# Google index The Google index is Google’s store of pages it has crawled and decided to keep: the text, images, video, structured data and what each page is about, grouped under one canonical URL. A page not in the index cannot appear in results. A page in the index appears only when it ranks for a query. This page shows where to check your status and what to do on a small site. Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/google-index ## Indexed is not ranking Indexing is eligibility. Ranking is selection and order on a results page. You need both to get traffic. Google keeps one canonical URL per set of duplicates. Variants like tracking parameters or HTTP can be crawled but end up filed under the canonical. Only the canonical is shown as the indexed version. > The index is not the web. Google crawls far more than it keeps. ## Where to see your index status Use Search Console’s Page indexing report for the whole site. It lists URLs as Indexed or Not indexed with the reason. Use the URL Inspection tool for a single URL, for example "/pricing" or "/guides/getting-started". - Check Indexed total versus the number of pages you actually want indexed. If you have 120 live pages and only 40 indexed, you have a problem. - Review Not indexed reasons. Common ones on small sites: Discovered, currently not indexed, Crawled, currently not indexed, Duplicate without user-selected canonical, Excluded by ‘noindex’, Blocked by robots.txt, Soft 404. - Compare the Indexed count with your sitemap count if you submit one. Large gaps mean Google is not keeping many of the URLs you offer. ## How to get a page indexed 1. **Make a single, crawlable canonical URL** Pick one URL. Use a rel=canonical tag that points to it. Redirect variants like http to https, and remove tracking parameters from internal links. 2. **Allow crawling and indexing** Do not block the URL in robots.txt. Do not set a noindex tag or X-Robots-Tag. Return HTTP 200, not 404 or 302 for a permanent page. 3. **Link it from your site** Add at least one internal link from a page that is already indexed. Place it in the main content or navigation so it gets found quickly. 4. **Add it to your XML sitemap** List the canonical URL. Keep the sitemap reachable at /sitemap.xml and submit it in Search Console’s Sitemaps section. 5. **Request indexing after you fix issues** Use the URL Inspection tool’s Request indexing once per page when it is ready. Do not spam requests for unchanged pages. A fixed page looks like this: one clean URL in your nav, indexable, linked from your homepage, present in the sitemap, and passing URL Inspection as “URL is on Google”. ## What to do when key pages are not indexed - If the reason is Discovered, currently not indexed, add stronger internal links and wait. Publish links from pages that already get impressions. - If the reason is Crawled, currently not indexed, improve the page. Thin or templated content often gets dropped. Add unique copy, images and useful detail. - If the reason is Duplicate without user-selected canonical, set the canonical, fix parameters and consolidate with redirects. - If the reason is Excluded by ‘noindex’, remove the tag from pages you want indexed and keep it only on utility pages like /cart or /login. - If the reason is Blocked by robots.txt, allow crawling or move private content behind authentication so it is not public at all. - If it is a Soft 404, add substantial content, fix titles and headings, and return 200 only for real pages. Redirect dead pages to the nearest relevant URL. ## Traps for small sites - Index bloat from faceted URLs or session parameters. Keep them out of links, and canonicalise to the clean version. - Publishing many near-duplicate pages at once. Google will crawl them but keep only one. Merge or prune instead of scaling templates. - Accidental noindex on a template. Check layout files and page builders before you ship. - Thin placeholder pages. Do not ship empty “Coming soon” URLs. Wait until the content is real. - Relying on impressions as proof of indexation. Use the Page indexing report or the URL Inspection tool to be sure. ## Questions ### What is the Google index? It is the store of pages Google has crawled and decided to keep, with one canonical URL per group of duplicates. A page must be in the index to be eligible to appear. Being indexed does not guarantee it will rank for a query. ### How do I get Google to index my site? Make indexable pages that are linked from indexed pages, list them in an XML sitemap, and fix duplicates and noindex blocks. When a page is ready, use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing once. Then let internal links and sitemaps do the work. ### How do I check if my page is indexed? Open Search Console and use the URL Inspection tool for that URL. It will say if the URL is on Google and explain why if not. For a site-wide view, use the Page indexing report to see Indexed and Not indexed counts and reasons. ### Is Google indexing free? Yes. Google crawls and indexes the open web at no charge as of 2026. You cannot pay to be indexed. Ads are separate and do not affect whether a page is kept in the index. ### How long does indexing take? It varies. A small site with clean internal links and a sitemap may see new pages indexed in hours or days. If the site is new or pages are thin, it can take longer. Focus on quality, crawlability and links from pages that already get impressions. ### Why was my page removed from the index? Common reasons are duplication, thin content, soft 404 signals, or a canonical pointing elsewhere. Check the Page indexing report for the exact reason, strengthen the page, and make sure it is the preferred canonical with solid internal links. ## Read next - [How to use Google Search Console in ten minutes a week](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-use-google-search-console): A quick weekly routine: set four filters, compare 28 days, check pages then queries, and fix three findings, without getting lost in noise. - [How to check if a page is indexed by Google](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-check-if-a-page-is-indexed): Use site: search for a quick clue, then confirm with Search Console: URL Inspection for one page and the Page indexing report for the whole site. - [How to use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console](https://porteur.ai/guides/url-inspection-tool): Read each panel, run Test live URL, and know when to request indexing. Fix new pages, dropped pages, and canonicals Google ignores. - [The Sitemaps report: what Success, Has errors and Couldn’t fetch mean](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-console-sitemaps-report): How to submit your sitemap URL, read Success, Has errors and Couldn’t fetch, and fix invalid XML, 404s, cross‑host URLs and missing child sitemaps. - [Indexation](https://porteur.ai/glossary/indexation): Indexation means a page is stored in Google’s index and can appear in search. Here is how to check status, read Page indexing, and fix what blocks it. - [Crawled, currently not indexed: what it means and what to do](https://porteur.ai/guides/crawled-currently-not-indexed): What “Crawled, currently not indexed” means in Search Console, how to tell why it happened on your site, and what to change that gets pages indexed. Paste your homepage URL and get a free check that reads your site, the searches around it and rivals on them in about thirty seconds, with three findings you can act on now. Free check: https://porteur.ai/