The short answer
What indexing
a website means
Getting a website indexed on Google means getting its pages into Google’s index, the archive Google draws its search results from. Google first finds the page and reads it, then analyzes and stores it, and finally decides whether and where to show it. You can ask Google to index a page with Search Console, but Google guarantees neither crawling nor indexing, and gives no fixed timelines.
Below you’ll find the difference between crawling, indexing and ranking, the procedure in Search Console, the WordPress case and the list of reasons a page does not get indexed. The report and button names are those of Google’s English interface.
How it works
How Google indexing works,
crawling, index and ranking
Google indexing works in three stages, and a page can stop at any of them. Google says so clearly in its documentation, not every page makes it through every stage.
Crawling. Google first has to discover that the page exists. It does this by following links from pages it already knows, reading the sitemaps you submit or visiting addresses it already knows. The program that downloads pages is called Googlebot. A page blocked by robots.txt or behind a login is not crawled.
Indexing. After crawling, Google analyzes text, tags, images and videos, groups pages with similar content and picks the canonical one, the one that can be shown. The information is stored in the index. Google points out that indexing is not guaranteed.
Ranking. When someone searches, Google queries the index and picks the most relevant results. An indexed page may still not appear, or appear low down. That is why getting a website indexed is the starting point and not the result, because being in the index does not mean being first. The work of climbing the results is SEO consulting.
Checking
How to see if your website
is already on Google
The quickest way is to search Google for site: followed by your domain, for example site:yourdomain.com. If results appear, the website is at least partly in the index. Google warns, however, that this search does not necessarily return every indexed URL, so a partial result does not mean the rest is missing.
For a specific page use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. You paste the address into the bar at the top and Google tells you whether “URL is on Google”, “URL is on Google, but has issues” or “URL is not on Google”. Even in the first case Google does not guarantee that the page will appear in the results.
Search Console
Getting a website indexed with Search Console,
step by step
Google Search Console is Google’s tool for seeing how the search engine reads your website and for sending it requests. To get a website indexed on Google, proceed as follows.
1. Add the property. From the property selector choose “+ Add property”. You can choose between two types. A Domain property covers the domain with all its subdomains, over http and https, and can only be verified with a DNS record. A URL-prefix property covers only the addresses that start with the given prefix, protocol included, and has more verification methods.
2. Verify the property. Choose a method and follow the instructions. The available ones include the DNS record, the HTML file, the HTML tag, Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager. Search Console shows data a few days after verification.
3. Submit the sitemap. Open the Sitemaps report, type the address in the “Add a new sitemap” field and press Submit. The status can be Success, Has errors or Couldn’t fetch. If Google can’t download it, it retries for a few days and then stops, so fix the problem and submit it again.
4. Request indexing of the important pages. Paste the page address into the search bar to open URL Inspection. If the page is not on Google you can use “Test live URL” to check that Google can read it, then click “Request indexing”. There is a daily limit on requests, and a page that fails the test cannot be submitted. Sending the same request several times does not make it faster.
5. Check the Page indexing report. You’ll find it in Search Console under Pages, in the Indexing menu. It shows how many pages are indexed and, in the “Why pages aren’t indexed” table, the reason the others are not. If your website is new, check again after a few days and then at intervals of weeks.
Sitemap and robots.txt
Sitemap and robots.txt,
what they are for
The sitemap is a file that lists the website’s pages and helps Google crawl them more efficiently. It mostly helps new websites with few links from outside, large websites and those with a lot of multimedia content. According to Google a website of about 500 pages or fewer, well linked internally, often does not need one. Many CMSs, WordPress included, already generate one. In any case a sitemap does not guarantee that every page will be crawled and indexed.
The robots.txt file tells crawlers which addresses they can visit and is used mainly to avoid overloading the website with requests. It is not a way to keep a page out of Google. To exclude a page you use the noindex tag, and there is a common mistake to avoid. If you block the page in robots.txt, Googlebot can’t read it and doesn’t see the noindex, so the page can still appear in the results. The robots.txt file can also give the address of the sitemap.
WordPress
Getting a WordPress website indexed,
the setting to check
If your website is built with WordPress, the first thing to look at is an option that often stays on after the website is built. Open Settings, then Reading, and look for “Search engine visibility”. If “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is checked, the website asks search engines not to index it. Since WordPress version 5.3 this translates into a robots meta tag with noindex and nofollow in the website’s code.
Uncheck it and save. Then, in Search Console, submit the sitemap and request indexing of the home page with URL Inspection. If you use an SEO plugin, check that it hasn’t set noindex on the pages itself. For a new website you’ll also find the steps in the guide on how to create a website.
Why it is not indexed
Why Google is not indexing
a page on your website
Open the Page indexing report and look at the “Why pages aren’t indexed” table. These are the most frequent causes.
- Excluded by “noindex” tag. The page contains the directive asking Google not to index it, in the meta tag or in the X-Robots-Tag header. If it is not intended, remove it and request a new crawl.
- Blocked by robots.txt. Googlebot can’t visit the page. Change the rule in the robots.txt file.
- Duplicate without user-selected canonical. Google found very similar pages and has no canonical indicated by you. Use rel="canonical" to indicate the version you want shown. It is a hint and Google may choose another page.
- Not found (404) and Server error (5xx). The page doesn’t exist or the server doesn’t respond. If an address has changed, use a redirect. 5xx errors have to be tracked down on the server or the hosting.
- “Crawled - currently not indexed”. Google has read the page and not added it, and it doesn’t always say why. It is better to make the page more useful and more specific and to link it better from the rest of the website, rather than sending the same request again.
- “Discovered - currently not indexed”. Google knows the address and hasn’t crawled it yet. Internal links, the sitemap and a website that responds quickly all help.
- Orphan pages. If no page on the website links to a page, Google only finds it through the sitemap or external links. Link it from the menu or from other relevant pages.
For thin or duplicate content Google gives no numeric threshold, so the rule is to write pages that answer a specific question, with information the others don’t have. If your website has been attacked and spam pages appear, the guide on the hacked website explains what to do.
Timelines
How long it takes
to get indexed
Google doesn’t promise timelines. In its documentation on requesting a recrawl it says it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and in its guide on getting your website on Google that it can take a few weeks for it to notice a new website. For noindex it says Googlebot might take even months to come back to a page.
So nobody can guarantee you a specific day, not even those who do this for a living. You can do the work so that nothing gets in Google’s way, and then check the reports. Requesting indexing ten times doesn’t help, one request is enough.
What helps
How to get a website
to show up on Google
Beyond the procedure in Search Console, Google’s advice for getting found is short and concrete.
- Get links from other websites, without paying for them, because paid links violate Google’s spam policies.
- Use real text on your pages, not just images or video.
- Write useful, reliable content, made for people and not for search engines.
- Have a fast website, easy to use on a phone and served over HTTPS.
- For a local business, claim your Google Business Profile.
If you want to know what is holding your website back, the SEO audit checks indexing, Search Console, structure and content and starts at €500. If instead the problem is climbing the results after being indexed, the route is SEO consulting.
Your website doesn't show up on Google?
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We'll call you back →Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about
getting a website indexed
How long does it take to get a website indexed on Google?
Google gives no guaranteed time. Its documentation says a requested crawl can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks and that it can take a few weeks for Google to notice a new website. Submitting the same request several times does not make it faster.
How do I get a website to show up on Google?
Add the website to Search Console, verify ownership, submit the sitemap and use URL Inspection to request indexing of the most important pages. Then make sure the pages are linked to each other, the content is useful and there are no blocks such as noindex or robots.txt. Google does not guarantee that a page will be indexed.
What does indexing a website mean?
It means getting the website's pages into Google's index, the archive Google draws its search results from. Google first has to crawl the page, then analyze its content and tags and store it. Being indexed is not the same as ranking, meaning appearing in the top results.
Why is Google not indexing my website?
The most common reasons are a noindex tag, a URL blocked by robots.txt, a duplicate page for which Google chose another canonical, 404 or 5xx errors, pages with no internal links and thin content or content similar to other pages. In Search Console the Page indexing report, in the Why pages aren't indexed table, tells you which cause applies to each URL. In WordPress also check that the option that discourages search engines is not turned on.
How do I ask Google to index a page?
Open Search Console, paste the URL into the search bar to open URL Inspection and, if the page can be indexed, click Request indexing. There is a daily limit, the request does not guarantee indexing and it cannot be submitted if the page fails the live URL test.
Do I need a sitemap to get indexed?
Not always. According to Google a small website, around 500 pages or fewer, that is well linked internally usually does not need one. A sitemap helps mostly new websites, large ones or those with a lot of content, but it does not guarantee that the pages will be crawled and indexed.
What is the robots.txt file for?
It tells crawlers which URLs they can visit and is used mainly to avoid overloading the website with requests. It is not a way to keep a page out of Google. To exclude a page you use noindex, and the page must not be blocked by robots.txt, otherwise Google does not see the noindex.
How do I turn off the option that discourages search engines in WordPress?
Go to Settings, then Reading, and uncheck Discourage search engines from indexing this site. It is a request to search engines and since WordPress version 5.3 it adds a robots meta tag with noindex and nofollow to the website. Once you have turned it off, submit the sitemap and request indexing of the important pages.