Google Search Console Sending Incorrect New Owner Email Notifications
Google Search Console is sending "new owner added" email notifications to verified property owners listing email addresses that do not appear in the Users and permissions section. The issue has been reported on the Google Search Central Community forum, where 63 users have indicated they experienced the same problem.
What is happening
Affected Search Console users are receiving email notifications with the subject line indicating a new owner has been added to their property. The notification includes message type [WNC-627102] and lists an email address as a newly added owner. However, when users check the Users and permissions section in Search Console, the listed email address does not appear, and no new owners are visible.
One user documented receiving these notifications three or four times over several weeks, each time for an unrecognized email address that never appeared in the property's user list after verification. The user double-checked that they were signed into the correct Google account and that the property was properly verified, but found no visible changes in ownership within Search Console.
The notifications follow the standard format for legitimate owner-addition alerts, making them difficult to distinguish from actual security events at first glance. This has led some property owners to initially suspect unauthorized access before discovering the discrepancy between the email notification and the actual user list.
Scope and impact
The notifications are being sent to existing verified owners of Search Console properties. The issue appears to affect multiple properties and accounts. Users have verified they are signed into the correct Google account and that their properties are properly verified, yet the reported new owners remain invisible in the interface.
The false notifications have caused concern among site owners who initially suspected unauthorized access to their Search Console accounts before discovering the listed owners were not actually present.
Context
Search Console normally sends notifications to all verified owners when a new owner is added to a property. This is a standard security feature designed to alert property owners of permission changes. The current issue appears to be a bug in the notification system rather than an actual security breach, as no corresponding changes are visible in the property settings.
The Google Search Central Community thread documenting this issue was first posted in October 2025 and has accumulated 63 upvotes from users reporting the same experience, suggesting this is a recurring or persistent problem.
What has not been confirmed
Google has not publicly acknowledged this specific notification bug or provided a timeline for a fix. It is not clear whether the issue affects all Search Console users or only specific account types, property types, or regions. Google has not explained what is triggering these incorrect notifications or why the listed email addresses do not appear in the user interface.
Users who receive these notifications cannot determine from the available information whether the issue is a temporary glitch, a delayed notification from a past change, or a systemic bug in the notification system.
Sources
- Google Search Central Community thread: https://support.google.com/webmasters/thread/382210064
