1
Submitted and Indexed
Your page is in Google's index and eligible to appear in search results. This is the ideal state — Google has crawled, evaluated, and indexed your page.
Recommended Action:
No action needed. Monitor for changes over time.
Google Index Status:
The Complete Guide to Understanding Every Coverage State
Google assigns one of several index statuses to every URL it knows about. Understanding these statuses is critical for diagnosing why pages aren't showing up in search results and fixing indexing issues before they impact your traffic.
Table of Contents
What Is Google Index Status?
When Google discovers a URL, it goes through a pipeline: discovery → crawling → indexing. At each stage, Google assigns a status that tells you where the URL is in that pipeline and whether any issues are preventing it from being indexed.
You can view these statuses in Google Search Console under the Pagesreport (formerly "Coverage"). Each status represents a different outcome — some are normal (like redirects), some are intentional (like noindex), and some indicate problems you need to fix.
IndexLens connects directly to the Google Search Console API to give you these same statuses for all your pages, with daily monitoring and instant alerts.Try it free →
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2
Crawled — Currently Not Indexed
Google crawled your page but decided not to index it. This usually means Google evaluated the content and found it insufficient, duplicate, or low-quality. It's one of the most common indexing issues.
Recommended Action:
Improve content quality, add unique value, check for thin content, and ensure the page isn't duplicating another page on your site.
3
Discovered — Currently Not Indexed
Google knows about your page (found it via a link or sitemap) but hasn't crawled it yet. This often happens when Googlebot is conserving crawl budget or the page is low priority.
Recommended Action:
Submit the URL via Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool or the Indexing API. Improve internal linking to signal importance.
4
Excluded by 'noindex' Tag
Your page has a noindex meta tag or X-Robots-Tag header telling Google not to index it. This is intentional — you've opted this page out of search results.
Recommended Action:
If this is intentional, no action needed. If you want the page indexed, remove the noindex tag from the HTML or HTTP header.
5
Blocked by robots.txt
Google cannot crawl this page because it's blocked by your robots.txt file. The page won't be indexed (unless Google finds it via external links, in which case it may index it without content).
Recommended Action:
Check your robots.txt file. If you want the page crawled and indexed, remove or adjust the Disallow rule blocking it.
6
Page with Redirect
This URL redirects to another page (301 or 302). Google indexes the destination URL, not this one. This is normal behavior for redirected pages.
Recommended Action:
If the redirect is intentional, no action needed. If you want this specific URL indexed, remove the redirect.
7
Duplicate — Submitted URL Not Selected as Canonical
Google considers this page a duplicate of another page. You submitted it via sitemap, but Google chose a different URL as the canonical version.
Recommended Action:
Check your canonical tags. Make sure the canonical points to the correct URL. Consider consolidating duplicate content.
8
Duplicate — Google Chose Different Canonical
Google chose a different canonical URL than the one you declared. This means Google disagrees with your canonical tag — it found a page it considers more authoritative or relevant.
Recommended Action:
Review your canonical tags and internal linking. Ensure the page you want indexed has stronger signals (more internal links, better content).
9
Soft 404
The page returns a 200 OK status code, but Google thinks it's an error page (like a 'page not found' message served with a 200 status). Soft 404s waste crawl budget and don't get indexed.
Recommended Action:
Return a proper 404 or 410 status code for genuinely missing pages. For pages that should exist, add real content.
10
Server Error (5xx)
Googlebot received a server error (500, 502, 503, etc.) when trying to crawl this page. Persistent server errors will cause Google to drop the page from its index.
Recommended Action:
Check your server logs for errors. Fix the underlying issue (crashed application, database errors, resource limits). Monitor server uptime.
How to Check Your Index Status
Google Search Console
Free tool from Google. Go to the Pages report to see all your URLs grouped by status. Limited to your own verified properties.
URL Inspection Tool
Check a single URL in real-time within Search Console. Shows the exact coverage state, last crawl time, and any indexing issues.
IndexLens (Bulk)
Connect your GSC account to IndexLens for bulk checking, daily monitoring, trend data, and instant alerts. Free for 50 checks/day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Indexed' mean in Google Search Console?
When a page shows as 'Submitted and Indexed' or 'Indexed' in Google Search Console, it means Google has crawled the page, evaluated its content, and added it to its index. The page is eligible to appear in Google search results for relevant queries.
What's the difference between 'Crawled — currently not indexed' and 'Discovered — currently not indexed'?
'Crawled — currently not indexed' means Google visited your page but decided not to index it (usually due to content quality). 'Discovered — currently not indexed' means Google knows the URL exists but hasn't crawled it yet (usually due to crawl budget). The first is a content issue; the second is a crawling priority issue.
How long does it take for Google to index a new page?
It varies widely — from hours to weeks. Pages on authoritative sites with strong internal linking get indexed faster. You can speed up indexing by submitting the URL via Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool, using the Google Indexing API, or improving your site's crawl efficiency.
How can I check my Google index status?
You can check index status in Google Search Console (Coverage report), or use a tool like IndexLens which connects to the GSC API and provides bulk checking, monitoring, and alerts. For a quick single-URL check, use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console.
Why are some of my pages not indexed?
Common reasons include: thin or duplicate content, noindex tags, robots.txt blocks, server errors, poor internal linking, or low page quality. Google's Coverage report in Search Console tells you the specific reason for each page. IndexLens provides the same data with more detail and automated monitoring.
Monitor your Google index status automatically
IndexLens connects to your Google Search Console to track every page's index status daily. Get alerts when pages drop out and detailed error breakdowns to fix issues fast.
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