Why Google is not indexing your website pages
Diagnose why pages aren't indexed using Search Console's Pages report: noindex, canonicals, robots.txt, duplicate content, quality and discovery issues.
A page that isn't indexed can't rank, however good it is. The good news is that Google Search Console usually tells you why. Here's how to read the signals and fix the common causes.
Start with URL Inspection
Paste the page URL into the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. It shows whether the page is indexed, when Google last crawled it, which canonical Google chose and whether crawling or indexing is allowed. Once you've fixed an issue, use "Request indexing" to ask Google to look again.
Read the Pages report
The Pages report groups non-indexed URLs by reason. Some reasons are expected (redirects, intentional noindex). Others need action. These are the ones to understand:
"Excluded by 'noindex' tag"
The page tells Google not to index it. That's often left over from a staging site or set by a plugin setting. Remove the noindex if you want the page found. On WordPress, also check that the "Discourage search engines" setting is off.
"Blocked by robots.txt"
robots.txt prevents Google from crawling the page. Update the rule if the page should be public. Remember that robots.txt controls crawling, not indexing. To keep a page out of results, use noindex and let Google crawl it so it can see the tag.
"Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user" / "Alternate page with proper canonical tag"
Google sees the page as a duplicate of another and indexes that one instead. This is often fine (for example, URL parameter versions). If the wrong version is chosen, make the content clearly distinct, point canonical tags and internal links at the preferred URL and include only that URL in your sitemap.
"Crawled – currently not indexed"
Google crawled the page but decided not to index it, for now. This often points to quality or uniqueness. The page may be thin, very similar to other pages or not clearly useful. Improve the content so it fully answers a specific need, and link to it from relevant pages so its importance is clear.
"Discovered – currently not indexed"
Google knows the URL but hasn't crawled it yet. On small sites this usually clears up with time. If it doesn't, strengthen internal links to the page and make sure it's in your sitemap. On larger sites, lots of low-value URLs can slow crawling of the important ones.
Soft 404s and server errors
A soft 404 is a page that returns a normal response but looks empty or like an error page. Add real content or return a proper 404. Server errors (5xx) mean Google couldn't load the page. Check your hosting and any recent site changes.
Not every page should be indexed
Thank-you pages, admin areas, filtered URLs and near-duplicates are often better left out of the index. Aim for your important pages to be indexed, not every URL that exists.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Google take to index a new page?
It varies from days to weeks. Internal links and a sitemap help Google find new pages sooner.
Does requesting indexing guarantee indexing?
No. It asks Google to recrawl the page, but Google still decides whether to index it.
Why did indexed pages drop?
Common causes include new noindex tags, canonical changes, site migrations, quality reassessment and server errors. Check the Pages report for reasons.
Can robots.txt remove a page from Google?
Not reliably. Use noindex, and allow crawling so Google can see it.
Should every page on my site be indexed?
No. Only pages that are useful as search results should be.