{"id":22910,"date":"2026-08-30T09:30:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T07:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/?post_type=docs&p=22910"},"modified":"2026-08-30T09:30:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T07:30:45","password":"","slug":"google-is-not-indexing-website","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/hilfe\/seo-monitoring\/google-indexiert-website-nicht\/","title":{"rendered":"Google is not indexing my website: Check causes"},"content":{"rendered":"

You have published a new page, but it doesn't appear on Google? Or a previously indexed page is suddenly no longer findable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then you shouldn't immediately assume that Google has \u201epenalized\u201c your website. There are several technical steps between publishing a page and its inclusion in the Google index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google must first discover a URL, be able to crawl it, process its content, and then decide whether and under which URL the content will be indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, we will show you how to systematically figure out why an important page is not indexed and which causes actually need to be fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Briefly explained:<\/strong> \u201eNot indexed does not automatically mean an error. The crucial factor is whether the URL in question belongs in the Google index at all. For example, a redirect, an intentionally removed page, or a duplicate should normally not be indexed additionally as a separate URL.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What does \u201eindexed\u201c mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Google indexes a web page, its content has been processed and the page added to the Google index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An indexed page can generally appear in Google search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, that does not mean that it ranks for every search query or receives any significant search traffic at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Page published\n        \u2193\nGoogle discovers URL\n        \u2193\nGoogle crawls URL\n        \u2193\nGoogle processes content\n        \u2193\nIndexing decision\n        \u2193\nPage can end up in the Google index\n        \u2193\nPage can appear for matching search queries<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Differentiate between crawling, indexing, and ranking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
These three terms are often confused with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Term<\/th>Meaning<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Crawling<\/strong><\/td>Google fetches a URL or resource<\/td><\/tr>
Indexing<\/strong><\/td>Google processes the content and can include it in the search index<\/td><\/tr>
Ranking<\/strong><\/td>Google decides whether and in what position indexed content appears for a specific search query<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
A page can therefore be crawled, but not indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And an indexed page can appear so far down for a specific search query that you can barely find it in a manual search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201eI can't find my site on Google\u201c doesn't automatically mean \u201enot indexed\u201c<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you cannot find your page for a specific keyword, it can still be present in the Google index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem can then be the ranking and not the indexing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, you should not judge the indexing status of a specific URL based solely on a normal Google search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check the indexing status with the URL inspection tool<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Open your property in Google Search Console and use the URL inspection tool at the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enter the full URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/example.com\/ratgeber\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The Search Console will then show you information about how Google treats this URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven't set up the Search Console yet, you can find the instructions at Set up Google Search Console and verify website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
URL inspection and page indexing report fulfill different tasks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The URL inspection is particularly important for a single concrete URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The page indexing report, on the other hand, provides an overview of which known URLs have been indexed or the reasons why they have not been indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inspect a specific URL\n\u2192 URL inspection\n\nInspect the entire website\n\u2192 Page indexing report<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Not every URL of your website needs to be indexed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The goal of a website should not be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
100 % of all known URLs must be indexed.<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many websites generate URLs that Google is aware of, but which are not needed as independent search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may include, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Duplicates\n\nRedirect URLs\n\nspecific filter URLs\n\ninternal search pages\n\nintentionally excluded pages\n\nremoved content\n\ntechnical URLs<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
What is much more important is that your relevant canonical pages<\/strong> are indexable and can be meaningfully processed by Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Basic rule:<\/strong> Do not simply examine the number of \u201eunindexed pages.\u201c First, check whether there are URLs among them that should actually appear in Google.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The most important causes of missing indexing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If an important URL is not indexed, there are various potential causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the most common are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google doesn't know the URL yet\nURL discovered, but not crawled yet\nURL crawled, but not currently indexed\nnoindex tag\nBlocked by robots.txt\nURL is a redirect\nCanonical points to another URL\nGoogle selected a different canonical URL\n404 or Soft 404\nServer error\nAccess denied\nDuplicate\nInsufficient internal linking<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The correct solution depends on which of these cases actually applies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 1: Google doesn't know the URL yet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
With a new page, it can happen that Google hasn't discovered the URL yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google can discover new URLs via internal and external links and XML sitemaps, among other methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a new page is neither sensibly internally linked nor included in a sitemap, its discovery can be made more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Effectively internally linking new pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An important page should not exist in isolation on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should be accessible via a traceable page structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Home\n   \u2193\nCategory\n   \u2193\nTopic page\n   \u2193\nNew article<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Internal links not only help visitors with navigation, but also search engines in discovering and categorizing your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check XML sitemap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An XML sitemap can communicate important URLs of your website to Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check therefore whether the URL in question is included in the correct sitemap and whether Google can access this sitemap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We explain how sitemaps work and how to submit them in Search Console at XML Sitemap: What it does and how to submit it to Google<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Important:<\/strong> Submitting a URL in an XML sitemap does not guarantee indexing. The sitemap primarily helps Google discover URLs and obtain information about them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Case 2: \u201eDiscovered \u2013 currently not indexed\u201c<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Simply put, this status means that Google knows the URL but hasn't crawled it yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, the page cannot be indexed at this time based on its retrieved content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With individual new URLs, simply patience may be required at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If, on the other hand, a large number of important pages remain in this state permanently, you should examine the website structure more closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What should you check under \u201eDiscovered \u2013 currently not indexed\u201c?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For important pages, the following questions are particularly useful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is the page new?\n\nIs it internally linked?\n\nIs it included in the XML sitemap?\n\nIs it publicly accessible?\n\nAre there very many unnecessary URLs?\n\nIs the site structure comprehensible?\n\nCan Google reliably access the website?<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The exact cause cannot be deduced solely from the status designation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 3: Crawled \u2013 currently not indexed\u201e<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This status means that Google has already crawled the URL, but is not currently indexing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is something different than \u201eDiscovered \u2013 currently not indexed\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Discovered \u2013 currently not indexed\n\nGoogle knows URL\n        \u2193\nnot crawled yet\n\n\nCrawled \u2013 currently not indexed\n\nGoogle knows URL\n        \u2193\nGoogle has crawled URL\n        \u2193\ncurrently not indexed<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
\u201eCrawl \u2013 currently not indexed is not a clear quality diagnosis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It would be wrong to automatically equate this status with \u201ebad content\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google simply hasn't indexed the page at the present time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, in the case of an important URL, you should first examine the entire technical and content situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check among other things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is the page actually independent?\n\nDoes it heavily overlap with other pages?\n\nIs it logically linked internally?\n\nIs it relevant to users?\n\nIs the main content complete?\n\nAre there any technical issues?\n\nWhich canonical URL does Google recognize?<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
\n
Important:<\/strong> Do not react to Crawled - currently not indexed with frantic text changes or constant resubmissions. First, it should be clarified whether the page even makes sense technically and content-wise as an independent index URL.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Case 4: The page contains noindex<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
With a noindex<\/code>- instruction can be given to a search engine that a page should not appear in the search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An appropriate HTML instruction could look like this, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex\"><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
If Google sees this instruction during crawling, the page should not be indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accidental noindex in WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In WordPress, especially after development or relaunch work, you should check whether the website has been accidentally excluded from search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even SEO plugins can have settings with which individual content types or pages can noindex<\/code> be set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, check both the general WordPress settings and the settings of the SEO plugin used for an affected URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not remove noindex if it was set intentionally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If a page is intentionally not supposed to appear in Google, the status \u201eexcluded by noindex\u201c is not an error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may be desirable, for example, for certain internal or technically required pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remove noindex<\/code> only if the URL in question is actually to be indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 5: robots.txt blocks Google<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A robots.txt<\/code>-file can prevent search engines from crawling certain URLs or sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
User-agent: *\nDisallow: \/privater-bereich\/<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
If an important public page is accidentally blocked by such a rule, Google cannot crawl its content normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We explain how the file works at Robots.txt Explained: Controlling Search Engine Crawlers Properly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
robots.txt and noindex are not the same<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This difference is particularly important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
robots.txt\n\u2192 controls crawling\n\nnoindex\n\u2192 controls indexing<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
When Google, due to a robots.txt<\/code> cannot crawl, Google can also noindex<\/code>-Do not read the instructions in the HTML of this page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A robots.txt<\/code>-Blocking is therefore not the correct standard method to reliably keep an already known URL out of the search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can a URL blocked by robots.txt still appear on Google?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Under certain circumstances, Google can index a known URL even if its content is due to a robots.txt<\/code>-rule must not be crawled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google might know the URL, for example, through links from other pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The search result may then contain only limited information because Google was unable to retrieve the actual page content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Note:<\/strong> If you want to exclude a page from the Google index, a purely robots.txt<\/code>-Block is not the same as noindex<\/code>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Case 6: The URL redirects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When a URL permanently or temporarily redirects to another URL, the goal is usually not to additionally index the redirect URL as an independent content page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/example.com\/alter-artikel\/\n\n        \u2193 301\n\nhttps:\/\/example.com\/neuer-artikel\/<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
In this case, you should primarily examine the indexing status of the target URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We explain how to set up permanent redirects at Set up a 301 redirect: Permanently redirect URLs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Redirection errors can cause indexing issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Not every redirect works correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, problematic issues can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Redirect loops\ntoo long redirect chains\nbroken destination URLs\nredirects to unreachable pages<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, if Google reports a redirect error, you should check the complete redirect chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 7: Canonical points to a different URL<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A canonical tag can be used to indicate which URL should be considered the preferred version in the case of very similar or duplicate content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<link\n  rel=\"canonical\"\n  href=\"https:\/\/example.com\/original\/\"\n><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
If a page points to a different URL as the canonical version, it can be completely intentional that the current URL is not indexed separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does canonical URL mean?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If the same or very similar content is accessible via multiple URLs, Google tries to determine a representative URL for this content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is called a canonical URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, technical variants could arise such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/example.com\/produkt\/\n\nhttps:\/\/example.com\/produkt\/?farbe=rot\n\nhttps:\/\/example.com\/produkt\/?sortierung=preis<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Whether such URLs are actually duplicates depends on the specific content and system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
User-declared and Google-selected canonical URL<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In the URL inspection, you may encounter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
User-declared canonical URL\n\nGoogle selected a different canonical URL<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
A canonical tag is a strong signal, but Google can determine a different URL as the canonical version based on various signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, if Google selects an unexpected URL, you should check the totality of the signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watch out for contradictory signals in canonical issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Check, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canonical Tag\n\ninternal links\n\nredirects\n\nXML sitemap\n\nHTTP\/HTTPS variants\n\nwww\/non-www variants\n\ncontent similarity of pages<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
When different signals point to different URLs, this complicates a clear interpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Self-Canonical for regular content pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On a standalone indexable page, the canonical tag frequently points to its own preferred URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Page:\n\nhttps:\/\/example.com\/ratgeber\/\n\n\nCanonical:\n\nhttps:\/\/example.com\/ratgeber\/<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This is often referred to as self-canonical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canonical is not a redirect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A canonical tag and an HTTP redirect serve different purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
301 redirect\n\u2192 Browser and search engine\n  are redirected to another URL\n\n\nrel=\"canonical\"\n\u2192 Page remains accessible\n\u2192 Signals preferred URL\n  for similar \/ duplicate content<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, do not simply use a canonical tag as a substitute for a necessary redirect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 8: Google recognizes a duplicate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Several very similar or identical URLs do not all need to be indexed separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google can group such pages and select a canonical version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Duplicates can occur, for example, through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
URL parameters\n\nFilters\n\nSort options\n\nPrint versions\n\nTechnical variants\n\nMultiple accessible URL versions<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, the fact that a duplicate URL is not indexed separately can be precisely the desired behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similar content is not automatically problematic duplicates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Two pages may touch upon the same topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It becomes problematic rather when multiple URLs serve practically the same purpose and have hardly any independent added value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then you should check whether several indexable pages are really necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 9: 404 \u2013 Page does not exist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If a URL no longer exists and has no meaningful replacement, an HTTP status 404 Not Found<\/code> be completely correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such a URL should normally not remain as an existing content page in the Google index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 404 is particularly problematic when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
the page should actually exist\n\ninternal links point to it\n\nit is still in the sitemap\n\nthe URL was accidentally changed\n\na relevant old URL\nhas a suitable successor<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
We cover the complete diagnosis under Find and fix 404 errors<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fall 10: Soft 404<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
With a soft 404, a URL may technically return a successful HTTP status, but content-wise it appears to Google like a non-existent or useless page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A typical problematic principle would be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HTTP status:\n\n200 OK\n\n\nvisible content:\n\n\"This page was not found.\"<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
For a page that does not actually exist, the server should normally return an appropriate error status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Empty or barely usable pages can also be problematic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A soft 404 issue does not always have to contain a classic \u201epage not found\u201c message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
URLs whose actual expected content is missing and that provide hardly any useful information can also be interpreted accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, check whether the page actually provides the visitor with the content that its URL and purpose lead them to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 11: Server error<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If Google receives a server error when fetching a page, the URL cannot be processed normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typical HTTP status codes from this range are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
500 Internal Server Error\n\n502 Bad Gateway\n\n503 Service Unavailable\n\n504 Gateway Timeout<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
When such errors occur on important pages, you should investigate the technical cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We explain the meaning of the most important status codes at HTTP status codes explained: 200, 301, 404, 403, and 500<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Differentiate between temporary and permanent server issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A single short-term error does not automatically mean that a URL will permanently disappear from Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, recurring or prolonged server issues can significantly impact crawling and indexing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your website is regularly down, you should investigate not only Search Console, but also the actual availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 12: Access to the page is protected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A page that can only be accessed after logging in cannot be crawled and indexed by Google like a normal publicly accessible website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This affects, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
password-protected areas\n\ninternal customer areas\n\nstaging websites with access protection\n\ncontent behind a login<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
For such pages, the lack of indexing can be completely intentional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Staging websites should not be indexed accidentally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A development or staging website should normally not appear as a competitor to the production website in Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Real access protection is particularly useful for non-public development environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prior to the go-live, it must then be ensured that the productive website is publicly accessible and indexable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typical relaunch mistake: noindex remains active<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
During website development, indexing is often intentionally prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During go-live, it can then be forgotten to remove this block on the production website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, after a relaunch, you should definitely check:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
noindex\n\nrobots.txt\n\nCanonical\n\nRedirects\n\nHTTP Status\n\nXML Sitemap\n\ninternal links<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Case 13: The URL returns an unusual HTTP status<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A page that is to be indexed should normally be successful and accessible to Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, check the actual HTTP status of the URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A page may appear to work in the browser and still react in technically unexpected ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
200 \u2192 successful response\n\n301 \u2192 permanent redirection\n\n403 \u2192 access denied\n\n404 \u2192 not found\n\n500 \u2192 server error<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
You can find a detailed explanation under HTTP status codes explained: 200, 301, 404, 403, and 500<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 14: The page has insufficient internal linking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An important page should not only be accessible via its sitemap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meaningful internal linking helps integrate the page into the website's information architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If an article is only accessible via its direct URL and is not linked anywhere in a meaningful way, you should check whether it is actually sufficiently integrated into the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internal links should be thematically relevant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It's not about putting as many internal links as possible on every page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A link should help visitors find the next topically relevant piece of content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A clear structure is more valuable than artificial link volumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Case 15: Content and search intent overlap strongly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When several of your own pages answer practically the same question, it can become unclear which of them should be the central page for the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\/speed-up-wordpress\/\n\n\/accelerate-wordpress\/\n\n\/improve-wordpress-loading-time\/<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
If all three pages have almost the same content and search intent, it should be checked whether three independent pages are really necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More pages do not automatically mean more visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not define thin content with a specific word count<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There is no general minimum word count from which Google automatically indexes a page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A short page can be completely sufficient for a clearly defined question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A very long page, on the other hand, can offer little independent value despite thousands of words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, what is crucial is not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many words are on the page?<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or rather:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does the page fulfill its purpose for the visitor?<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indexing cannot be forced<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Even if a page is technically accessible without issues, indexable, and included in the sitemap, there is no guarantee that Google will index it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google decides for itself which content is included in the index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, the task of the website operator is to eliminate technical obstacles and provide relevant, original, and easily accessible content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Important:<\/strong> \u201eRequesting indexing does not mean forcing indexing. This gives Google a request for re-examination or crawling, but no obligation to include it in the index.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
When should you use \u201eRequest indexing\u201c?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The function in the URL inspection can be useful if, for example, you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
published an important new page\n\nsignificantly revised a relevant page\n\nfixed a technical indexing error\n\nremoved an accidental noindex tag<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Then you can notify Google of the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not request reindexing constantly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If a page is not indexed immediately after a request, it usually does no good to use the function over and over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, check whether a technical or structural problem still exists and then give Google time to reprocess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Test Live URL<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
URL inspection can perform a live test of the current URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is especially helpful if you have since fixed an error, but Search Console still shows data from the previous crawl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google crawled page earlier\n        \u2193\nnoindex was active back then\n        \u2193\nyou remove noindex\n        \u2193\nold report still shows old state\n        \u2193\nTest Live URL\n        \u2193\ncheck current state<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Please note, however, that a successful live test does not automatically mean that the page will subsequently be indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is the report still showing an old error?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Search Console reports do not always immediately reflect the current state of a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you fixed an error only after Google's last crawl, the report may still show the previous state at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, check the date of the last crawl and compare it with the time of your change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google takes time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
New or modified pages are not necessarily reprocessed immediately after publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How quickly Google revises a URL depends on various factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A firm commitment like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google indexes every new page within 24 hours.<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
would therefore be wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the case of important changes, you should provide the URL in a technically correct manner and then monitor further development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sitemap is not a queue for Google<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A common misconception is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
URL in Sitemap = Google must index it.<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is not true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A sitemap is a tool for URL discovery and provides Google with additional information. The actual indexing decision remains separate from this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What should you check for a new website?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If a completely new website is barely appearing on Google yet, proceed in a structured manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Website publicly accessible?\n\nSearch Console set up?\n\nDomain correctly verified?\n\nHomepage indexable?\n\nnoindex removed?\n\nrobots.txt correct?\n\nXML sitemap reachable?\n\nImportant pages internally linked?\n\nHTTP status correct?\n\nCanonical plausible?\n\nSitemap submitted to Google?<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Start with the home page and the most important pages instead of examining every technically generated URL immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What should you check in the case of a single missing page?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If only one specific important page is missing, the diagnosis is narrower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open URL inspection\n        \u2193\nDoes Google know the URL?\n        \u2193\nLast crawl?\n        \u2193\nHTTP status?\n        \u2193\nIndexing allowed?\n        \u2193\nrobots.txt?\n        \u2193\nCanonical?\n        \u2193\nRedirect?\n        \u2193\nSitemap?\n        \u2193\nInternal links?\n        \u2193\nDuplicate \/ overlap?\n        \u2193\nContent actually unique?<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
What should you check if many pages suddenly disappear?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If not just one URL, but many previously indexed pages are affected at the same time, you should first look for a common cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WordPress setting changed\nSEO plugin configuration changed\nnoindex set for entire content type\nrobots.txt changed\nDomain or URL structure changed\nRedirects faulty\nCanonical configuration changed\nServer issues\nRelaunch performed<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
A sudden change in many URLs points more to a common technical or structural event than to many independent individual problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check particularly carefully after a relaunch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
During a relaunch, URL structures, internal links, canonicals, sitemaps, and technical settings can all change simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, check in particular after going live:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
important old URLs\n301 redirects\nnew target URLs\n404 errors\nnoindex\nrobots.txt\ncanonical\nXML sitemap\ninternal links\nSearch Console reports<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Do not redirect all old URLs to the homepage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If old pages have been removed or moved, you should redirect relevant old URLs to the most appropriate new content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A blanket redirection of all no longer existing URLs to the homepage is not a clean solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there is no meaningful replacement, a correct 404 status may be more appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prioritize indexing issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For larger websites, a very large number of unindexed URLs can appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, do not simply work through the longest list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prioritize:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Homepage\n\n2. important service or product pages\n\n3. central categories\n\n4. important guides and articles\n\n5. other strategically relevant pages\n\n6. technical and unimportant URLs\n   check only if necessary<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This is how you focus your work on URLs whose indexing actually matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A diagnostic example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Assuming the following page is supposed to appear on Google:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/example.com\/wordpress-hosting\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
However, the URL inspection shows that it is not indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A sensible sequence would be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Live URL accessible?\n   \u2192 yes\n\n2. HTTP status?\n   \u2192 200\n\n3. noindex?\n   \u2192 no\n\n4. robots.txt blocked?\n   \u2192 no\n\n5. Canonical?\n   \u2192 own URL\n\n6. Redirect?\n   \u2192 no\n\n7. Sitemap?\n   \u2192 included\n\n8. internal links?\n   \u2192 present\n\n9. already crawled by Google?\n   \u2192 yes\n\n10. Status?\n    \u2192 Crawled - currently not indexed<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
In this case, an obvious technical blocking error would not be recognizable at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then you should check more closely whether the page has a clear independent purpose, how it differs from similar pages, and how it is integrated within the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A second diagnostic example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
URL should be indexed\n\nHTTP status:\n200\n\nURL inspection:\nIndexing not allowed\n\nReason:\nnoindex detected<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Here, the cause against this is clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If noindex<\/code> was set by mistake, this instruction must be removed. Afterward, you can check the live URL again and, if necessary, request re-indexing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A third diagnostic example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
old URL:\n\n\/alter-ratgeber\/\n\n        \u2193 301\n\nnew URL:\n\n\/neuer-ratgeber\/<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
The old URL is not being independently indexed as a page with redirect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is fundamentally not an error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, you should check whether the redirection works correctly and whether the new target URL is indexable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Common mistakes in indexing issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don't confuse "not indexed" with "not ranking"\n\nAim for a 100 % indexing rate\n\nTreat every excluded URL as an error\n\nConstantly resubmit for indexing\n\nTreat the sitemap as a guarantee of indexing\n\nConfuse robots.txt with "noindex"\n\nUse robots.txt to remove pages from Google\n\nTreat canonical tags as redirects\n\nBlindly change every canonical tag deviation\n\nAlways redirect 404 errors to the homepage\n\nCrawled \u2013 currently not indexed\nautomatically equate this with poor content\n\nuse word count alone as a measure of quality\n\nforget to set noindex after a relaunch\n\ninterpret Search Console reports\nas real-time data<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Schnelle Diagnose nach Search-Console-Status<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Status \/ Situation<\/th>Was zuerst pr\u00fcfen?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Google kennt URL nicht<\/strong><\/td>interne Links, Sitemap, Erreichbarkeit<\/td><\/tr>
Gefunden \u2013 zurzeit nicht indexiert<\/strong><\/td>Entdeckung vorhanden, Crawling und Website-Struktur pr\u00fcfen<\/td><\/tr>
Gecrawlt \u2013 zurzeit nicht indexiert<\/strong><\/td>Eigenst\u00e4ndigkeit, technische Signale, Canonical und Inhalt pr\u00fcfen<\/td><\/tr>
Durch noindex ausgeschlossen<\/strong><\/td>pr\u00fcfen, ob noindex beabsichtigt ist<\/td><\/tr>
Durch robots.txt blockiert<\/strong><\/td>Crawling-Regel kontrollieren<\/td><\/tr>
Seite mit Weiterleitung<\/strong><\/td>Ziel-URL und Weiterleitung pr\u00fcfen<\/td><\/tr>
Duplikat<\/strong><\/td>Canonical und Zweck der URL pr\u00fcfen<\/td><\/tr>
Soft 404<\/strong><\/td>Inhalt und tats\u00e4chlichen HTTP-Status pr\u00fcfen<\/td><\/tr>
404<\/strong><\/td>kl\u00e4ren, ob Seite existieren beziehungsweise weiterleiten soll<\/td><\/tr>
Serverfehler<\/strong><\/td>HTTP-Fehler und technische Ursache untersuchen<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Checkliste: Warum indexiert Google meine Seite nicht?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Soll die URL \u00fcberhaupt indexiert werden?\n        \u2193\nURL-Pr\u00fcfung \u00f6ffnen\n        \u2193\nKennt Google die URL?\n        \u2193\nLive-URL erreichbar?\n        \u2193\nHTTP-Status 200?\n        \u2193\nnoindex vorhanden?\n        \u2193\nrobots.txt blockiert?\n        \u2193\nWeiterleitung vorhanden?\n        \u2193\nCanonical korrekt?\n        \u2193\nGoogle w\u00e4hlt andere Canonical?\n        \u2193\nSoft 404?\n        \u2193\nServerfehler?\n        \u2193\nSeite \u00f6ffentlich erreichbar?\n        \u2193\nin XML-Sitemap enthalten?\n        \u2193\nintern sinnvoll verlinkt?\n        \u2193\neigenst\u00e4ndiger Inhalt?\n        \u2193\nstarke \u00dcberschneidung mit\nanderen Seiten?\n        \u2193\nFehler beheben\n        \u2193\nLive-URL erneut testen\n        \u2193\nbei wichtiger \u00c4nderung\nIndexierung beantragen\n        \u2193\nGoogle Zeit zur Verarbeitung geben\n        \u2193\nStatus erneut kontrollieren<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wenn eine Seite nicht bei Google erscheint, solltest du zun\u00e4chst unterscheiden, ob sie tats\u00e4chlich nicht indexiert ist oder lediglich f\u00fcr die von dir getestete Suchanfrage nicht sichtbar rankt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
F\u00fcr eine konkrete URL ist die URL-Pr\u00fcfung der Google Search Console das wichtigste Diagnosewerkzeug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eine fehlende Indexierung kann viele Ursachen haben: Google hat die URL m\u00f6glicherweise noch nicht gecrawlt, eine noindex<\/code>-Anweisung verhindert die Indexierung, die robots.txt<\/code> blockiert das Crawling, die URL leitet weiter, Google betrachtet eine andere URL als kanonisch oder die Seite liefert einen Fehlerstatus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Auch \u201eGecrawlt \u2013 zurzeit nicht indexiert\u201c bedeutet nicht automatisch, dass Google deinen Inhalt als schlecht bewertet. Technische Signale, \u00dcberschneidungen, Seitenstruktur und der eigenst\u00e4ndige Zweck der URL sollten gemeinsam betrachtet werden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ebenso wichtig ist die Erkenntnis, dass nicht jede bekannte URL indexiert sein muss. Duplikate, Weiterleitungs-URLs und absichtlich ausgeschlossene oder entfernte Seiten d\u00fcrfen v\u00f6llig korrekt au\u00dferhalb des Index bleiben.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die entscheidende Frage lautet deshalb nicht \u201eWie bekomme ich jede URL in Google?\u201c, sondern: \u201eWelche Seiten sollen f\u00fcr Nutzer \u00fcber Google auffindbar sein \u2013 und gibt es bei genau diesen Seiten ein technisches, strukturelles oder inhaltliches Hindernis?\u201c<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Du hast eine neue Seite ver\u00f6ffentlicht, aber sie erscheint nicht bei Google? Oder eine bisher indexierte Seite ist pl\u00f6tzlich nicht mehr auffindbar? Dann solltest du nicht sofort davon ausgehen, dass Google deine Website \u201eabgestraft\u201c hat. Zwischen dem Ver\u00f6ffentlichen einer Seite und ihrer Aufnahme in den Google-Index liegen mehrere technische Schritte. Google muss eine URL zun\u00e4chst […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[85],"doc_tag":[],"class_list":["post-22910","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-seo-monitoring"],"year_month":"2026-09","word_count":4212,"total_views":"4","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"Silvio Mazenauer","author_nicename":"admin-curia","author_url":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/author\/admin-curia\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"SEO & Monitoring","term_url":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/hilfe-kategorie\/seo-monitoring\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"knowledge_base_info":[],"knowledge_base_slug":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/22910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22910"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/22910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22912,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/22910\/revisions\/22912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=22910"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.curiaweb.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=22910"}],"curies":[{"name":"WP","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}