Key takeaways
- Indexing means Google has stored your page and can show it in results.
- Connect Search Console, submit a sitemap and link new pages from existing ones.
- Use URL Inspection to request indexing for important pages, but do not spam it.
- If a page will not index, check noindex, robots.txt, canonicals, duplicates and quality.
"Why is my site not on Google?" is one of the most common questions I get as an SEO consultant. The answer is usually one of a handful of fixable causes. If you want the background first, read how search engines work.
What does it mean to be indexed by Google?
Being indexed means Google has crawled your page, processed it and stored it in its index, the database it searches when someone types a query. Only indexed pages can appear in results. Indexing does not guarantee a good position; it only makes the page eligible to show up.
Google explains crawling, indexing and serving as three stages in its guide to how Search works.
How do you get a website indexed by Google?
Add the site to Google Search Console, submit an XML sitemap, make sure every important page is linked from your menu or other pages, and request indexing for key pages with the URL Inspection tool. Then give it time. New sites can take days or weeks; there is no paid shortcut.
- Add and verify your site in Google Search Console.
- Submit your XML sitemap in the Sitemaps report.
- Link each new page from at least one existing, indexed page.
- Inspect the most important URLs and click "Request indexing".
- Check the Page indexing report after a week or two.
Google's guides cover how to build and submit a sitemap and the URL Inspection tool. Links matter because they are how Google discovers pages, as its link best practices explain. My Search Console guide walks through the setup.
How long does Google take to index a page?
There is no fixed time. A page on an established, well-linked site can be indexed within hours or days. A brand-new site with few links can take weeks. Requesting indexing more than once does not speed it up. If a key page is still missing after a few weeks, check for the problems below.
Why is Google not indexing my page?
The usual causes are a noindex tag left on, a robots.txt block, a canonical tag pointing to another page, the page being a near duplicate of another, no internal links pointing to it, or Google judging it not useful enough to index yet. The Page indexing report in Search Console tells you which reason applies.
| Status in Search Console | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Excluded by 'noindex' tag | Remove the noindex if the page should rank |
| Blocked by robots.txt | Check the robots.txt rules |
| Alternate page with proper canonical tag | Google is indexing another URL you named as canonical |
| Duplicate without user-selected canonical | Google sees the page as a copy of another |
| Crawled, currently not indexed | Google saw it but did not index it; improve or merge it |
| Discovered, currently not indexed | Google knows the URL but has not crawled it yet |
The Page indexing report lists these statuses, and Google explains the noindex directive separately. Fixing indexing at scale is part of my technical SEO work, and sitemaps are covered in my XML sitemap guide.
Can every page be indexed?
No, and that is normal. Google does not promise to index every page it finds. Thin pages, near duplicates and pages with little unique value are often left out. If many of your pages are "crawled, currently not indexed", the fix is usually better or fewer pages, not more requests.
If your site is not showing up and you do not know why, I can look in a free 30-minute diagnosis: book it here.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pay Google to be indexed?
No. Indexing is free. Paid ads are a separate product.
How do I check if a page is indexed?
Use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console for an exact answer.
Should I request indexing for every page?
No. Request it for important new or changed pages; the sitemap covers the rest.
Does social media sharing get pages indexed?
It can help Google discover a URL, but links from your own site and a sitemap are more reliable.
Why did a page drop out of the index?
Check for a new noindex, a redirect, a canonical change or duplicate content.
About the author
Juan José Giraldo is an SEO consultant in Medellín, Colombia, with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships at Reunion Marketing, an Inc. 5000 agency, and supervises the SEO of 18 US online stores with more than 3 million products at Prontomowers. Read more · LinkedIn.
Want to see these guides first? Choose JJ SEO Colombia as a preferred source on Google, and my articles are more likely to show up for you in Top Stories.
Follow on GoogleAdd as a preferred sourceSources
- Search Console Help, URL Inspection tool
- Search Console Help, Page indexing report
- Google Search Central, Build and submit a sitemap
- Google Search Central, In-depth guide to how Google Search works
- Google Search Central, Block search indexing with noindex
- Google Search Central, Link best practices for Google