Guide · 11 min read · Updated October 2026
How to Index Your Website on Google (Step-by-Step for 2026)
To index your website on Google: verify your site in Google Search Console, submit your XML sitemap, request indexing for your key pages with the URL Inspection tool, and make sure nothing blocks Googlebot (noindex tags, robots.txt rules or broken pages). Then link your important pages from your home page and get a few links from other sites so Google keeps coming back.
A brand-new site usually takes a few days to a few weeks to show up. This guide walks through every step, explains how to check what is indexed, and covers the free tools that speed things up, including IndexNow for Bing and the Google Indexing API.
Key takeaways
- Search Console + an XML sitemap are the foundation. Every site should have both.
- Use URL Inspection → Request indexing for your most important new pages.
- Most indexing problems are self-inflicted: noindex tags, robots.txt blocks, wrong canonicals or thin pages.
- Use Instant Index to check pages for blockers and notify Bing and other engines through IndexNow.
How Google indexes a website
Google finds pages by following links and reading sitemaps (discovery), downloads them with Googlebot (crawling), and then decides whether to store them (indexing). Only indexed pages can appear in search results. Your job is to make each step easy: help Google find the page, let it crawl without errors, and give it a reason to keep the page.
Step 1: Set up Google Search Console
- Go to Google Search Console and sign in.
- Click Add property and choose Domain. Enter your domain without https://, for example
example.com. - Copy the TXT record Google shows and add it to your DNS settings at your domain or hosting provider.
- Click Verify. DNS changes can take a few minutes to a few hours.
Step 2: Create and submit an XML sitemap
A sitemap lists the pages you want indexed. WordPress, Shopify, Wix and most CMSs create one automatically, usually at /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml. If your site does not have one, generate it for free with our XML Sitemap Generator and upload it to your site root.
- In Search Console, open Sitemaps in the left menu.
- Enter the sitemap path, for example
sitemap.xml, and click Submit. - Check that the status says Success and that the number of discovered pages looks right.
Also add a Sitemap: line to your robots.txt so every search engine can find it:
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xmlStep 3: Remove anything that blocks indexing
Before you ask Google to index anything, make sure Google is allowed to. These are the blockers we see most often:
| Blocker | How to spot it | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
noindex meta tag | View source and search for "noindex" | Remove it. In WordPress, check Settings → Reading → "Discourage search engines" and your SEO plugin settings |
| robots.txt Disallow | Open yoursite.com/robots.txt | Remove rules that block pages you want indexed |
| Wrong canonical tag | Look for rel="canonical" pointing to another URL | Point the canonical to the page itself |
| Errors and redirects | The page returns 404, 5xx or redirects | Fix the page or submit the final URL |
| Password or login wall | Page asks for a login | Make public pages public |
Check pages for indexing blockers
Paste up to 100 URLs. Instant Index flags 404s, redirects, noindex, X-Robots-Tag, robots.txt blocks and canonical problems for free.
Step 4: Request indexing for important pages
- In Search Console, paste a page URL into the search bar at the top (URL Inspection).
- Wait for the result. If it says URL is not on Google, click Test live URL to confirm Google can reach it.
- Click Request indexing.
There is a limited daily quota, so use it for your home page, key service or product pages and new articles. Requesting the same URL again does not speed things up.
Have many pages? Use the Google Indexing API
If you publish a lot, the Google Indexing API lets you notify Google about up to 200 URLs a day without clicking. Follow our Google Indexing API setup guide, then submit URLs from Instant Index with your key. It is also what plugins like Rank Math Instant Indexing use behind the scenes.
Step 5: Notify Bing and other engines with IndexNow
Google is not the only search engine. Bing, Yandex, Seznam, Naver and Yep all support IndexNow, which lets you notify them instantly when pages are added or changed. Bing results also feed several other search and AI products, so this is worth two minutes.
With Instant Index you download one small key file, upload it to your site root, and submit up to 10,000 URLs per batch, free and with no account. Read does Google support IndexNow for how it differs from Google.
Step 6: Help Google find and value your pages
- Link new pages from your home page or main menu. Internal links are how Google discovers most pages.
- Get a few real backlinks. A new site with no links is crawled rarely. A handful of genuine links, such as a Google Business Profile, local directories and partners, gets Google visiting regularly. Then make sure those links are seen with our Backlink Indexer.
- Publish useful, original content. Thin and duplicate pages are often crawled but not indexed.
- Keep the site fast and stable. Slow responses and server errors reduce how much Google crawls.
How to check if your website is indexed
- Quick check: search
site:yourdomain.comon Google. The results show a rough sample of indexed pages. - Single page: search
site:yourdomain.com/page-urlor use URL Inspection. - Exact numbers: open Pages (Indexing) in Search Console to see indexed and not-indexed pages, with reasons.
The same methods work for backlinks. See how to check if backlinks are indexed.
How long does it take Google to index a new website?
Google says crawling can take from a few days to a few weeks. In practice, a new site with a submitted sitemap and a few backlinks usually sees its home page indexed within days and the rest over the following weeks. Large sites are indexed gradually, starting with the pages Google considers most important.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get Google to index my website?
Verify your site in Google Search Console, submit an XML sitemap, request indexing for key pages with URL Inspection, and make sure no noindex tags or robots.txt rules block them.
Is it free to get my site indexed by Google?
Yes. Search Console, sitemaps, URL Inspection and the Google Indexing API are all free. You never need to pay Google to be indexed.
How can I index my website faster?
Submit a sitemap, request indexing for important pages, link new pages from your home page, get a few real backlinks, and use IndexNow for Bing with Instant Index.
Why is my website not showing on Google?
It may be too new, blocked by noindex or robots.txt, or have no links pointing to it. Check the Pages report in Search Console for the exact reason.
Can I submit my website to Google without Search Console?
Google no longer accepts anonymous URL submissions, and its sitemap ping endpoint was retired in 2023. Add a Sitemap line to robots.txt and get links to your site; for direct submissions you need Search Console or the Indexing API.
Does submitting a sitemap guarantee indexing?
No. A sitemap helps Google discover pages, but Google still decides which pages to index based on quality and accessibility.
What is a website indexer?
A website indexer is a tool that notifies search engines about your pages so they are crawled sooner. Instant Index is a free website indexer that uses IndexNow and, optionally, the Google Indexing API.