How long does it take Google to crawl and index a new site or page, and can I make Google crawl my site?
How Google finds a new site
Google finds most pages by following links from pages it has already crawled. A brand new site with no links pointing to it gives Google little to follow, which is why new sites often take longer to appear. Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and that requesting a crawl does not guarantee a page will be included in results quickly, or at all.
Before you ask Google to crawl anything, verify your site in Search Console. Only owners and full users of a property can request indexing.
Help Google find your pages through links too. Google's Search Essentials ask you to make sure your links can be crawled, so link your important pages from your home page or main menu using normal links Google can follow.
Ask Google to crawl a few pages
For a handful of new or updated pages, use the URL Inspection tool:
- In Search Console, paste the full URL into the inspection bar at the top of the screen. It must belong to the property you have open.
- Read the result. It shows the version Google last indexed, not the live page.
- Click Test live URL to check that Google can fetch the current page.
- Click Request indexing.
There is a daily limit on inspections and on indexing requests for each property. Requesting the same URL several times will not get it crawled any faster, so ask once and wait. Search Console Help says indexing after a request typically takes a day or so, but can take longer.
Submit a sitemap for many pages
For a new site, a site move or lots of URLs, a sitemap is the better route:
- Create an XML sitemap listing the URLs you want indexed. Many content management systems create one automatically.
- In Search Console, open the Sitemaps report and submit the sitemap URL.
- Add a line such as
Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xmlto your robots.txt file so Google finds it the next time it reads that file. - Check the Sitemaps report later for the last read date and any errors.
Each sitemap is limited to 50MB uncompressed or 50,000 URLs. Split larger lists and submit a sitemap index file. Only use lastmod for real content changes: Google uses it when it is consistently and verifiably accurate. Remember that Google calls a sitemap merely a hint.
Why a page might still not be indexed
If a page is still missing after a few weeks, check the basics. Google's minimum requirements are that Googlebot is not blocked, the page returns an HTTP 200 status code, and the page has indexable content. A page behind a login, blocked in robots.txt, or returning an error will not be indexed.
Also check for a leftover noindex tag, for example from a staging site. Google names noindex as the way to keep a page out of its results, so a forgotten tag will keep the page out.
If URL Inspection says URL is on Google, the page is eligible to appear, but that is not a promise it will show for any search. Search Console Help suggests searching Google for the URL as the final check. For a quick overview, search site:yourdomain.com.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Ask Google to recrawl your URLs (timing, quota, no guarantee)
- Search Console Help: URL Inspection tool (live test, Request indexing, limits)
- Google Search Central: Build and submit a sitemap (limits, lastmod, robots.txt)
- Google Search Essentials: Technical requirements
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide (link discovery, site: search)
- Google Search Essentials (crawlable links)
- Google Search Central: Introduction to robots.txt (noindex to keep pages out)
Frequently asked questions
Why does Search Console say my page is crawled but not indexed?
Crawling and indexing are separate steps. Google can fetch a page and still decide not to index it, and it says it does not guarantee indexing even for pages that meet its technical requirements. Check that the page returns a 200 status code, is not marked noindex, is not a near-duplicate of another URL, and offers something useful that other pages do not.
Does submitting a sitemap get my site indexed?
Not on its own. Google describes submitting a sitemap as merely a hint. It helps Google discover your URLs, especially on new or large sites, but Google may not download it or use it for crawling, and it does not guarantee indexing. Use it alongside good internal links, and check the Sitemaps report for errors after you submit it.