Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be indexed by a search engine?
Being indexed by a search engine means that your web pages are added to the search engine's database. Once included, your pages are eligible to show up in search results. PageIndexer offers a suite of tools designed to accelerate the process of getting your web pages indexed by search engines.
Why is an SEO URL indexing tool necessary?
Simply put, managing URL indexing (and sometimes deindexing) for SEO purposes can be quite challenging, depending on the nature of the project or website. That's precisely where PageIndexer comes in - it's a SEO tool designed to streamline the process of getting your URLs indexed on search engines, effectively eliminating the hassle for you.
PageIndexer automatically monitors the indexing status of your website's URLs. If it finds pages that aren't indexed but should be, PageIndexer swiftly steps in to ensure they get indexed quickly. The best part? You don't need to lift a finger. Just relax and watch as your URLs get indexed!
How does PageIndexer enhance page indexing?
For Google, PageIndexer utilizes the Google Indexing API to make the submission of your web pages more efficient, ensuring quick and reliable indexing. For Bing, Yandex, and Naver, we employ a shared interface called the IndexNow API.
How quickly can I expect my pages to be indexed with PageIndexer?
Typically, pages submitted through PageIndexer are indexed within 24 hours. However, it might take a bit longer for these updates to be reflected in Google Search Console, for example, as their data can be delayed by 3-4 days.
How can I see if my URL is indexed?
On your dashboard, you can see a list of all your website URLs and their indexing status. If a URL is indexed, you will see a green status badge with "Submitted and indexed" text. We regularly check the indexing status of your URLs and update the status badge accordingly.
Why is Owner permission required?
We recognize that asking you to grant PageIndexer's unique service account Owner status in your Google Search Console might feel a bit overreaching, and truthfully, it can be a bit bothersome.
But, it's important to understand that this strict prerequisite is imposed by Google. It's the only way PageIndexer can act on your website's behalf to efficiently submit pages for indexing. The service account needs Owner permissions to perform effectively; lesser permission levels simply won't do the job.
You might be concerned about the security of this setup. We're here to alleviate those concerns. The service account is designed not for individual login to Google Search Console, but to be equipped with very specific permissions.
Its role is exclusively to interact with the Google Indexing API for tasks such as submitting pages for indexing or de-indexing requests and checking the status of these requests.
For maximum security, the service account uses access keys for API authentication, which are securely stored on the Google Cloud platform. These keys are strictly safeguarded and never disclosed to any third parties.
How can I encourage Google to index my site?
Encouraging Google to index your site involves submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console. This step makes it easier for Google's web crawlers to discover and index the pages on your site. PageIndexer is equipped to identify any issues with your site or sitemap, ensuring smooth indexing.
Is it safe to use PageIndexer?
Yes. We only use official Google APIs to submit your URLs for indexing. We don't use any black hat SEO techniques. We don't use any bots or scripts. We don't use any third-party services. We don't use any shady tactics. We don't do anything that could harm your website's SEO.
How to add new sitemaps?
If you're expanding your website with new pages and need to update your XML sitemap for PageIndexer to kick off its indexing magic, you're in luck—it's quite straightforward.
We've made the process easy by integrating directly with Google Search Console (GSC) to automatically fetch all sitemaps linked to your properties.
Just follow these easy steps to add a new sitemap:
- Go to Google Search Console at https://search.google.com/search-console.
- Choose the correct site property from your Google Search Console account.
- Click on "Sitemaps" from the menu.
- Enter your complete sitemap URL in the space provided and click "Submit."
- Head back to PageIndexer's "Manage Sites" section.
- Find the right site and hit the refresh icon next to the sitemaps.
And there you have it! Your sitemap list should now include the newly added sitemap, ready for PageIndexer's indexing process.
What is your refund policy?
Given the expenses involved in account setup, we're unable to provide refunds. That said, you're welcome to cancel your subscription at any point via self-service prior to the renewal date.
Should you encounter any problems with our product, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help and will do our best to resolve any issues.
Can I cancel my subscription at any time?
Absolutely, you have the freedom to cancel your subscription at your convenience using the Stripe Billing Portal available in your dashboard.
Is there a limit to the number of website URLs?
There isn't a cap on the number of URLs you can submit, but there is a daily limit on the number of pages we can check — up to 2000 per site. This means that for larger websites, the review process may take a bit longer.
What does it mean if my site is crawled but not indexed?
When your site is crawled but not indexed, it indicates that while Google's web crawlers have visited your site, they haven't included it in Google's search index. This situation can arise from several issues, such as suboptimal site architecture, content of low quality, or technical glitches. PageIndexer offers a solution by allowing you to resubmit all your pages in bulk, streamlining the process and saving you time.
How can I verify if a URL is indexed by Google?
To check if a URL is indexed by Google, consider these strategies: Google Search: Type "site:https://yourwebsite.com/your-url" into Google's search bar.
If the URL shows up in the search results, it means it's indexed. Google Search Console: Use the Index Coverage Report in Google Search Console to review the indexing status of a URL. The URL Inspection tool is also handy for this purpose.
Google Analytics (or similar tools): Keep an eye on organic traffic directed to the URL. Incoming traffic from Google (excluding ads) suggests the URL is likely indexed.
PageIndexer: Our SEO tool regularly checks whether your website's URLs are indexed on Google and other search engines.
Using these methods, you can easily find out if a particular URL has been indexed by Google.
When will indexed pages show up in Google Search Console (GSC)?
After submitting your pages for indexing, it's important to note that they won't instantly appear in the Google Search Console (GSC) indexing report. There's a bit of a delay in how quickly the report updates, which is crucial to understand as you analyze your indexing efforts.
The update frequency of Google Search Console's indexing report and the actual indexing status of pages can differ. As of now, the indexing report usually updates every 3-4 days. This means that newly submitted and indexed pages might not show up right away in the report. Instead, they will be visible after the report undergoes its next update cycle.
Want to check the latest update status of the report? Simply visit the Indexing report section in Google Search Console. The "Last Updated" date, located in the top right corner, will tell you when the data was last refreshed. Always refer to this date to ensure you're looking at the most current information.
Can I add multiple websites?
Certainly! There are no limits to the number of websites or URLs you can add to your account. However, we recommend reviewing our pricing plans as each plan allows for a specific number of websites to be added.
Can I link multiple Google Search Console accounts?
Yes, PageIndexer allows you to connect an unlimited number of Google Search Console accounts without any limitations.
What if my question isn't listed here?
Feel free to reach out by sending an email to [email protected]. We're here to help and happy to assist you!
What do the statuses "Not Checked" and "In Progress" mean?
The "Not Checked" field displays pages whose status our tool has not yet fetched. The "In Progress" field shows a list of pages whose status we are currently retrieving.
Due to Google API limitations, we cannot get the status of all pages at once. Google has set a limit of 2,000 pages per day. Therefore, if your site contains, for example, 10,000 pages, it will take us 5 days to get the indexing status of all pages on your site.