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Quick answer: Open the Pages report in Google Search Console. It lists pages that aren't indexed and the reason. Fix blocks such as noindex tags or robots.txt first, submit your sitemap, then use URL Inspection to request indexing for key pages.
Common reasons and fixes
| Reason in Search Console | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Excluded by "noindex" tag | The page tells Google not to index it | Remove the tag (often left on after development) |
| Blocked by robots.txt | Crawling is blocked | Edit robots.txt to allow the page |
| Discovered, currently not indexed | Google knows the page but hasn't crawled it yet | Link to it internally, include it in the sitemap, be patient |
| Crawled, currently not indexed | Google crawled it but chose not to index it | Make the page more useful and distinct |
| Duplicate without user-selected canonical | Google sees it as a copy of another page | Merge similar pages or set a canonical tag |
| Page with redirect / Not found (404) | The URL redirects or no longer exists | Update links and the sitemap to the final URL |
Step by step
- Verify the site in Search Console, if you haven't. See the Search Console guide.
- Submit your sitemap.
- Check the Pages report and fix the reasons listed.
- Inspect an important URL, run the live test, then click Request indexing. There is a quota, and indexing isn't guaranteed.
- Wait, then check again in a week or two.
Indexed but not ranking?
That's a different problem. Read why my website isn't showing up.
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