Google Search Console Announcements Bar Test

Google Search Console had this new bar at the top of the Search Console interface with announcements. It showed three types of announcements; informational, minor issue and major issue announcements. These showed up in blue, yellow and red respectively.

It is now gone, it was some sort of feature that Google did not want to be visible but if you missed it, here is what it looked like.

Here is a screenshot of them from yesterday when I covered it at Search Engine Land - click on the image to enlarge:

John Mueller from Google said "If anyone else is seeing this in Search Console, this is a test on our side of the notification functionality that shouldn't have been visible externally -- sorry for the confusion." So I guess this was just a test:

If anyone else is seeing this in Search Console, this is a test on our side of the notification functionality that shouldn't have been visible externally -- sorry for the confusion.

For something more calming, check out https://t.co/EIDumbjxqh https://t.co/O9t9RjmMe0

— 🐄 John 🐄 (@JohnMu) December 28, 2021

Here are some of the people who saw it early, around 3pm ET on December 28th:

Search console testing a new feature for the webmasters to resolve issues?@mattcutts @rustybrick @sejournal @sengineland pic.twitter.com/Mlw6rrEM8C

— Onnorokom Manush (@RealOnnorokom) December 28, 2021

Yep, seeing the same thing right now. Weird. "major issue announcement" and others. pic.twitter.com/NppfKkJzcP

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) December 28, 2021

Looks like Google is testing new messaging in Google Search Console. @searchliaison @dannysullivan @rustybrick #GoogleSearchConsole pic.twitter.com/PiZnKzRqKv

— Dan (@danmozgai) December 28, 2021

There are even major announcements also. pic.twitter.com/yLCJXk2wte

— Bill Hartzer (@bhartzer) December 28, 2021

in case you wonder, all your tests work fine. @JohnMu @rustybrick pic.twitter.com/4JfkADWblt

— Onur Ozcan (@oozn) December 28, 2021

Brent Payne made a video of it as well:

I assume this will be used to communicate important announcements to all of us. They do not see to be site specific, but who knows...

Forum discussion at Twitter.