URL Inspection Tool

The URL Inspection tool is the feature in Google Search Console that tells you, for one URL at a time, exactly what Google knows: whether it is indexed, how it was crawled, what the rendered page looked like, and why it might be excluded. It is the fastest way to stop guessing about a page and get Google's own verdict.

It runs in two modes. The default view reports the indexed version, the snapshot Google last stored. Hit "Test Live URL" and it fetches the page fresh right now, which is how you confirm a fix before requesting reindexing. Same tool, two very different answers, and mixing them up is where most confusion starts.

What it actually shows you

A typical inspection returns something like this:

URL is on Google
  Coverage
    Sitemaps:            /sitemap.xml
    Referring page:      https://example.com/blog/
    Last crawl:          6 Jan 2026, 04:12
    Crawled as:          Googlebot smartphone
    Crawl allowed:       Yes
    Page fetch:          Successful
    Indexing allowed:    Yes
    User-declared canonical:  https://example.com/blog/crawl-waste
    Google-selected canonical: https://example.com/blog/crawl-waste

Beyond that summary you get the rendered HTML, a screenshot of how Googlebot saw the page, any page resources it could not load, and detected structured data. When Google's chosen canonical differs from yours, this is where you catch it.

Reading the coverage verdicts

The URL Inspection API

The UI is one URL at a time, which does not scale past a handful of checks. Google also exposes a URL Inspection API that returns the same coverage, canonical, and mobile-usability data programmatically. The hard limit is 2,000 queries per day per property and 600 per minute, so it is for spot-checking and monitoring, not for inspecting an entire large site every day. Tools that batch inspections all draw from that same daily quota.

How to check it on your own site

1. Open Search Console for the correct property and paste the full URL into the inspection bar at the top.
2. Read the indexed-version verdict first. Note the coverage status, the Google-selected canonical, and the last crawl date.
3. Click "Test Live URL" to fetch the page as it stands now. Compare the live result against the indexed one to see whether a recent change has been picked up.
4. Open "View Crawled Page" or "View Tested Page" and read the rendered HTML. Confirm your real content is present and not hidden behind JavaScript that failed to run.
5. If the page is fixed and eligible, click "Request Indexing." Use it sparingly; it is a nudge, not a queue you can spam.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Confusing live test with indexed status. A green live test means the page is indexable right now, not that it is indexed. Always read the indexed verdict for the current state.
• Inspecting the wrong property. A URL under the domain property can differ from the URL-prefix property. Check you are in the one that actually owns the URL.
• Spamming Request Indexing. Requesting the same URL repeatedly does not speed anything up and can look like abuse. Request once, then wait.
• Ignoring the Google-selected canonical. If Google picked a different canonical than you declared, your signals are conflicting. Fix internal links, redirects, and canonical tags so they all agree.
• Not viewing the rendered HTML. A page that looks fine to you can render empty for Googlebot if content depends on scripts that fail. The rendered view is where you catch that.

FAQ

What is the difference between the live test and the indexed result?

The indexed result is the version Google already stored and may be days old. The live test fetches the page fresh at that moment. Use the indexed view to understand current search state, and the live test to confirm a fix took effect.

Does Request Indexing guarantee my page gets indexed?

No. It moves the URL into a priority crawl queue, but Google still decides whether to index based on quality and canonicalization. A thin or duplicate page will not index just because you asked.

How many URLs can I inspect through the API?

Up to 2,000 queries per day per property, capped at 600 per minute. That makes it a monitoring and spot-check tool, not something you run across every URL of a large site daily.

Why does the tool show a different canonical than the one I set?

Google treats your canonical tag as a hint and weighs other signals: internal links, redirects, sitemap entries, and content similarity. When those conflict, it picks its own. Align every signal on the URL you actually want and the mismatch usually resolves.

Can I inspect a URL I do not own?

No. The tool only works for properties you have verified in Search Console. For competitor pages you are limited to a normal site: search, which shows far less.

Related: Google Search Console, XML Sitemap, Google Search Console Advanced Features