Search Console has a report that tells you which pages on your website Google has indexed. It is called the Page indexing report, and it can look alarming the first time you open it. A long list of pages marked “not indexed” seems like bad news. Often it is nothing of the sort.
This guide explains what the report shows and what the common reasons mean. It also covers which issues are worth fixing and which you can safely leave alone. Once you can read it calmly, the report becomes one of the most useful free checks for any business website.
What the Page indexing report shows
You will find the report under Indexing in Search Console. It shows a chart of how many of your known pages are indexed and how many are not. Below the chart sits a table headed “Why pages aren’t indexed”. Each row is a reason, with the number of pages affected.
There is also a link to view data about indexed pages. It shows a sample of up to 1,000 indexed URLs from your site. Google’s Page indexing report help page explains each part of the report in detail. Note that the report cannot search or filter by a single URL, so for one page you use the URL Inspection tool instead.
Not every page should be indexed
This is the most important point to take in. Google says plainly that you should not expect every URL on your site to be indexed. The aim is for the main version of every important page to be indexed. Duplicate pages generally should not be indexed at all.
A typical WordPress site creates plenty of URLs nobody needs in search. Tag pages, attachment pages and filtered views are common examples. When Google leaves those out, the system is doing its job. Being indexed also does not guarantee a page will show up for every search.
The report includes a Source column for each reason. It tells you whether Google or the website is responsible. In general, you can only fix the issues that come from the website itself.
Reasons that are usually fine
Several reasons in the table describe Google working as intended. “Alternate page with proper canonical tag” means the page correctly points to another version that is indexed. “Duplicate without user-selected canonical” means Google picked a different page as the main version. “Page with redirect” means the URL redirects somewhere else, and the target may be indexed instead.
“URL marked ‘noindex'” is fine if you added the noindex on purpose. Many sites use it for thank you pages, login pages or internal search results. If an important page shows here, though, someone may have ticked the wrong box in a plugin. Remove the noindex and the page can be considered again.
Reasons that may need a closer look
“Crawled – currently not indexed” means Google visited the page but chose not to index it. Google says this is common and not necessarily a problem. For pages that matter, inspect them and look at the quality of the content. A thin page with little to offer a reader is a likely candidate.
“Discovered – currently not indexed” means Google found the URL but has not crawled it yet. Google may have rescheduled the crawl to avoid overloading your site. On a small site this often clears up on its own. If it persists for key pages, check that they are linked clearly from the rest of the site.
“Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user” is worth a check too. It means you told Google one version was the main page, but Google thinks another is better. Compare the two in URL Inspection. Remember that a duplicate must actually be similar to the page it points to.
Errors worth fixing
Some reasons point to real faults. A server error means your server failed or timed out when Google tried to load the page. Google suggests checking host status in the Crawl Stats report. It also suggests making sure hosting, firewalls or protection systems are not blocking Googlebot.
Redirect errors appear when a chain of redirects is too long or loops back on itself. A soft 404 is a page that says “not found” but still returns a success code. Google suggests returning a proper 404 for missing pages or adding real content if the page should exist. These problems are often left behind after a site rebuild or a platform move. Anyone weighing up whether Webflow suits their business should plan redirects before any platform switch.
“Not found (404)” only needs attention in certain cases. Google advises fixing 404s for pages you link to yourself or list in your sitemap. If a page has moved, a 301 redirect sends visitors and Google to the new address. Old pages that are simply gone can stay as 404s.
A note on robots.txt
“URL blocked by robots.txt” means your robots.txt file stops Google from crawling the page. Many site owners assume this keeps a page out of search. Google points out that it does not guarantee that. If you want a page kept out of the index, use noindex and do not block it in robots.txt, so Google can see the noindex.
Checking your fixes
Once you have fixed every instance of an issue, open its details page and select Validate fix. Validation usually takes up to about two weeks and sometimes longer. Do not press the button again until it passes or fails. Search Console sends a notification when it passes or fails.
If validation fails, open the details to find the URLs that still have the problem. Fix those, then start a new validation. Google also notices fixes during normal crawling, so validation is not the only way a fix gets picked up.
The sitemap filter above the chart is handy here. You can view all known pages, only submitted pages, unsubmitted pages or a single sitemap. Google suggests a small sitemap of your key pages for faster validation. Comparing submitted pages with the rest quickly shows if your important pages are getting through.
Why this report matters for your business
A page that is not indexed cannot appear in Google search. If that page is a key service page, you are missing enquiries without knowing it. That is one reason Google relies on SEO work done well on the site itself. A quick look at this report each month can catch problems early.
Many indexing issues trace back to how a site was built. Messy URLs, duplicate pages and broken redirects are common on rushed builds. It is one of the quieter arguments for professional website design done with search in mind. Pairing that with user testing for better UX design helps the pages that do get indexed work well for visitors too.
Frequently asked questions
Is it bad if lots of my pages are not indexed?
Not necessarily. Google says you should not expect every URL to be indexed. Check the reason for each group and focus on your important pages.
How long does validating a fix take?
Google says validation typically takes up to about two weeks, and sometimes longer. You will get a notification when it passes or fails. Google also picks up fixes during normal crawling in the meantime.
Does blocking a page in robots.txt remove it from Google?
Not reliably. Google advises using a noindex directive without a robots.txt block if you want a page kept out of the index.