What is “Discovered - currently not indexed” in your Website
Struggling with 'Discovered - currently not indexed' issues? Learn how to fix indexing problems, improve crawlability, and get your pages indexed faster with actionable SEO tips.
If you're managing a website, you might have encountered the frustrating "Discovered - currently not indexed" status in Google Search Console. This indicates that while Google's bots have found your page, they haven’t yet added it to their index. This can severely limit your visibility and organic traffic.
If you come across this error, it doesn’t necessarily mean the page will never be crawled. As Google documentation says, they may come back to it later without any extra effort on your part. But you may never know and the only way is to keep monitoring your status in the Google search console.
In this guide, we'll explore what the "Discovered - currently not indexed" status means, why it occurs, and how to effectively use Indexly to resolve it.
What does the “Discovered - Currently Not Indexed” Message mean?
The “Discovered - currently not indexed” notification means Googlebot has crawled your page but has not indexed it due to various potential issues. This status can hinder your site's visibility in search results, which in turn affects your site's traffic and performance.
Common Reasons for “Discovered - Currently Not Indexed” error
3.1. Crawl Budget
Crawl budget refers to the number of pages Googlebot crawls on your site within a given timeframe. If your site has a low crawl budget, Google may not index all your pages, leading to the "Discovered - currently not indexed" status.
3.2. Robots.txt Restrictions
The Robots.txt file tells search engines which pages they should not crawl. If the pages you want to index are blocked, they will not be indexed despite being discovered.
3.3. Duplicate Content
If Google identifies your page as duplicate content relative to other indexed pages, it may not choose to index it. This is particularly true for eCommerce sites with many similar product pages.
3.4. Technical Errors
Website errors, such as server downtime or 404 pages, can prevent proper indexing. It's vital to ensure your website is technically sound and fully functional. You can perform On-Page SEO Audit and fix all the issues that are inhibiting indexability and ranking.
Step-by-Step Solution to Fix the Issue
4.1. Check Your Robots.txt File
Start by reviewing your Robots.txt file to ensure it's not blocking Googlebot from accessing your important pages. You can use the Google Robots.txt Tester to help identify issues.
4.2. Review XML Sitemap
Ensure that your XML Sitemap includes all crucial URLs and that it is up to date. Submit your Sitemap in Google Search Console to facilitate crawling.
4.3. Monitor Crawl Budget
Google Crawler, also known as Googlebot, is an automated program that systematically browses the internet to discover and analyze web pages. It follows links from one page to another, collecting information about each page's content, structure, and relevance. Once crawled, Google indexes these pages, organizing them in its vast database to provide relevant search results to users based on their queries.
The crawl budget is how many pages a search engine wants to crawl on your site. If you have a large number of pages in your site map and crawlable URLs exceed your crawl budget, you may see the “Discovered - currently not indexed” error. If you have many pages on your website then the only way to check is to log into GSC and check what pages are crawled or what pages are indexed.
Use Google Search Console to monitor your crawl budget. Optimize your website performance by removing pages that are of little importance, enhancing loading times, or redesigning site architecture to be more crawl-friendly.
4.4. Website Status
Check if the website is not blocked by Google, also if the website is new then it's quite natural that some of the pages may be marked " Discovered - currently not indexed" because Google may take some time to find all the pages and then index them. Also indexing directives like "noindex" tags will not let Google crawler discover your page.
4.5. Submit URL for Indexing
After confirming there are no restrictions, you should use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to request Googlebot to crawl your page again.
Alanna Moffatt
Why Indexly is the Solution?
Indexly is designed to help website owners optimize their indexing process. Its features include real-time monitoring, automatic sitemap submission, and indexing reporting, which can significantly reduce the time it takes for Google to index your pages.
Indexly offers several features for addressing indexing issues:
- Instant Indexing: Submit URLs directly for immediate indexing.
- Real-time Monitoring: Keep track of your URLs and their indexing status.
- Alerts & Recommendations: Get notified of issues like crawl errors, allowing you to act swiftly.
- On-Page SEO Checker: Analyze your page for Technical SEO Errors that are inhibiting indexability and ranking.
For more details on how Indexly can help, check their official website.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing the Issue
4.1 Setting Up Indexly
- Create an Account: Go to Indexly’s website and sign up for an account.
- Add Your Site: Enter your website URL and verify ownership.
- Connect with your Google Search Console: Integrate Indexly with Google Search Console.
4.2 Syncing Your Sitemap
- Submit Sitemap: If you have a sitemap already added to the Google Search Console, Indexly can automatically sync with your GSC once you successfully Navigate to the dashboard section in Indexly and get the highlights of all the pages of your enabled site
- Check for Errors: Monitor for any crawl errors or warnings that Indexly might highlight.
4.3 Monitoring Your Indexing Status
- Regular Checks: Use Indexly’s dashboard to monitor the indexing status of your pages.
- In-Depth Reports: Review the indexing reports provided by Indexly to identify any potential issues.
4.4: On-Page SEO Analysis
Use the Indexly On-Page SEO Checker, to analyze the page.
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4.5: Resubmit URLs
After making your adjustments, resubmit your URLs for indexing using Indexly tools. This process prompts Google to revisit and assess the modified pages, increasing the likelihood of successful indexing.
How to perform instant indexing on Indexly
Tips for Ensuring Future Indexing
- Avoid Duplicate Content: Ensure your content is unique and offers value.
- Clear Your Cache: If you are using caching plugins, make sure to clear your cache to allow search engines to see the most updated version of your website.
- Regular Updates: Refresh your content periodically to keep it relevant.
Conclusion
Resolving the “Discovered - currently not indexed” issue is essential for maintaining your site's visibility in search engines. By using Indexly, you can simplify the indexing process and ensure that your pages are indexed promptly. Implement the steps outlined in this article and monitor your site's performance to achieve better indexing outcomes.
FAQ Section
- What does "Discovered - currently not indexed" mean? It means Google has found your page but hasn’t indexed it yet.
- How long does it take for Google to index my site? The time varies; it may take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks.
- Can I request Google to index my page? Yes, you can use the “URL Inspection” tool in Google Search Console to request indexing.
- How often should I check my site’s indexing status? Regular checks (weekly or bi-weekly) are advisable, especially after making significant changes.
- Is Indexly free? Indexly offers various pricing plans; some features may come with a free trial.
- What other tools can help with indexing issues? Besides Indexly, tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs can provide insights into indexing problems.
Supercharge your SEO with Indexly
It usually takes a few weeks for Google to crawl and index your website's pages. However, Indexly can simplify this process by automatically checking your sitemaps, finding new pages, and submitting them to Google Search Console.
This reduces human effort and errors and significantly reduces the time it takes to get indexed. When your website's pages are indexed, they rank higher on search engines, ultimately boosting organic traffic.
