My site isn't showing up on Google
Why your website may not appear in Google search results and what steps to take to improve visibility.
Not appearing in Google search results is one of the most common concerns new website owners have. There are several different reasons this can happen — and understanding which one applies to you points you toward the right fix.
Quick summary
New websites typically take 2–8 weeks to appear in Google. Older sites that have disappeared may have a technical issue or a search penalty. Check Google Search Console for errors, then contact us if you find anything concerning.
Is your site brand new?
If your site launched in the last few weeks, this is almost certainly normal. Google needs to:
- Discover your site — a process called crawling
- Analyze your content
- Index it — add it to Google's searchable database
This process usually takes 2–8 weeks for a new site. It can take longer for very new domains.
Patience is key for new sites
There's no shortcut to instant Google indexing for brand-new sites. The most you can do is submit your sitemap to Google Search Console and make sure your site is set up correctly. We handle this as part of every launch.
Step 1 — Check if Google has indexed your site at all
Go to Google.com.
Search for: site:yourdomainname.com (replace with your actual domain).
If results appear, Google has indexed your site — the problem is about ranking (where you appear) rather than indexing.
If no results appear, your site hasn't been indexed yet, or there's a technical problem preventing indexing.
Step 2 — Check Google Search Console
Google Search Console is Google's free tool for website owners. It shows you how Google sees your site, what pages are indexed, and any errors it has found.
Log in to Google Search Console at search.google.com/search-console.
Select your property (your website).
Check the Coverage or Indexing report. Look for any pages marked as "Error" or "Excluded."
Check for any manual actions. In the left menu, look for "Manual actions." If there's an entry here, Google has penalized the site for a specific reason.
Manual action found?
A manual action means a Google reviewer found a problem with your site. This is serious but fixable. Do not attempt to resolve this without professional help. Contact us immediately.
Common reasons a site doesn't appear in Google
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Site is new (less than 8 weeks old) | Wait; submit sitemap in Search Console |
| "Discourage search engines" is turned on | Fix a WordPress setting (see Step 3) |
| No sitemap submitted | Submit sitemap in Search Console |
| Site has a robots.txt block | Technical fix needed |
| Google penalties (manual or algorithmic) | Professional SEO review needed |
| Site is very thin on content | Add more quality content |
Step 3 — Check the "discourage search engines" setting in WordPress
WordPress has a setting that tells search engines not to index the site. This is meant for sites under development — but it sometimes gets left on after launch.
Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
Go to Settings, then Reading.
Look for a checkbox near the bottom labeled "Discourage search engines from indexing this site."
If the box is checked, uncheck it and click Save Changes.
Was the box checked?
If yes, this was almost certainly the cause. Google will begin crawling and indexing your site within a few weeks of unchecking this setting.
Step 4 — Submit your sitemap to Google
A sitemap (a file that lists all your pages) helps Google find and index your content faster.
Find your sitemap URL. It's usually at https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml or https://yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml.
Open Google Search Console and go to Sitemaps in the left menu.
Enter your sitemap URL and click Submit.
If you're not sure where your sitemap is, contact us and we'll check.
Common questions
Related guides
- What is SEO?
- What is Google Search Console?
- Sitemaps & robots.txt explained
- SEO: setting realistic expectations
- Info to gather before contacting support
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