Technical SEO
How to Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console
The single most useful tool for answering “Why isn’t this page on Google?”
The URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console shows what Google knows about one specific URL on your site: whether it’s indexed, how Google found it, when it was last crawled, and which version Google treats as canonical. It can also test the live page and request indexing.
The most common mistake is reading it wrong: the default result is Google’s last indexed version, not a live test. This guide explains each part.
Short answer: To use the URL Inspection tool, paste a full URL from your property into the search bar at the top of Search Console. The default result shows Google’s indexed version: whether the URL is on Google, how it was discovered, last crawl, and the user-declared vs Google-selected canonical. Select Test live URL to check the current page, and Request indexing to ask Google to recrawl it. Google says a request doesn’t guarantee indexing.
Key Takeaways
- The default result is the last indexed version, not a live test.
- “URL is on Google” means eligible to appear, not guaranteed to show for any query.
- Compare the user-declared and Google-selected canonical to spot duplication issues.
- The live test checks access and indexability now, but can’t predict the canonical.
- Request indexing has daily limits and doesn’t guarantee the page will be indexed.
Indexed result vs live test
| Indexed result (default) | Live test | |
|---|---|---|
| What it shows | Google’s last indexed version of the URL | A real-time fetch of the page now |
| Canonical | User-declared and Google-selected canonical | Can’t predict the canonical |
| Discovery info | Sitemaps and referring pages | Not checked |
| Screenshot | No | Yes |
| Best for | Why a page is or isn’t indexed | Checking a fix before requesting indexing |
Reading the Page indexing section
- Discovery: the sitemaps and referring pages through which Google found the URL.
- Crawl: last crawl date, which crawler was used, whether crawling is allowed, whether the page fetch succeeded, and whether indexing is allowed.
- Indexing: the canonical you declared and the one Google selected.
If robots.txt blocks a page, “Indexing allowed?” can show Yes, because Google can’t read a noindex on a page it isn’t allowed to crawl.
Common results and what to do
| Result | Meaning | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| URL is on Google | Indexed and eligible to appear | Nothing, unless it isn’t showing for the right searches |
| URL is not on Google | Not indexed; a reason is given | Look up the reason in our indexing problems guide |
| Google-selected canonical differs | Google treats another URL as the main version | See canonical tags explained |
| Blocked by robots.txt | Google isn’t allowed to crawl it | Check robots.txt mistakes |
| Excluded by noindex | The page tells Google not to index it | Remove noindex if the page should rank |
When to request indexing
- Fix the issue first.
- Run Test live URL and confirm the page is indexable.
- Select Request indexing.
- Wait: Google says submitting a request doesn’t guarantee the page will appear in the index, and there’s a daily limit per property.
Don’t request indexing repeatedly for the same URL; it doesn’t speed things up. For many URLs, an accurate XML sitemap is the better route.
Viewing the crawled page
“View crawled page” (indexed) and “View tested page” (live) show the HTML Google saw, HTTP headers, JavaScript console messages and page resources. Use it when content or links are missing from what Google sees; see JavaScript SEO for rendering problems.
Frequently asked questions
Is the URL Inspection result live?
Not by default. It shows the last indexed version. Use Test live URL for a real-time check.
Does Request indexing guarantee my page will be indexed?
No. Google says submitting a request doesn’t guarantee indexing.
How many URLs can I request per day?
Google applies a daily limit per property but doesn’t publish the number.
Why does Google pick a different canonical?
Google may consider another URL the best representative of duplicate content. Compare both in the tool and strengthen your preferred signals: redirects, canonical tags and internal links.
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Sources
- Search Console Help: URL Inspection tool
- Search Console Help: Page indexing report
- Google Search Central: How to specify a canonical URL
- Google Search Central: Block Search indexing with noindex
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.
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