing slash, and dropping it returns a 403 that reads like a permissions problem rather than a not-found. Use encodeURIComponent and copy the identifier exactly as the Search Console API's site list returns it.

Dimensions change what a row is

dimensions One row per
[] The whole window, one row total
["date"] Day
["query"] Search term
["page"] URL
["query", "page"] Combination

Omitting dimensions entirely is the right call for a headline figure. It returns a single row with the window's totals and no row limit to worry about.

Why your breakdown does not add up to your total

Two separate reasons, and both surprise people.

Row limits. rowLimit defaults to 1,000 and maxes at 25,000. A site with more queries than that returns the top rows only, so summing them undercounts.

Anonymised queries. Google withholds queries issued by very few people, for privacy. Those clicks exist in the totals and appear in no query breakdown, at any row limit. On a long-tail site the withheld portion can be a third of your traffic.

So a query-dimension sum is always less than or equal to the undimensioned total, and the gap is not a bug to chase. Ask without dimensions when you want the true total.

CTR and position are computed, not summed

ctr is clicks over impressions for that row, and position is the average position over that row's impressions.

Averaging the position values across rows is wrong: it weights a query with ten impressions equally with one that had ten thousand. If you need an overall position, ask for the undimensioned row and let Google compute it.

The lag

Data settles over two to three days. An endDate of today returns a partial figure that will grow.

For a stable series, end your window two or three days back. For a chart that includes today, expect the last points to rise on every refresh, and say so in the interface rather than letting somebody read it as a decline.

Dates are property timezone, and that is Pacific

Search Console buckets by day in Pacific Time regardless of where you or your users are. A daily figure compared against a UTC analytics series will disagree at the edges for every site outside that zone.

Auth

OAuth with https://www.googleapis.com/auth/webmasters.readonly, or a service account granted access to the property. Use sites.list first to get the exact identifier strings rather than constructing them.

In the notch

Notch Metrics calls this endpoint and reports clicks, impressions, CTR and average position in the MacBook notch, daily, weekly or monthly.

The two-to-three-day lag is stated on each page rather than hidden in a drooping chart. Everything Search Console reports, or download Notch Metrics.

  • google-search-console
  • seo
  • api

Questions

What is the Search Console API endpoint for clicks and impressions?
POST to /webmasters/v3/sites/{siteUrl}/searchAnalytics/query. Every row returns all four metrics, so there is no metric list to specify: clicks, impressions, ctr and position are always present.
How do I encode the site URL in the Search Console API path?
With encodeURIComponent, exactly as sites.list returns it. A domain property becomes sc-domain%3Aexample.com and a URL-prefix property keeps its trailing slash. Dropping the slash returns a 403 that reads like a permissions problem.
Why does my Search Console query breakdown not add up to the total?
Two reasons. rowLimit caps rows at 25,000, and Google withholds queries issued by very few people for privacy at any row limit. Ask without dimensions for the true total.
Can I average Search Console position across rows?
No. Each row's position is already averaged over that row's impressions, so averaging rows weights a query with ten impressions equally with one that had ten thousand. Ask for the undimensioned row instead.
Which timezone does Search Console use for daily data?
Pacific Time, regardless of where you or your users are. A daily figure compared against a UTC analytics series will disagree at the edges for every site outside that zone.