If a page isn't indexed, it can't rank. Google Search Console's Pages report (under Indexing) tells you which of your pages are in Google and why others aren't. The labels can be confusing, so here's what each one means and what to do.
First: not every page should be indexed
Seeing "not indexed" pages is normal. Redirects, duplicates, admin pages and filtered URLs shouldn't be indexed. Focus on pages you want people to find: services, products, location pages and blog posts.
Statuses you can usually ignore
- Page with redirect: the URL redirects elsewhere. Fine, as long as it's intentional.
- Alternate page with proper canonical tag: Google is correctly using the canonical version.
- Excluded by 'noindex' tag: fine if you added noindex on purpose.
- Not found (404): fine for pages that genuinely no longer exist. Redirect ones that have backlinks or traffic.
Statuses that need attention
Crawled - currently not indexed
Google visited the page but decided not to index it, yet. Common causes:
- Thin or low-value content: a short page that adds nothing new
- Near-duplicate content: many similar pages, such as location pages with only the town name changed
- Weak internal linking: the page looks unimportant
- New site: Google is still assessing it
Fix: improve the content so it's clearly useful and unique, add internal links from relevant important pages, then request indexing. For near-duplicates, merge them or make each genuinely different. See local landing pages that rank.
Discovered - currently not indexed
Google knows the URL exists but hasn't crawled it yet. Causes:
- Google thinks crawling would overload your server
- Too many low-value URLs on the site, so crawling is spread thin
- Weak internal links to the page
Fix: improve server speed, cut low-value URLs (filters, tags, parameters), and link to the page from strong pages.
Duplicate without user-selected canonical
Google found duplicate pages and none has a canonical tag. Fix: add canonical tags pointing to the preferred version. Guide: canonical tags and duplicate content.
Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user
You said page A is canonical; Google decided page B is. Fix: check that the pages really are different, that internal links and the sitemap point to your chosen version, and that redirects are consistent.
Blocked by robots.txt
The page is blocked from crawling. Fix: if it should be indexed, remove the block. See the robots.txt guide.
Soft 404
The page returns a "200 OK" but looks like an error or empty page, such as an out-of-stock product with no content or an empty category. Fix: return a real 404 or 410, redirect, or add meaningful content.
Server error (5xx)
Google got an error from your server. Fix: check hosting, plugins and server logs. Persistent errors reduce crawling across the whole site.
Using the URL Inspection tool
For any important page:
- Paste the URL into the search bar at the top of Search Console.
- Check whether it's on Google, the canonical Google chose, and when it was last crawled.
- Click Test live URL to see the current version.
- Click Request indexing after you've fixed issues.
Requesting indexing doesn't guarantee it, and repeatedly requesting won't help. Fix the underlying issue first.
A healthy indexing routine
- Check the Pages report monthly
- Keep your XML sitemap clean, listing only indexable URLs
- Watch for sudden drops in indexed pages after site changes
New to Search Console? Start with our beginner's guide to Google Search Console. If many important pages aren't indexing, our technical SEO service will find out why.