When you launch a new website, Google does not automatically know it exists. You need to tell Google your site is there and give it everything it needs to crawl and index your pages quickly. Done correctly, you can have your homepage indexed within hours and most pages within a few days.

Quick Answer: To get your website on Google fast: set up Google Search Console, verify your domain, submit your XML sitemap, and use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing for your most important pages. For new sites, also build at least one external link from an already-indexed site — this gives Googlebot a path to discover you through crawling. Most pages on new sites index within 24–72 hours using this approach.

Step 1: Set up Google Search Console

Google Search Console is the direct communication channel between you and Google. Setting it up is the first and most important step.

  1. Go to search.google.com/search-console
  2. Click Add Property and choose Domain (covers all versions of your site)
  3. Add the DNS TXT verification record to your domain registrar
  4. Click Verify

Verification takes 5–10 minutes. Once verified, Google knows you own the site and begins paying more attention to it.

Step 2: Submit your XML sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file listing all the pages on your site that you want Google to index. Submitting it tells Google exactly which pages exist and where they are.

  1. In Search Console, go to Sitemaps in the left navigation
  2. Enter your sitemap URL (usually yoursite.com/sitemap.xml)
  3. Click Submit

Most website platforms (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace) generate a sitemap automatically. If you are on a custom-built site, create one using a free sitemap generator or install a plugin.

What if my site does not have a sitemap?

Create one. A sitemap is not optional for a new site trying to get indexed quickly. Google can discover pages without one, but it is much slower. Free tools like xml-sitemaps.com can generate a sitemap for sites up to 500 pages at no cost.

Step 3: Request indexing for your key pages

Do not wait passively for Googlebot to find your pages — proactively request indexing for each important page:

  1. In Search Console, open the URL Inspection tool
  2. Enter the URL of your homepage
  3. Click Request Indexing
  4. Repeat for your most important pages (services, products, about)

For established sites, this typically triggers indexing within hours. For brand new domains, expect 24–72 hours for the first pages to appear.

Step 4: Get at least one external link

A brand new domain with no external links may take longer to index even with sitemap submission, because Googlebot prioritises discovering pages through link crawling. Getting one external link from an already-indexed site gives Googlebot a direct path to your site.

Easy first links for a new site:

  • Your Google Business Profile — link your website to your GBP listing
  • Your social media profiles (LinkedIn, Facebook Business, Twitter/X) — add your website URL
  • A relevant directory listing — submit to a free industry directory
  • Your personal LinkedIn profile — add your site as a featured link

How do you check if your site is on Google?

The quickest check: search site:yourdomain.com in Google. If any results appear, your site is indexed. If no results appear, it is not yet indexed. Note that brand new sites may show zero results initially — this is normal. Check again after 24–48 hours.

Also check Search Console's Coverage report for a more complete picture — it shows which pages are indexed and why any pages are excluded.

Why is my site still not showing on Google after a week?

If your site has not appeared after a week despite submitting the sitemap and requesting indexing, check for blocking issues: Is your robots.txt accidentally blocking all crawlers? Do your pages have noindex meta tags? Is your site password-protected? Use Search Console URL Inspection to see exactly what Google sees when it visits your pages.

Summary

  • Set up Google Search Console and verify your domain — this is the essential first step
  • Submit your XML sitemap through Search Console
  • Use URL Inspection to request indexing for your homepage and key pages
  • Build at least one external link to give Googlebot a crawl path to your new domain
  • Check indexing with site:yourdomain.com or Search Console Coverage report
  • If stuck after a week, check for robots.txt blocking, noindex tags, or password protection

Continue reading: What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS for SEO?