Google for webmasters API: How to impersonate using server to server request?

As of my last update in September 2021, the Google Search Console (formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) API does not support impersonation using server-to-server (also known as service-to-service) requests directly. Impersonation is typically used with Google APIs that support the OAuth 2.0 "delegated authority" flow, which allows one user (the impersonator) to act on behalf of another user (the target user).

However, for server-to-server requests, the OAuth 2.0 flow used is called "Service Account" flow. In this flow, the server or application authenticates itself, and there is no direct impersonation of a user. The service account is associated with a Google Cloud project and has its own credentials (a private key), allowing it to access Google APIs.

To interact with the Google Search Console API using server-to-server requests, you would typically follow these steps:

1. Set up a Google Cloud Project and enable the Google Search Console API: First, you need to create a Google Cloud project and enable the Google Search Console API in the Google Cloud Console.

2. Create a Service Account: In the Google Cloud Console, you will create a Service Account associated with your project. This Service Account will be used to make the server-to-server requests to the Google Search Console API.

3. Download the Service Account Key: When creating the Service Account, you will download a JSON or P12 key file that contains the private key and other credentials for the Service Account.

4. Grant Access in Google Search Console: In the Google Search Console (https://search.google.com/search-console), you need to grant access to the Service Account by adding it as a user with the necessary permissions (e.g., read access to the desired properties).

5. Use the Service Account Key in your Server Code: In your server code, you will use the Service Account key file to authenticate the requests when accessing the Google Search Console API.

Here's a sample code snippet in Python using the Google API Python client library:

pythonCopy code
from googleapiclient.discovery import build
from google.oauth2 import service_account

# Path to the Service Account key file (JSON or P12)
KEY_FILE_PATH = 'path/to/your/service-account-key-file.json'

# Scopes required for the Google Search Console API
SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/webmasters.readonly']

# Create a credentials object using the Service Account key
credentials = service_account.Credentials.from_service_account_file(KEY_FILE_PATH, scopes=SCOPES)

# Build the Google Search Console API service using the credentials
service = build('webmasters', 'v3', credentials=credentials)

# Now you can make API requests using 'service'
# For example, list properties:
properties = service.sites().list().execute()
print(properties)

Please note that you should adapt the code according to the programming language and library you are using. The key steps are to create a Service Account, obtain the Service Account key, and use that key to authenticate the server-to-server requests to the Google Search Console API.

Keep in mind that Google APIs are subject to updates and changes, so always refer to the official documentation for the most up-to-date information on using the Google Search Console API with Service Accounts.