How to check if Google has indexed your website's key pages
Check your most important pages one at a time with Google Search Console's URL Inspection, read what each result means, and give your supplier evidence. Includes a copyable key pages index log.
You search for your business, and the page you expected isn't there. Before you worry about rankings, check something simpler: does Google have the page at all?
This guide is for owners of small service businesses. It shows you how to check your most important pages one at a time with Google Search Console, what each result means, and what evidence to give your web supplier. It includes a key pages index log you can copy.
A check like this won't make Google index a page or improve your rankings. It tells you what Google currently knows about each page, so the right person can fix the right thing.
1. Choose your key pages
Start with a short list of the pages that matter most to your business. For most service businesses that means:
- the home page
- each main service page
- the contact page
- any page customers often arrive on, such as a popular article or a page for an area you cover
You don't need every page on your site to be indexed. Google's Page indexing report help says not to expect every URL on a site to be indexed. Some may be duplicates or contain nothing useful. What matters is that your key pages are.
2. Get access to Search Console
Google Search Console is Google's free tool for checking how it sees your site. Before it shows you anything, someone has to verify that they own the site.
If your web supplier has already set it up, ask them to give you access through your own Google account. Don't share a login. If nobody has set it up, ask whoever manages your website to do it.
You can only inspect pages on a site you have access to in Search Console.
3. Inspect each key page with URL Inspection
The URL Inspection tool is the most reliable way to check a single page. Paste the page's full address into the inspection bar at the top of Search Console. The result at the top tells you where the page stands:
- "URL is on Google". The page is eligible to appear in Google Search. Google says this doesn't guarantee that it will appear, because the tool doesn't check every requirement.
- "URL is on Google, but has issues". As above, but something on the page, such as structured data, has a problem that may stop extra features from showing.
- "URL is not on Google". The page can't appear in Search results. The Page indexing section of the result usually explains why.
Then note two more details:
- Last crawl. This is when Google last visited the page. Everything in the indexed result describes the page as it was at that time.
- Google-selected canonical. When a site has similar pages, Google picks one as the main version and indexes that one. If the page you inspected names a different URL here, write both down. Google says that even if your site states a preferred version, it may choose another.
Indexed result or live test: they answer different questions
The result you see first is the indexed result. It is Google's stored view of the page from its last crawl, and it is what Google uses for search results. Google points out that this is not a live test, and the page may have changed since.
The live test button checks the page as it is right now, to see whether it might be indexable. It is useful after your supplier has fixed something. Keep its limits in mind:
- Google says not all issues can be tested live.
- The live test can't predict which version of a page Google will choose as the main one. Only the indexed result shows that.
- A good live test result does not guarantee the page will appear in Search.
After a fix, you can choose Request indexing, which asks Google to crawl the page. This is optional. Google says it doesn't guarantee the page will be indexed, and there is a daily limit on requests. If many pages need indexing, ask your supplier about submitting a sitemap instead.
4. Decide whether you need the Page indexing report
Search Console also has a Page indexing report covering your whole site. Older Google guides call it "Index coverage". It lists indexed pages and the reasons other pages weren't indexed.
For a small site, you may not need it. Google's help says that if your site has fewer than 500 pages, you probably don't need this report, and suggests checking key pages instead. URL Inspection does that.
If you do open it, remember that "not indexed" isn't necessarily a problem. Google says it's fine for a page not to be indexed for the right reason. Examples include a duplicate, a page deliberately set not to be indexed, or a page you've removed.
5. Use a site: search as a rough cross-check only
You may have seen advice to search Google for site:yourdomain.co.uk. That shows some of the pages Google has indexed. But Google's guide to getting your website on Google says the site: search doesn't necessarily return every indexed URL.
So if a page is missing from a site: search, that doesn't prove it isn't indexed. Check it with URL Inspection before you draw any conclusion.
Also remember that search results vary with the searcher's location, history and other factors. A page that is indexed won't appear in every search, and Google says so in its Page indexing help.
6. Common reasons a key page is missing, and who usually fixes them
The table below is a starting point for a conversation with your supplier, not a diagnosis. The reasons come from Google's own help pages. "Who usually looks at it" is our editorial suggestion.
| What you might see | What it can mean | Who usually looks at it |
|---|---|---|
| "URL is unknown to Google" | Google hasn't seen the page yet | You and your supplier |
| Indexing not allowed ("noindex") | The page tells Google not to index it | Web supplier |
| Blocked by robots.txt | A site file stops Google crawling it | Web supplier |
| A different Google-selected canonical | Google treats it as a duplicate | You and your supplier |
| Crawl or server error | Google couldn't load the page | Web supplier or host |
| Not linked from your site | Google may not find it | You or your supplier |
A few notes on those reasons:
- New pages and sites. Google says it can take a few weeks to notice a new site or changes to an existing one. Check that the page is linked from somewhere sensible on your site.
- Leftover settings. A "noindex" setting is sometimes left in place from when the site was being built.
- Logins and blocks. Google says crawl errors are often caused by a login page or a site that blocks Google.
- Images and video. If a page is mostly images or video, make sure it also has text Google can read.
Avoid shortcuts. Don't pay for links to speed things up: Google says paying for links could be treated as a breach of its spam policies.
If your site was recently redesigned, the indexing checks in our website redesign checklist cover what your supplier should confirm at launch.
7. Record what you find in the key pages index log
Fill in one card for each key page. Write down what Search Console actually shows, with the date you checked. If you didn't check something, write "not checked" rather than guessing.
- Copy the blank card into a document or spreadsheet, one card per page.
- Record the indexed result first, then the live test only if you ran one.
- Copy the issue exactly as Search Console shows it.
- Note who will look at each issue and when you'll check again.
| Field | Your record |
|---|---|
| Page | |
| URL | |
| Indexed result (date checked) | |
| Last crawl date | |
| Live test result (date), if run | |
| Google-selected canonical | |
| Declared canonical, if any | |
| site: cross-check (optional) | |
| Issue shown by Search Console | |
| Who fixes it | |
| Next check |
| Field | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
| Page | Boiler servicing |
| URL | /services/boiler-servicing |
| Indexed result (date checked) | URL is not on Google (checked on the 3rd) |
| Last crawl date | Shown as two weeks earlier |
| Live test result (date), if run | Not run yet |
| Google-selected canonical | None shown, page not indexed |
| Declared canonical, if any | Not checked |
| site: cross-check (optional) | Not checked |
| Issue shown by Search Console | Indexing allowed? No (noindex) |
| Who fixes it | Web supplier: remove noindex if the page should be public |
| Next check | Live test after the supplier confirms the fix |
What to send your supplier
Send the evidence, not just "we're not on Google":
- the completed card for each affected page
- a screenshot of the URL Inspection result, with the date
- the issue exactly as Search Console shows it
- what you've already checked
Never put passwords in the log or in an email. If your supplier needs access to Search Console, give it through their own account.
8. Keep a routine you can stick to
You don't need to check every day. Google says Search Console will email you if it finds new issues on your site. It suggests checking around once a month, and after you change the site's content.
A routine that suits a small business might look like this:
- After any significant change. Inspect the key pages affected, such as after a redesign, a new service page or a changed page address.
- About once a month. Glance at your Search Console emails and re-inspect any key page that had an issue.
Add new key pages to your log as you publish them.
Common questions
How long does it take Google to index a new page?
There's no fixed time. Google says it can take a few weeks to notice a new site or changes to an existing one. Inspect the page, and if it's not on Google, check the reason before doing anything else.
Does "URL is on Google" mean the page will rank?
No. It means the page is eligible to appear. Google says it doesn't guarantee the page will appear in search results, and where a page ranks is a separate question.
Should I request indexing for every page?
No. Request indexing is optional, has a daily limit and doesn't guarantee indexing. Use it for a key page after a fix. For many pages, your supplier can submit a sitemap.
Do I need a sitemap?
Google says pages can be found without one, and that submitting a sitemap may help Google discover your pages. For new or larger sites, Google describes providing one as good practice. Ask your supplier whether your site has one and where it is.
Is it bad if some pages aren't indexed?
Not necessarily. Google says some pages, such as duplicates or pages you've deliberately excluded, shouldn't be indexed. Focus on your key pages.
ScalePass helps service businesses keep their website clear, findable and working. If you'd like help checking your key pages or fixing what you find, see how we approach websites.
In short
Choose a short list of key pages. Inspect each one with URL Inspection and read the indexed result first. Treat the live test as a check after a fix, not a promise. Use site: searches only as a rough cross-check, because absence proves nothing. Record what you find, with dates, and give your supplier the evidence. Check again about monthly and after significant changes.