The guide
Why your site isn’t showing on Google.
Work through the causes in order. Most missing sites have one of a handful of fixable problems.
By Kean Carl Donato · Published
Short answer: a site usually does not show on Google because it is too new, it is blocked (by a noindex tag, robots.txt or a platform setting), Google has not found or chosen to index its pages, or the pages are not useful enough to rank. Start by checking whether the page is indexed at all.
Step 1: check if the page is indexed
Open Google Search Console, add your site, paste a page address into the URL Inspection tool and read the result. It tells you whether the page is on Google and, if not, why. A quick rough check is to search site:yourdomain.com on Google, but Search Console is the reliable source.
Not showing for a keyword is a different problem from not being indexed. If the page is indexed but ranks low, jump to step 7.
Step 2: look for a noindex tag
A tag like <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> tells Google not to keep the page. It is often left over from a staging site. On WordPress, also check Settings, then Reading, and make sure “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is off.
Step 3: check robots.txt
Open yourdomain.com/robots.txt. A line such as Disallow: / under User-agent: * blocks the whole site from crawling. Note that blocking a page in robots.txt stops Google reading it, so Google also cannot see a noindex tag on it. Use one method on purpose, not both by accident.
Step 4: submit a sitemap
An XML sitemap lists the pages you want found. Submit it under Sitemaps in Search Console, and reference it in robots.txt. It helps discovery but does not guarantee indexing.
Step 5: make sure Google can find the pages
Google finds pages mainly by following links. If a page has no links pointing to it, it is hard to discover. Link to every important page from your menu, footer or other pages, using normal links with text. Read about site architecture and internal linking.
Step 6: read the status message
- Discovered, currently not indexed. Google knows the address but has not crawled it yet. Add internal links and be patient.
- Crawled, currently not indexed. Google read the page and chose not to keep it. Improve the page so it is clearly useful and different from others, then request indexing again.
- Duplicate or alternate page with canonical. Google picked a different version as the main one. Check your canonical tags and redirects.
- Blocked by robots.txt or noindex. Fix the rule from steps 2 and 3.
- Soft 404 or server error. The page returns an error or looks empty to Google. Fix the page or the server.
Step 7: improve the page, then request indexing
When the page is fine, use Request Indexing in URL Inspection. Google does not promise to index every page. Indexing is more likely when a page has original, useful content, loads fast on a phone and is linked from other pages. If the page is indexed but ranks low, work on matching what searchers want. See what SEO is and the SEO checklist.
How long does a new site take?
A new site can take days to weeks to be crawled and indexed, and ranking takes longer. If it has been several weeks and Search Console shows problems, fix those first.
Want a second pair of eyes?
An SEO audit checks all of this and gives you a prioritised list. You can also contact me with your site address.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my site not showing up on Google?
Common causes are that the site is new, a noindex tag or robots.txt rule is blocking it, Google has not found the pages, or the pages are not useful enough to be indexed. Check the page in Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool first.
How do I get Google to index my website?
Add the site to Google Search Console, submit an XML sitemap, link to every important page, fix any noindex or robots.txt blocks, and use Request Indexing for key pages. Google does not guarantee indexing.
How do I make Google crawl my site?
Make pages reachable through normal links, submit a sitemap, keep the server fast and error-free, and request indexing for important pages in Search Console. You cannot force Google to crawl on a schedule.
How long does it take Google to index a new site?
Usually days to weeks, sometimes longer. Ranking takes more time than indexing.
What does “Crawled, currently not indexed” mean?
Google visited the page but chose not to add it to its index. Improve the page so it is clearly useful, original and linked from other pages, then request indexing again.
Why can I find my site by name but not by keyword?
Your site is indexed, but it does not yet rank for that keyword. That is a ranking and content problem, not an indexing problem.
Still not showing on Google?
Send me your site address and I will tell you what I would check first.