How to Check Whether Your Site Is Indexed by Google
A page that isn't indexed can't appear in Google. Here is how to check indexing and fix the common causes.
· 2 min read
For a page to appear in Google's results, it must first be indexed, meaning analyzed and then stored in the engine's index. Here is how to check where you stand.
Method 1: the site: operator
Type site:yoursite.com in Google to see a preview of known pages. For a specific page, type its full address. This method is quick but approximate: the number shown is not exhaustive and doesn't replace a proper diagnosis.
Method 2: URL inspection in Search Console
This is the most reliable method for a given page.
- Paste the URL in the search bar at the top of Google Search Console.
- The result shows whether the URL is on Google, the date of the last crawl, the selected canonical version and any errors.
- The live URL test lets you see how Google reads the page today.
Method 3: the "Page indexing" report
It gives the overview: number of indexed and non-indexed pages, with the reason for each group. The most frequent reasons are for example:
- Excluded by a noindex tag: intentional, or an error to fix.
- Blocked by robots.txt: the bot isn't allowed to crawl the page.
- Page with redirect or not found (404).
- Duplicate: Google selected another URL as the canonical version.
- Discovered or crawled, currently not indexed: Google knows the page but hasn't kept it, often due to perceived lack of value, internal links or crawl resources.
Method 4: the "Sitemaps" report
After submitting your sitemap, you see how many URLs were discovered. A big gap with the number of indexed pages deserves analysis.
What to do if a page isn't indexed
- Check for blockers: noindex, robots.txt, error code, redirect.
- Improve the content: avoid very short, duplicated or pointless pages.
- Add internal links from important pages: an orphan page is hard to discover.
- Check the canonical so that it points to the right URL.
- Request indexing with the URL inspection tool, once the problem is fixed. No need to repeat the request: it doesn't speed up processing.
A few useful clarifications
- A new site can take a few days to a few weeks to be crawled.
- Being indexed doesn't mean ranking well: it's a necessary condition, not a sufficient one.
- Not all pages are meant to be indexed: cart, internal search or thank-you pages can legitimately stay out.
Make a habit of checking the indexing report regularly: it is the simplest way to spot a problem before it costs traffic.