Request indexing in Search Console: when it helps and when it does not
Request indexing asks Google to crawl one URL soon. How to use it with URL Inspection, why it has a daily limit, and what to do when a page is still not in.
When you publish a new page, Google will find it eventually through links and your sitemap. The Request indexing button in Search Console asks it to look sooner. It is useful and often misunderstood.
How to use it
- In Search Console, paste the full URL into the inspection bar at the top.
- Wait for the result. It shows whether the URL is on Google and why or why not.
- Choose Test live URL to check Google can fetch the current version.
- Choose Request indexing.
When it helps
- A new post or product page you want seen soon.
- A page you fixed, such as removing an accidental noindex.
- An important page whose content changed substantially.
When it does not
- Hundreds of URLs. There is a daily quota; use a sitemap. See submitting a sitemap.
- Pages Google crawled and chose not to index. Requesting again rarely changes the decision; the page has to change. See crawled, currently not indexed.
- Pages blocked by robots.txt or marked noindex. Fix those first.
Read the live test first
The live test shows the page as Googlebot fetched it just now: whether it loaded, whether indexing is allowed, the canonical it found and a screenshot of the rendered page. If the screenshot is blank or the canonical points somewhere else, requesting indexing will not help until that is fixed.
Bing and others
Google does not support IndexNow, but Bing and several other engines do, and it notifies them of new URLs instantly from a script. We use it on every deploy; see IndexNow for Bing.
GA4 + Search Console Setup gets a new site to the point where this button works: the property verified, the sitemap submitted and Analytics linked, done in your own Chrome.
Questions
Does Request indexing guarantee Google will index the page?
No. It asks Google to crawl the URL with priority. Google still decides whether to index it, based on the page itself.
How often can I request indexing?
There is a daily quota per property, and Google does not promise a number. Use it for new or changed important pages, not for every URL on the site.
How long does indexing take after a request?
Often within a few days, sometimes the same day, sometimes longer. Check again with URL Inspection rather than requesting repeatedly.