How to submit your website to Google
To submit a website to Google, verify it in Google Search Console, submit its XML sitemap, and use URL Inspection to request indexing for key pages. Google still decides what to index. If robots.txt blocks a page, a noindex tag is present, or the content is thin, submission alone will not get it into search results.
For owners of new or relaunched websites who want Google to find, crawl and index their pages.
knowledge
- Read time
- 5 min
- Sections
- 6
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
How do you submit a website to Google?
Verify your site in Google Search Console, submit an XML sitemap, and use URL Inspection to request indexing for your most important pages. There is no form that forces a site into Google; these steps help Google discover and crawl it, and Google still decides what to index.
- Open the live homepage on HTTPS and note the exact host you want shown — with or without
www. - In Search Console, add a Domain property (covers all subdomains and protocols) or a URL-prefix property for that exact host.
- Complete verification.
- Submit the sitemap under Sitemaps.
- Inspect the homepage and key service pages, then click Request indexing.
- Check the Page indexing report after a few days.
How do you verify a site in Search Console?
Use a DNS TXT record for a Domain property, or an HTML file, meta tag, or existing Google Analytics or Tag Manager code for a URL-prefix property. DNS verification is the most robust because it covers http, https, www and every subdomain at once.
| Method | Property type | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| DNS TXT record | Domain | Add the TXT value at your DNS host; see add a TXT record in cPanel |
| HTML file | URL-prefix | Upload the named file to the site root |
| HTML meta tag | URL-prefix | Add the tag to the homepage <head> and keep it |
| Analytics / Tag Manager | URL-prefix | Works if that code is already installed |
Keep verification in place permanently; removing the file, tag or record can unverify the property later.
How do you submit a sitemap to Google?
Open your sitemap URL to confirm it returns XML listing canonical HTTPS URLs, then enter its path in Search Console → Sitemaps and submit once. "Success" means Google fetched the file, not that every URL is indexed.
- Find it: WordPress core serves
/wp-sitemap.xml; SEO plugins often use/sitemap_index.xml. - Limits: one sitemap file holds up to 50,000 URLs or 50 MB uncompressed; larger sites use a sitemap index.[1]
- robots.txt: add a line such as
Sitemap: https://example.in/sitemap_index.xml; the robots.txt generator builds one. - No pinging: Google retired its sitemap "ping" URL in 2023; Search Console and robots.txt are the supported routes.
What belongs in the file is covered in what an XML sitemap is.
How long does Google take to index a new website?
Google publishes no fixed time: some new URLs are indexed within days, others wait weeks, especially on a brand-new domain with few links pointing to it. URL Inspection shows the real status for each page.
- Discovered – currently not indexed
- Google knows the URL but has not crawled it yet.
- Crawled – currently not indexed
- Google fetched it and chose not to store it; improve the page rather than resubmitting.
- URL is on Google
- Indexed and able to appear, though ranking is separate.
Internal links from pages Google already crawls, and links from other sites, speed up discovery more than repeated requests. URL Inspection requests are rate-limited, so use them for priority pages only.
Why is a website still not showing on Google?
Usually Google cannot get a clean 200 response for the canonical URL: the page is blocked by robots.txt, marked noindex, duplicated across hosts, or judged too thin. The Page indexing report names the reason; fix it before resubmitting.
| Report says | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Excluded by 'noindex' tag | Meta robots tag or X-Robots-Tag header | Remove it on pages you want indexed |
| Blocked by robots.txt | A Disallow rule covers the path | Allow the path; see what robots.txt does |
| Sitemap couldn't fetch | 404, redirect or non-XML response | Fix the sitemap URL |
| Duplicate without user-selected canonical | www/non-www or http/https copies | Redirect to one host; set canonicals |
| Crawled – currently not indexed | Thin or near-duplicate content | Improve the page and its internal links |
# Check status code and any noindex header from the command line
curl -sI https://example.in/services/ | grep -i -E "^HTTP|x-robots-tag|location"On WordPress, also check Settings → Reading → "Discourage search engines" and any coming-soon plugin; see WordPress site not showing up.
Should you submit the site to Bing as well?
Yes — Bing Webmaster Tools can import your verified Search Console properties in a few clicks, and Bing's index also feeds other search and AI assistants. Bing and several other engines support IndexNow, a protocol that notifies them of changed URLs instantly; Google does not use IndexNow.
Many SEO plugins send IndexNow pings automatically once enabled.
What should you do after the site is indexed?
Indexing makes a page eligible to appear; ranking depends on how well the page answers the search compared with others. Check your brand name first, then service queries.
- One clear topic per URL with a matching title and heading; see on-page SEO.
- Fast HTTPS pages with no accidental noindex; see technical SEO.
- Watch queries and clicks in the Search Console guide's Performance report.
For ongoing work on an Indian business site, see WebJi®'s SEO service.
Sources
- Google Search Central, Build and submit a sitemap.
- Google Search Central, Ask Google to recrawl your URLs.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google charge to list my website?
No. Search Console, sitemap submission and indexing requests are free. Anyone charging to "submit your site to Google" is selling a step you can do yourself in minutes.
Is a site: search a reliable way to check indexing?
Only roughly. A site:example.in search gives an approximate sample, not a full count. Use URL Inspection for a specific page and the Page indexing report for totals.
Do I need to resubmit the sitemap after every new post?
No. Google re-reads submitted sitemaps periodically, and most CMS sitemaps update automatically. Request indexing in URL Inspection only for pages that must be found quickly.
Should I verify the www or non-www version?
Use a Domain property, which covers both. With URL-prefix properties, verify the exact version your site redirects to, so reports match the URLs visitors actually see.
Last editorial update: 15 November 2026.
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