Start here
Step 1: check whether the site is indexed
Type site:yourdomain.co.uk into Google, with your own address and no space after the colon. Leave off https:// and www, so the site: search also covers www and any other subdomains.
- No results: Google probably hasn’t indexed the site. Work through steps 2 to 4.
- Some pages missing: Google says the site: list isn’t always complete, so check those pages with URL Inspection first.
- Your pages appear: the site is indexed, and the question is ranking. See business name searches.
Symptom, likely cause and fix
Search Console’s own wording is in quotation marks.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No site: results for a new site | Not found or crawled yet | In Search Console, request indexing of your homepage and submit your sitemap |
| Loads for you, not in a private window | Password, trial plan or “coming soon” mode | Publish the site and remove the password |
| Your address shows a holding page or an error | Domain not connected to the website | Follow your builder’s connect-a-domain guide |
| “URL marked ‘noindex’” | A “hide from search engines” setting left on | Turn indexing on, then request indexing |
| “URL blocked by robots.txt” | A Disallow rule | Remove the rule blocking the page |
| Google shows a staging or duplicate address | Wrong canonical tag, or several versions of the site | Point the canonical at the live https address; redirect the rest |
| “Discovered - currently not indexed” | Known, not crawled yet | Link the page from your menu, keep it in the sitemap, wait |
| “Crawled - currently not indexed” | Crawled, not chosen for the index | Often fine; for a key page, make it more useful and distinct |
| A Manual actions message | A spam policy problem, perhaps from a previous owner | Fix every affected page, then request a review |
| On Google, missing from Bing and Copilot | Not in Bing’s index | Add the site to Bing Webmaster Tools |
| Never cited by ChatGPT or Perplexity | Their search crawlers blocked, or other pages preferred | Allow OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot; if they’re allowed, treat it as ranking |
| Your name search shows other businesses | Ranking, not indexing | Use one full business name everywhere |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column →
How long does a new website take to appear on Google?
Google’s guide to getting on Google says, “It can take a few weeks for Google to notice a new site.” Its recrawl guide says crawling can take “anywhere from a few days to a few weeks”, and its Search Console help says indexing is never instant, even when you ask for it, and not every page is guaranteed a place.
Links from other sites help Google find a new one, but Google warns that paying for links can break its spam policies. On Wix or Squarespace, Google says the platform will probably tell it about new pages.
Step 2: set up Google Search Console and ask Google to look
Search Console is free. You don’t need it to appear on Google, but it usually shows why a page isn’t indexed.
- Add your site as a Domain property if you can add a DNS record. It covers http, https, www and subdomains together.
- Inspect your homepage with URL Inspection. “URL is not on Google” usually comes with the reason. Use Test live URL after fixing something.
- Request indexing from the result. For a new site, Google recommends starting with your homepage. It limits requests, and asking again for the same page won’t speed it up.
- Submit your sitemap in the Sitemaps report. Google treats a sitemap as a hint, not a promise.
Step 3: look for something blocking search engines
URL Inspection usually names one of these.
noindex left on
WordPress’s “Discourage search engines” box (Settings > Reading) adds a noindex tag. Wix’s “Let search engines index your site” switch in SEO Settings must be on. Search your page source for noindex; URL Inspection also catches one sent as an HTTP header.
robots.txt blocking the site
Open yourdomain.co.uk/robots.txt. In Google’s examples, User-agent: * then Disallow: / blocks almost every crawler from the whole site.
Password, trial or staging
Google can’t index pages behind a login. Squarespace says search engines won’t find trial, expired or cancelled sites. Check in a private window, as Google suggests.
Duplicate addresses or a wrong canonical
Pick one https address, with or without www, and redirect the others to it, as Google recommends. Google treats a canonical tag as a strong signal, so check yours names that address, not a staging copy.
Google adds that a misconfigured firewall or DoS protection can block Googlebot; if Search Console reports server errors, ask your host.
“Discovered” and “Crawled - currently not indexed”, in plain words
These labels in the Page indexing report aren’t penalties.
- Discovered: Google knows the address but hasn’t fetched the page. Google says this is typically because crawling it then was expected to overload the site, so the crawl was rescheduled.
- Crawled: Google fetched the page but hasn’t indexed it. Google says this is common and doesn’t necessarily need attention.
For an important page, rule out a block, link to it from your menu, and make sure it says something your other pages don’t. Google says sites under 500 pages probably don’t need this report.
Thin or copied pages, and domains with a past
Google’s helpful content guidance asks whether a page offers original information and a substantial description of its topic. Two lines and a phone number, or text copied from a supplier, gives Google little to work with. Explain what you do and for whom, in your own words.
Bought a domain someone used before? Check its history on the Wayback Machine and in Search Console’s Manual actions report. If a previous owner broke Google’s spam policies, Google says to fix the issues and say in your reconsideration request that you recently acquired the site.
Step 4: get on Bing, and use IndexNow
Microsoft’s Copilot documentation says that, with web search on, Copilot may fetch information from the Bing search service.
- In Bing Webmaster Tools, which is free, import your site from Search Console. That verifies it and brings your sitemaps across.
- Microsoft says Bing processes sitemaps at least once every 24 hours. URL Inspection shows whether Bing has a page.
- The AI Performance report, added in February 2026, shows how often your pages are cited in Copilot, Bing’s AI summaries and some partner services.
IndexNow lets your site tell participating search engines when a page is added, updated or deleted. Its home page lists Microsoft Bing, Naver, Seznam.cz, Yandex and Yep as supporters, not Google. Microsoft says Shopify, Wix and Duda support it, or you can install an IndexNow plugin.
How ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews find websites
| Assistant | What the provider says | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT search | OAI-SearchBot surfaces sites in ChatGPT search. Sites that opt out won’t appear in its search answers, except as navigational links. | robots.txt and firewall allow OAI-SearchBot. Changes take about 24 hours. |
| Microsoft Copilot | With web search on, may fetch information from the Bing search service. | The site is indexed in Bing. |
| Perplexity | PerplexityBot surfaces and links sites in Perplexity’s search results. | robots.txt and firewall allow PerplexityBot. Changes can take up to 24 hours. |
| Google AI Overviews and AI Mode | Pages must be indexed and eligible for a snippet, and the site must be included in Search Console’s Search generative AI setting. | Google indexing, no leftover noindex or nosnippet tags, and Settings > Search generative AI set to Include (the default). |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column →
OpenAI’s GPTBot, used for model training, is a separate setting from OAI-SearchBot, so you can block training and still allow search. Firewalls can block AI crawlers whatever robots.txt says. If you use Cloudflare, check Security > Settings > AI Crawler and Agent access policies. Search shouldn’t be set to Block, and the Training setting also covers crawlers used for both search and training.
For a local business, Microsoft suggests Bing Places for Business and Google suggests claiming a Business Profile. No public address? See getting on Google without one.
Why searching your business name shows other businesses
If your site is indexed, that’s ranking, not indexing. Google tailors results to each searcher’s location and history. Its local results weigh relevance, distance and popularity, which includes links and reviews, and Google says you can’t pay for a better local ranking. A new business called, say, “Bright Cleaning” competes with established businesses using the same words.
- Search your name in quotation marks, which Google treats as an exact match.
- Put your full business name in your homepage title, main heading and footer.
- Use the same name, phone number and web address on every listing, linking to your site.
The 10-point checklist
Do these in order, fixing anything that fails.
- Search Google for
site:yourdomain.co.uk. Is your homepage there? - Open the site in a private window. No password or “coming soon” page?
- Type the http, https, www and non-www versions. Do all four end at one https address?
- Open /robots.txt. Any
Disallow: /underUser-agent: *, or rules naming Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot or PerplexityBot? - View your homepage source. Any noindex? Does the canonical show your live address?
- Check your builder’s search settings and plan status.
- In Search Console, inspect the homepage, request indexing if needed and submit your sitemap.
- Check the Manual actions report, and that Settings > Search generative AI says Include.
- Import the site into Bing Webmaster Tools.
- Check any firewall or Cloudflare AI crawler settings.
If you’d rather have it done for you
Millwards Digital builds websites for UK small businesses with descriptive page titles, crawlable links, mobile-friendly layouts and HTTPS. Launch is £249 plus £39 a month for hosting, SSL, backups, maintenance and support. We can’t promise a particular Google position; no responsible web designer can.
Common questions
How long does it take for a new website to show up on Google?
Google gives no fixed time. It says it can take a few weeks to notice a new site, and that requesting indexing doesn’t guarantee a page will be included.
Why is my website on Google but not on Bing?
Bing keeps its own index. Add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools, which can import it and its sitemaps from Google Search Console.
How do I get my website to show up in ChatGPT?
OpenAI says ChatGPT search uses its OAI-SearchBot crawler, and sites that block it won’t be shown in ChatGPT search answers. Make sure robots.txt and any firewall allow it.
Do I need an llms.txt file to appear in Google’s AI Overviews?
No. Google says Google Search ignores llms.txt and similar AI text files. The page needs to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet, and the site mustn’t be excluded in Search Console’s Search generative AI setting.
Why does searching my business name show a different business?
Your site may be indexed but not ranking yet. Google’s local results weigh relevance, distance and popularity, so an established business with a similar name can come first.
How we checked
On 14 November 2026 we read each provider’s own documentation, linked above, and didn’t guess at timescales they don’t give. Spotted a change? Email info@millwards.shop.