Search access starts with a reachable page

Separate crawlability, technical index readiness, and Google-reported indexing with source evidence.

Discovery is not indexing

A navigation link or sitemap entry helps a crawler discover a URL. A successful response and compatible robots rules help it fetch the page. Neither establishes that Google has indexed it.

Discovery: a real HTML link or sitemap entry.
Crawlability: public response and applicable robots access.
Index readiness: no observed noindex directive and canonical review.

Review the technical barriers

Search Health checks initial HTML, HTTPS, redirects, robots directives, canonicals, sitemap XML, and link accessibility. A bounded crawl is a sample of the site, not a complete inventory.

Check both meta robots and X-Robots-Tag headers.
Treat canonical consolidation as an intent review, not automatically an error.
Treat mobile rendering and orphan-page candidates as manual review items.

Google confirmation is its own evidence

URL Inspection reads the indexed version Google holds. It cannot run a live URL test or request indexing through this interface. Without authorized Google evidence, the indexed state remains Unknown.

Record the inspection timestamp and verdict when supplied.
Keep Google-selected canonicals separate from local canonicals.
Use Search Console directly for manual live testing or indexing requests.

Give the next improvement an owner.

Open workspace Talk strategy