You’ve launched your website, spent hours fine-tuning your content, and eagerly searched for your pages on Google—only to find… nothing. Your site isn’t showing up. Frustrating, right?
If your website isn’t indexed, it means Google hasn’t added it to its database, making it impossible for your pages to appear in search results. No indexing = no organic traffic. The good news? Most website indexing issues are fixable—and you don’t need to be an SEO expert to troubleshoot them.
This guide walks you through:
✅ How to check if your website is indexed using free tools like Google Search Console.
✅ Common reasons why your website isn’t being indexed, from technical misconfigurations to content quality issues.
✅ Quick fixes to ensure Google can crawl, index, and rank your site properly.
If you’re struggling with website indexing, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Let’s go through the most common causes and practical solutions to help you get found on Google.
What is Website Indexing (and Why It Matters)?
Website indexing is the process by which Google and other search engines store and organize web pages in their database. If a page isn’t indexed, it won’t appear in search results—no matter how great the content is.
Crawling vs. Indexing vs. Ranking
It’s easy to mix up these terms, so let’s break them down:
- Crawling – Googlebot (Google’s web crawler) discovers new or updated pages.
- Indexing – Google stores and categorizes those pages in its database.
- Ranking – Google decides where to place indexed pages in search results based on relevance and quality.
A page can be crawled but not indexed, meaning Google has seen it but decided not to store it in its database. This is a common problem, and fixing it is key to improving your website’s visibility.
Why Indexing is Essential for SEO
If Google doesn’t index your site, your chances of appearing in search results are zero. Without proper indexing, even the best SEO strategies won’t help. That’s why a website audit is crucial to identify and fix technical SEO issues that may be preventing your site from getting indexed.
Next, we’ll cover how to check whether your pages are indexed and what to do if they aren’t.
How to Check If Your Website Is Indexed
Before fixing an indexing issue, you first need to confirm whether your website is actually indexed. Thankfully, this is easy to do with a few free tools.
Method 1: Use Google Search
The quickest way to check if your website is indexed is by searching in Google:
Type site:yourdomain.com into Google’s search bar.
If Google returns results, that means your site is indexed. If nothing shows up, your site isn’t in Google’s database—meaning you need to take action.
Method 2: Check Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) provides detailed insights into your website’s indexing status. Here’s how to check:
- Go to Google Search Console and select your website.
- Click on “Pages” under the Indexing section.
- Look for the “Why pages aren’t indexed” section—this will highlight issues.
- Use the URL Inspection Tool to check the status of individual pages.
If GSC reports “Crawled – currently not indexed” or “Discovered – currently not indexed,” Google has seen your page but hasn’t added it to search results. This could be due to content quality issues, crawl limitations, or technical restrictions.
Other Signs That Your Website Isn’t Indexed
- Your pages aren’t appearing in search results for even exact-match queries.
- You have no organic traffic from Google.
- Google Search Console shows a high number of “Excluded” pages.
If your site isn’t indexed, don’t panic—there are plenty of quick fixes to help Google recognize and store your pages. In the next section, we’ll explore the most common reasons why indexing fails.
Common Reasons Your Website Isn’t Indexed
If your website isn’t showing up in search results, there’s always a reason. Google doesn’t randomly ignore websites—it just follows the rules set by your site’s configuration, content quality, and technical settings. Below are the most common culprits behind website indexing issues.
1. Noindex Tags Blocking Search Engines
A noindex tag tells Google not to add a page to its index. This is useful for private pages, but if added by mistake, it prevents indexing entirely.
How to check:
- Right-click on your webpage and select View Page Source (or use CTRL + U on Windows / CMD + U on Mac).
- Search for <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”>.
- If you find it on important pages, remove it and request indexing via Google Search Console.
2. Robots.txt File Blocking Googlebot
The robots.txt file controls which parts of your website Googlebot can crawl. If it’s blocking key pages, they won’t be indexed.
How to check:
- Visit yourwebsite.com/robots.txt and look for Disallow: /.
- If your homepage or important pages are listed under Disallow, remove the rule and allow crawling.
3. Crawl Errors or Server Issues
If Googlebot tries to access a page but encounters a 404 (Not Found) or 500 (Server Error), it may skip indexing the page.
How to check:
- Go to Google Search Console > Pages and check for “Not Found” or “Server Errors.”
- Fix broken links and server misconfigurations to ensure Google can properly crawl your site.
4. Your Website Is New (or Recently Updated)
New websites or recently published pages take time to get indexed. Google doesn’t instantly crawl every site—it prioritizes high-authority domains first.
Solution:
- Submit a sitemap to Google Search Console.
- Use the URL Inspection Tool to request indexing.
- Build internal links to the new page to signal its importance.
5. Thin or Duplicate Content
Google often ignores pages with low-quality, duplicate, or auto-generated content. If your content isn’t unique or valuable, Google may choose not to index it.
How to check:
- Search for a section of your page’s text in Google (if multiple sites show the same content, it might be duplicate).
- Improve your content with original insights, clear formatting, and engaging writing.
6. Google Penalties or Manual Actions
In rare cases, Google may de-index a site due to spammy practices, such as keyword stuffing or buying low-quality backlinks.
How to check:
- Go to Google Search Console > Security & Manual Actions > Manual Actions to see if any penalties are applied.
If your website isn’t indexed, identifying the root cause is the first step. In the next section, we’ll cover practical fixes to help Google recognize and store your pages properly.
Quick Fixes to Get Your Website Indexed
Now that you know why your website isn’t indexed, let’s look at the practical steps to fix it. Whether the issue is technical or content-related, these solutions will help search engines recognize and store your pages.
1. Request Indexing in Google Search Console
If your pages aren’t indexed, the fastest way to nudge Google is by manually requesting indexing.
✅ How to do it:
- Go to Google Search Console.
- Enter the page URL in the URL Inspection Tool.
- Click “Request Indexing.”
This doesn’t guarantee instant indexing, but it signals Google to review your page sooner.
2. Submit an Updated Sitemap
A sitemap helps Google understand your website’s structure and discover new pages. If your site lacks a sitemap, indexing may be delayed.
✅ How to submit a sitemap:
- Generate a sitemap using Yoast SEO (WordPress), RankMath, or XML-Sitemaps.com.
- Upload it to yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml.
- In Google Search Console, go to Sitemaps and submit the URL.
3. Improve Internal Linking
Google relies on internal links to discover and index new content. If your page has no internal links, Google might not find it.
✅ How to fix it:
- Link to unindexed pages from existing, high-authority pages.
- Use descriptive anchor text that includes relevant keywords (e.g., check our website audit guide instead of click here).
4. Fix Crawl Errors and Noindex Tags
As covered in Section 3, incorrect robots.txt rules, noindex tags, and server errors can block indexing.
✅ How to check and fix:
- Remove noindex tags from important pages.
- Ensure robots.txt isn’t disallowing Googlebot from crawling key content.
- Fix broken links and server issues (check Google Search Console for errors).
5. Strengthen Content Quality
Google ignores pages with thin, duplicate, or low-value content. If your content is too short or lacks originality, Google may skip indexing it.
✅ How to improve content for indexing:
- Write at least 300+ words of unique, well-structured content per page.
- Answer common search queries related to your topic.
- Use headers (H1, H2, H3), bullet points, and images to improve readability.
6. Build External Links and Social Signals
Google crawls the web by following links. If your website lacks external backlinks or social mentions, it may take longer to get indexed.
✅ How to boost indexing with backlinks:
- Share new pages on social media and forums.
- Get backlinks from trusted websites (guest posts, business listings, or partnerships).
- Submit your site to Google My Business if relevant.
By applying these fixes, you can speed up the indexing process and ensure your website appears in search results. In the next section, we’ll summarize the key takeaways and next steps to keep your site properly indexed.
How to Maintain Indexing and Prevent Future Issues
Once your website is indexed, the work isn’t over. Google continuously updates its database, and pages can drop out of the index if they aren’t maintained properly. This section would cover:
- Regular website audits – Using free tools like Google Search Console to monitor indexation issues.
- Monitoring crawl stats – Checking Googlebot activity to ensure pages are being discovered.
- Keeping content fresh – Updating old pages to prevent them from being removed from the index.
- Avoiding unnecessary noindex tags – Making sure important pages don’t accidentally get blocked.
- Checking for penalties – Staying compliant with Google’s guidelines to prevent de-indexing.
This would give readers ongoing strategies rather than just quick fixes, making your article even more valuable. Would you like me to write this section for you?
Conclusion: Get Your Website Indexed and Found on Google
If your website isn’t showing up in search results, don’t panic—there’s always a reason, and now you know how to fix it. Whether it’s a noindex tag, crawl issue, weak content, or lack of backlinks, you can take practical steps to get your site indexed and visible on Google.
Take action now:
- Check your website’s indexing status using Google Search Console.
- Fix any technical errors, such as noindex tags, robots.txt restrictions, or crawl errors.
- Improve your internal linking and content quality to increase your chances of being indexed.
- Submit your sitemap and request indexing for important pages.
- Keep monitoring your website to prevent future indexing problems.
Want expert help with your website audit?
Indexing issues can be frustrating, especially if you’re not sure where to start. At Algo Digital, we specialize in technical SEO audits to identify and fix the hidden problems preventing your site from ranking. If you’re ready to improve your website’s visibility and get more traffic, we’re here to help.
Contact us today to book a consultation and ensure your website gets the attention it deserves in search results.
