Property Settings: Integrations, Crawling, Schedule, and Alerts

The Settings page for a property is where you configure everything that affects how BearAudit crawls the site and how it uses external data: name, integrations (Search Console, Analytics), crawling (user agent, headers, JS rendering), extraction, schedule, and alerts. Getting these right ensures your Dashboard, Action plan, Reports, and other pages have accurate, up-to-date data so you can prioritise and fix issues that actually impact traffic and SEO.

Sections and how to use them

General

• Property name — A label for the property (e.g. “Main site”, “Blog”). Used in the sidebar and breadcrumbs. Edit and save so your team can identify the property quickly.

Integrations

• Google Search Console — Connect a GSC site (e.g. https://example.com/ or URL-prefix property). After connecting, the Dashboard, Search Console page, and Action plan can use clicks, impressions, and queries. How to use: Add the same property you care about in GSC; then in BearAudit pick it from the list and save. Refresh or re-crawl to see data.
• Google Analytics — Connect a GA4 property (by property ID). After connecting, the Dashboard, Analytics page, Webpages (sort by views), and Action plan can use sessions, page views, and demographics. How to use: Ensure the GA property matches the site you’re crawling; pick it in Settings and save. Re-crawl or refresh to sync.
• Google account / connection — Some setups use a single Google connection (OAuth) for both GSC and Analytics. Follow the in-app steps to sign in and authorise; then select the correct site/property for this BearAudit property.

Correct integrations are the foundation for “high-impact” prioritisation and for tying crawl data to real traffic and search performance.

Crawling

• User agent — The string the crawler sends. Default is often a standard bot name; you can set a custom one if your server or firewall requires it (see When to use a proxy for crawling if you need more control).
• Headers — Optional HTTP headers (e.g. Authorization, custom API keys). Use when the site requires auth or special headers to return the same content search engines see.
• JavaScript rendering — When enabled, the crawler uses a headless browser so it sees content rendered by JS. Enable for SPAs or pages that depend on JS for main content; leave off for static sites to save time and resources.
• Browser path (when using JS) — Path to Chromium/Chrome if the app can’t find it. Only needed in some environments.

Saving crawl settings applies them to the next crawl. Re-run a crawl after changing these so the stored data reflects the new config.

Extraction

• Extractors — Custom extractors (e.g. for specific meta tags, JSON-LD, or content snippets) can be configured per property. Use them when you need to audit fields that aren’t in the default verifications. Save after editing so future crawls use the new extractors.

Schedule

• Crawl schedule — Enable scheduled crawls and set the interval (e.g. every 7 days). The app will run a crawl automatically so your data stays fresh. Next run (when shown) tells you when the next scheduled crawl is due.
• Why it matters — Regular crawls keep the Dashboard, Verifications, Reports, and Action plan up to date so you don’t act on stale data. More frequent crawls help after big site changes; less frequent may be enough for stable sites.

Alerts

• Alert email — Email address to receive notifications.
• Notify on crawl complete — Get an email when a scheduled (or manual) crawl finishes. Use it to know when to check the Dashboard and Action plan.
• Notify on new broken — Get an email when a new broken link is detected (e.g. compared to the previous crawl). Use it to catch regressions quickly so you don’t leave broken links live for long.

Alerts keep you informed without having to open the app constantly; fixing issues quickly protects traffic and user experience.

Danger zone

• Delete crawl data — Removes all stored crawl data for this property (URLs, verifications, snapshots, etc.) but keeps the property and its settings. Use when you want a completely fresh start (e.g. after a full site redesign). You’ll need to run a new crawl to repopulate data.
• Delete property — Removes the property and all its data and settings. Use only when you’re sure you no longer need this property in BearAudit.

Use the danger zone with care; these actions are usually irreversible.

How Settings help traffic and SEO

• Integrations — Search Console and Analytics drive prioritisation (high-impact pages, queries, traffic). Without them, you’re fixing in the dark; with them, you focus on what moves the needle.
• Crawling — Correct user agent, headers, and JS rendering ensure the crawl sees what users and search engines see, so Verifications and Reports reflect reality.
• Schedule and alerts — Fresh data and quick notification on new broken links or crawl completion help you stay on top of issues and prove progress over time.

Use Settings when you first add a property and again whenever you change domains, add GSC/GA, or need different crawl or alert behaviour. Combine with the Dashboard and Action plan to turn configuration into a repeatable workflow that grows traffic and improves SEO.