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How to Check if Your Website is Indexed by Google

Use the site: operator to instantly see if Google and Bing can find your website - no tools required

By Qasim Arif 8 min read
Google search bar showing site:yourwebsite.com search query to check website indexing

Want to know if your website shows up in Google search results? There’s a simple way to check that takes under 2 minutes and doesn’t require any special tools or accounts.

The fastest method uses a search operator called site: that tells Google and Bing to show only results from your specific website.

The Quick Check: Using site:yourwebsite.com

On Google

A Google Search of DigiHow using site:digihow.com

A Google Search of DigiHow using site:digihow.com

  1. Go to Google.com
  2. Type site:yourwebsite.com (replace with your actual domain)
  3. Hit Enter

On Bing

A Bing Search of DigiHow using site:digihow.com

A Bing Search of DigiHow using site:digihow.com

  1. Go to Bing.com
  2. Type site:yourwebsite.com (same format)
  3. Hit Enter

Example searches:

  • site:digihow.com
  • site:yourstore.com
  • site:myblog.co.uk

What the Results Tell You

Good Signs

  • Pages appear in results: Your site is indexed and discoverable
  • Homepage shows up first: Usually indicates good site structure
  • Recent content appears: Shows Google is crawling regularly
  • Multiple pages listed: Indicates broader site indexing

Potential Issues

  • No results at all: Your site might not be indexed yet
  • Very few results: Only part of your site is indexed
  • Old results only: Google hasn’t crawled recently
  • Wrong pages ranking first: Possible site structure issues

What This Method Can’t Tell You

The site: operator is great for a quick check, but it has limitations:

  • Not 100% accurate: May show slightly more or fewer pages than actually indexed
  • No error details: Won’t tell you why pages aren’t indexed
  • No traffic data: Can’t see which pages get clicks
  • No indexing speed: Won’t show how fast new content gets indexed
  • No mobile vs desktop: Doesn’t distinguish between mobile and desktop indexing

When to Use This Method

Perfect for:

  • New websites (checking if Google found you)
  • Quick competitor research
  • Verifying a specific page is indexed: site:yoursite.com "exact page title"
  • Checking after major site changes

Not ideal for:

  • Ongoing SEO monitoring
  • Understanding indexing problems
  • Tracking search performance
  • Finding technical issues

Advanced site: Operator Tricks

Check Specific Page Types

  • site:yoursite.com filetype:pdf - Find PDF files
  • site:yoursite.com inurl:blog - Pages with “blog” in URL
  • site:yoursite.com intitle:"contact" - Pages with “contact” in title

Exclude Certain Pages

  • site:yoursite.com -inurl:category - Exclude category pages
  • site:yoursite.com -filetype:pdf - Exclude PDF files

Check Competitors

  • site:competitor.com - See what pages they have indexed
  • site:competitor.com "keyword" - Find their content about specific topics

What to Do Based on Your Results

If You See No Results

  1. Wait if site is brand new (up to 4 weeks for new domains)
  2. Check your robots.txt file at yoursite.com/robots.txt
  3. Look for “noindex” tags in your page source
  4. Submit your website properly - our guides show you how to get your website on Google and how to submit your website to Bing and Yahoo
  5. Get links from other websites to help search engines discover you

If You See Some Results But Not All Pages

  1. Check internal linking - make sure pages link to each other
  2. Review page quality - thin content often doesn’t get indexed
  3. Look for duplicate content issues
  4. Verify pages load correctly and aren’t blocked

If Results Look Wrong

  1. Check page titles and descriptions match your content
  2. Review site structure and navigation
  3. Look for redirect issues
  4. Consider technical SEO audit

Google vs Bing: What’s the Difference?

Both search engines use the same site: syntax, but you might see different results:

Google typically shows:

  • More pages indexed
  • Faster discovery of new content
  • More frequent updates

Bing might show:

  • Fewer total pages
  • Different page prioritization
  • Sometimes older content

Why check both:

  • Bing powers about 20% of searches
  • Different algorithms may catch different issues
  • Provides broader perspective on your site’s visibility

Moving Beyond the Basic Check

While the site: operator gives you a quick snapshot of your indexed pages, it’s just the starting point for proper website visibility.

Next steps for complete search engine coverage:

  1. Proper submission process - If your site isn’t showing up, follow our step-by-step guides for submitting to Google and submitting to Bing and Yahoo

  2. Ongoing monitoring - For comprehensive indexing analysis, including understanding why pages aren’t indexed, tracking indexing speed, and identifying technical issues, you’ll need Google Search Console. Our detailed guide on Google Search Console errors shows you how to interpret the data that really matters and which “errors” you can safely ignore.

The site: search is perfect for quick checks, but proper submission and Search Console monitoring are essential for ongoing SEO success.

Quick Reference Checklist

Weekly Quick Check:

  • site:yoursite.com on Google
  • site:yoursite.com on Bing
  • Note any significant changes in results
  • Check if new content appears

Monthly Deep Dive:

  • Review Google Search Console data
  • Check for indexing trends
  • Monitor site performance
  • Address any technical issues

Red Flags to Investigate:

  • Sudden drop in indexed pages
  • Important pages not appearing
  • Only homepage showing in results
  • Very old content ranking first

The Bottom Line

The site: operator is your fastest way to check if Google and Bing can find your website. It’s not perfect, but it gives you immediate insight into your site’s basic visibility.

Use it for quick checks and competitor research, but don’t rely on it for detailed SEO monitoring. For that, you’ll need proper tools and regular analysis.

Most importantly, remember that being indexed is just the first step. The real goal is ranking well for searches your customers actually make - and that requires a more comprehensive approach to SEO.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is the site: operator for checking indexing?

The site: operator gives a good general overview but isn’t 100% precise. It may show slightly more or fewer pages than actually indexed. For exact indexing data, use Google Search Console, but the site: operator is perfect for quick checks.

Why do I see different results on Google vs Bing?

Google and Bing use different algorithms and crawling patterns. Google typically indexes more pages and discovers new content faster, while Bing might show fewer pages or prioritize different content. Both results are normal.

What does it mean if I see no results at all?

No results usually means your site isn’t indexed yet. This is normal for new websites (can take up to 4 weeks). Check your robots.txt file, look for noindex tags, and consider submitting your site properly to search engines.

Can I use site: to check specific pages?

Yes! Use site:yoursite.com “exact page title” to check if specific pages are indexed. You can also use site:yoursite.com inurl:blog to find pages with “blog” in the URL, or other variations.

Should I be worried if I see very few results?

Not necessarily. If your important pages appear and you’re getting traffic, you’re fine. Many “missing” pages might be ones you don’t want indexed anyway, like admin pages, thank you pages, or duplicate content.