First, check whether Google has indexed your site
Search Google for site:yourdomain.com. If nothing comes back, Google hasn't indexed any of your pages. If some pages appear but not the one you want, the problem is with that page, not the whole site.
For a definitive answer, use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console. It tells you whether a URL is on Google, when Googlebot last crawled it and, if it isn't indexed, the reason why.
Is your website brand new?
A new site usually takes a few days to a few weeks to appear, and Google doesn't promise a timeline. You can speed it up by adding the site to Search Console, submitting your XML sitemap and linking to it from places Google already crawls, such as your social profiles or a business directory listing.
Technical reasons Google can't index your site
- robots.txt blocks Googlebot. A single Disallow: / line stops Google crawling everything. This often happens when a site moves from a staging server to live and the staging rules come with it.
- A noindex tag. Many website builders have a 'discourage search engines' or 'hide from search' setting. In WordPress it's under Settings, Reading. Leave it on and Google is told not to index your pages.
- The wrong canonical tag. If a page's canonical tag points to a different URL, Google indexes that other URL instead. See how to fix canonical tags.
- No XML sitemap. A sitemap tells Google which pages exist. Without one, pages that aren't well linked can be missed. See how to add a sitemap.
- Server errors or a slow server. If your server returns errors or takes seconds to respond, Google crawls less. See fixing slow server response.
- Orphan pages. Pages that no other page links to are hard for Google to find and look unimportant when it does.
- Content hidden behind logins or scripts. Google can't index what it can't see. Content that only loads after a click, or sits behind a login, may never be indexed.
What does 'Discovered, currently not indexed' mean?
Google knows the URL exists, usually from your sitemap or a link, but hasn't crawled it yet. Often Google decided the page wasn't a priority, or held back because crawling more would have overloaded your server.
How to fix it: link to the page from your important pages and menu, make sure your server responds quickly, and keep your sitemap limited to pages you actually want in Google.
What does 'Crawled, currently not indexed' mean?
Google fetched the page and chose not to add it to the index, at least for now. This is usually a judgement about quality or duplication, not a technical error. Thin pages, near-duplicate pages (tag archives, filtered product lists, location pages that only swap the town name) and pages that add nothing new are common causes.
How to fix it: improve or merge thin pages, make sure each page answers something specific that other pages on your site don't, and strengthen internal links. Asking Google to index the page again without changing it rarely helps.
Your site is indexed but doesn't rank
Being indexed and ranking are different things. Search for your exact business name first. If you don't appear even for that, it's an indexing problem or a very new site. If you appear for your name but not for searches like 'plumber in Leeds', it's a ranking problem.
- Give every page a unique title tag that contains the phrase people search for. See how to write title tags.
- Create a dedicated page for each service and each area you serve, rather than listing everything on one page.
- For local searches, set up and complete a Google Business Profile.
- Earn links from local directories, suppliers, partners and press. Links are still one of the strongest signals Google uses.
Did your site suddenly disappear from Google?
If you used to rank and now don't, look at what changed recently. The usual suspects are a redesign or migration that added a noindex tag or changed URLs without redirects, a robots.txt change, an expired domain or SSL certificate, a manual action (check the Manual actions report in Search Console) or a Google core update that re-evaluated your content.
How to get your website on Google, step by step
- Verify your site in Google Search Console.
- Submit your XML sitemap in the Sitemaps report.
- Check robots.txt and remove any noindex tag from pages you want found.
- Inspect your home page URL and click Request indexing.
- Link to your key pages from the home page and main menu.
- Create a Google Business Profile if you serve customers in a local area.
Not sure which of these applies to you? Run a free website audit. Pagelyt checks robots.txt, noindex tags, canonical tags, your sitemap and server response time in one scan.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for a new website to show up on Google?
Usually a few days to a few weeks. Submitting a sitemap in Google Search Console and linking to the site from existing profiles can speed it up, but Google doesn't guarantee a timeline.
Why does my website show on Bing but not on Google?
Each search engine crawls and indexes on its own. Check Google Search Console for Google-specific problems such as crawl errors, a manual action or pages Google chose not to index.
Does paying for Google Ads help my website get indexed?
No. Google Ads and organic search are separate. Advertising doesn't affect whether your pages are indexed or how they rank.
How do I ask Google to index my website?
In Google Search Console, paste the URL into URL Inspection and click Request indexing. That's fine for a few key pages. For a whole site, submit an XML sitemap instead.
Why are my pages 'Crawled, currently not indexed'?
Google fetched them but decided they weren't worth indexing yet, usually because they're thin, very similar to other pages or add little new information. Improving or merging those pages is the fix.