---

name: google-site-identity description: Fix Google Search site name displaying as domain and missing logo/favicon issues. Use when Google shows "example.com" instead of brand name, or when the site logo doesn't render in search results.

Google Site Identity (Site Name & Logo)

This skill documents how to properly configure your website so Google displays your brand name (not domain) and logo in search results.

Common Issues

1. Site name shows as domain - Google displays "example.com" instead of "Example Brand"
2. Logo/favicon doesn't render - Generic icon shown instead of your logo
3. OG image not appearing - Social previews show a blank or default image

Root Causes

Site Name Issue

Google determines site names from multiple signals. Without proper structured data, it defaults to the domain name.

Logo Not Rendering

Most commonly caused by:

• Missing OG image file - Metadata references a file that doesn't exist (404 error)
• Incorrect logo dimensions - Google requires specific sizes
• Missing structured data logo - Organization schema not configured

Solution Overview

Three components must be correctly configured:

1. WebSite Structured Data - Tells Google your preferred site name
2. Organization Structured Data - Provides logo and brand information
3. Open Graph Image - The actual image file in /public folder

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Implementation

1. WebSite Structured Data

Add to your structured data component. The name property is what Google uses for site name:

Copyconst websiteSchema = {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "WebSite",
    "@id": "https://yoursite.com/#website",
    url: "https://yoursite.com",
    name: "Your Brand Name",           // Primary site name
    alternateName: [                   // Variations Google might look for
        "Your Brand Name",
        "YourBrandName",
        "yourbrandname"
    ],
    description: "Your site description.",
    inLanguage: "en-US",               // Required for proper indexing
    publisher: {
        "@id": "https://yoursite.com/#organization"
    },
    potentialAction: {
        "@type": "SearchAction",
        target: {
            "@type": "EntryPoint",
            urlTemplate: "https://yoursite.com/search?q={search_term_string}"
        },
        "query-input": "required name=search_term_string"
    }
};

2. Organization Structured Data

The logo must be properly structured with dimensions:

Copyconst organizationSchema = {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Organization",
    "@id": "https://yoursite.com/#organization",
    name: "Your Brand Name",
    legalName: "Your Brand Name",
    url: "https://yoursite.com",
    logo: {
        "@type": "ImageObject",
        "@id": "https://yoursite.com/#logo",
        url: "https://yoursite.com/logo.png",
        contentUrl: "https://yoursite.com/logo.png",
        width: 512,                    // Must be square, 512x512 recommended
        height: 512,
        caption: "Your Brand Logo"
    },
    image: {
        "@type": "ImageObject",
        url: "https://yoursite.com/logo.png",
        width: 512,
        height: 512
    },
    description: "Your organization description.",
    // ... other organization properties
};

3. Next.js Metadata Configuration

In your layout.tsx, ensure the OG image file actually exists:

Copyexport const metadata: Metadata = {
    metadataBase: new URL('https://yoursite.com'),
    title: {
        default: "Your Brand Name | Tagline",
        template: "%s | Your Brand Name",
    },
    applicationName: "Your Brand Name",
    description: "Your site description.",
    openGraph: {
        type: "website",
        locale: "en_US",
        url: "https://yoursite.com",
        siteName: "Your Brand Name",
        title: "Your Brand Name | Tagline",
        description: "Your site description.",
        images: ["/og-image.png"],     // MUST exist in /public folder!
    },
    icons: {
        icon: [
            { url: '/favicon.ico' },
            { url: '/favicon-96x96.png', sizes: '96x96', type: 'image/png' },
        ],
        shortcut: '/favicon.ico',
        apple: '/apple-touch-icon.png',
    },
    manifest: '/site.webmanifest',
    appleWebApp: {
        title: 'Your Brand Name',
    },
};

4. Required Files in /public

Ensure these files exist:

Copypublic/
├── og-image.png          # 1200x630px - Social preview image
├── logo.png              # 512x512px - Square logo for structured data
├── favicon.ico           # Multi-size favicon
├── favicon-96x96.png     # 96x96px favicon
├── apple-touch-icon.png  # 180x180px Apple touch icon
└── site.webmanifest      # PWA manifest with name property

5. Web Manifest

The site.webmanifest should include your brand name:

Copy{
    "name": "Your Brand Name",
    "short_name": "BrandName",
    "icons": [
        {
            "src": "/web-app-manifest-192x192.png",
            "sizes": "192x192",
            "type": "image/png",
            "purpose": "maskable"
        },
        {
            "src": "/web-app-manifest-512x512.png",
            "sizes": "512x512",
            "type": "image/png",
            "purpose": "maskable"
        }
    ],
    "theme_color": "#1a0a2e",
    "background_color": "#1a0a2e",
    "display": "standalone"
}

---

Troubleshooting Checklist

Site Name Still Shows Domain

• WebSite structured data has name property set
• alternateName includes variations of your brand
• inLanguage property is set
• Structured data is on the homepage (root URL)
• Wait 2-7 days after deploying for Google to recrawl

Logo Still Not Rendering

• Verify file exists: Check that /public/og-image.png exists
• Check for 404s: Visit https://yoursite.com/og-image.png directly
• Logo dimensions are correct (512x512 for logo, 1200x630 for OG image)
• Organization schema has proper logo ImageObject structure
• Request reindexing in Google Search Console

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Validation Tools

1. Google Rich Results Test: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
2. Schema.org Validator: https://validator.schema.org/
3. Facebook Sharing Debugger: https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/
4. Twitter Card Validator: https://cards-dev.twitter.com/validator

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After Deploying

1. Request Reindexing in Google Search Console:

   • Go to URL Inspection
   • Enter your homepage URL
   • Click "Request Indexing"

2. Clear social media caches:

   • Use Facebook Sharing Debugger to scrape new info
   • Use Twitter Card Validator

3. Wait time: Google typically takes 2-7 days to update site name and logo in search results

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Reference

• Google Site Name Documentation
• Google Logo Documentation
• Schema.org WebSite
• Schema.org Organization