URL Inspection Tool
A Search Console tool showing what Google knows about one URL: index status, last crawl, canonical and a live test.
Reviewed by Alexander Yarovenko · Updated: 2026-10-04
The URL Inspection tool is a Search Console tool that shows what Google knows about one specific URL on your property: whether it is indexed, when it was last crawled, which canonical Google chose and whether the page can be fetched. It can also test the live page and ask Google to crawl it, but it does not decide whether the page will rank.
What it is and where the boundary lies
The tool answers questions about a single URL, not about a whole site. It gives two views: the version Google last indexed, and a live test of the page as it is now. Google also states what it does not cover: compliance with quality guidelines, manual actions, security issues and legal removals. A clean result means the page is eligible, not that it will appear in results.
How it differs from similar terms
| Concept | Scope | Typical question |
|---|---|---|
| URL Inspection tool | one URL, indexed and live | why is this page not on Google |
| Page indexing report | all known URLs grouped by status | how many pages have a given problem |
| Index coverage | the older name for that report | which URLs are indexed or excluded |
| Google Search Console | the whole product | where do I see search data for my site |
What the tool shows
- Indexing status: “URL is on Google” or “URL is not on Google”, with the reason.
- Discovery: the sitemaps and referring pages through which Google found the URL.
- Last crawl and crawl type: the date and whether Googlebot crawled as mobile or desktop.
- Crawl allowed and page fetch: whether robots.txt allows crawling and whether the fetch succeeded.
- Indexing allowed: whether a noindex directive blocks indexing.
- Canonicals: the URL you declared and the one Google selected, which can differ (canonical tag).
Indexed version versus live test
The indexed view shows what Google used when it last processed the page. The live test fetches the page now and tells you whether it might be indexable. After a fix, run the live test to confirm the page can be fetched, then check the indexed view later: it changes only after a new crawl. The screenshot is available only for a successful live test.
What “View crawled page” is for
It shows the HTML Google received, the HTTP headers, loaded resources and the output of scripts. This is where you see whether important content or a canonical link exists in the rendered result, which matters for JavaScript-heavy pages. If the text you expect is missing there, the problem is rendering or blocked resources, not the content plan.
What “Request indexing” does
It asks Google to crawl the URL. There is a daily quota, and Google says that submitting the same URL repeatedly does not make it crawl faster; crawling can take from days to weeks. Use it after publishing or fixing a few important pages. For many URLs use a sitemap. A request does not guarantee indexing.
How to read an inspection result
- Paste the full URL of a page inside the selected property.
- Read the status and the stated reason before anything else.
- Check crawl allowed, page fetch and indexing allowed in that order: they are the usual blockers.
- Compare the user-declared canonical with the Google-selected one.
- Run the live test, then open the crawled page and confirm the content is present.
- Fix the cause, then request indexing for that URL once.
Practical example
| What the tool shows | Meaning | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| crawl allowed: no | robots.txt blocks the URL | remove the rule if the page should be crawled |
| indexing allowed: no, noindex found | the page tells Google not to index it | remove the directive if the page belongs in Search |
| declared canonical differs from selected | Google treats another URL as the main version | align redirects, links and the canonical tag |
Each cause has one owner and one fix, so the inspection becomes a ticket instead of a guess.
Common mistakes
- Treating “on Google” as “will rank”: Google says eligibility does not guarantee appearing in results.
- Using the live test as the indexed state: it shows the page now, not what is stored.
- Requesting indexing repeatedly: repeated requests do not speed crawling and the quota is limited.
- Inspecting a URL outside the property: the tool works for URLs in the selected property.
- Fixing one URL and ignoring the template: check whether the same cause affects every page of that type.
How to validate the result
After a fix, run the live test, request indexing once and look again in a few days to weeks. Then check the Page indexing report to see whether the group of URLs with the same status shrinks. Do not judge the fix by the first inspection after the request.
More questions
Why does the tool say a page is not on Google?
The status shows a reason: blocked by robots.txt, noindex, a different canonical, a server error or not yet crawled. Read the reason first.
Can I use it for any website?
Only for URLs in a property you have verified in Search Console.
Does the tool show rankings?
No. Rankings and clicks are in the Performance report.
Next practical step
Take one important page that is not getting impressions, inspect it and write down the status, the reason and the canonical. The playbook on technical indexing issues shows how to turn such inspections into a prioritized queue.
Related concepts
- Google Search Console — the product that contains the tool.
- Indexability — whether a page can be indexed.
- Crawlability — whether a crawler can fetch it.
- Crawl budget — how much crawling a site receives.