Every client asks this and the honest answer is that it depends, which is unsatisfying and true. What nobody publishes is a clean measurement across sites of different ages, with the variables actually controlled. This test sets out how I am measuring it on my own properties and what I expect to find.
The question
How long does Google take to discover and then index a new page, and how much does that change with the age and authority of the site it sits on? Alongside that, does submitting a URL through Search Console measurably speed it up, or does it only feel like it does.
Why this matters
Indexing time shapes what you can promise about content. A business publishing weekly needs to know whether a page is live in search in days or in weeks, and whether a new domain will behave differently from an established one. Most advice here is anecdote, and the anecdotes disagree with each other.
The method
Twelve pages across three properties of different ages, published in matched batches on the same day, with identical structure and comparable length. Within each property, one page is submitted through Search Console and one is left to be found naturally.
| Element | Setting |
|---|---|
| Properties | One new domain, one established small site, one larger established site |
| Pages | 4 per property, published the same day, matched for type and length |
| Variable one | Site age and authority, across the three properties |
| Variable two | Submitted through Search Console, or left alone |
| Discovery | First crawl date from Search Console URL inspection |
| Indexing | First date the page returns for a unique invented string |
| Checks | Daily for the first fortnight, then weekly |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
All twelve pages are linked from their site’s normal navigation and included in the sitemap, which keeps the test about age and submission rather than about orphaned pages.
What I expect to happen
My prediction, written before the result: the established sites index within days and the new domain takes weeks, with the gap wider for discovery than for indexing. I expect Search Console submission to help noticeably on the new domain and to make almost no difference on the established ones.
That last part is the one I am least sure about, and it is the part clients ask about most.
Results
The result is pending until the eight weeks are up. When it fills, it will carry the discovery and indexing date for each of the twelve pages, broken down by property and by whether the URL was submitted, so you can see the spread rather than a single average that hides it.
[PAUL TO ADD: the dates for all twelve pages, once the test has actually run.]
What I concluded
The conclusion is pending and follows the data. If submission turns out to make no measurable difference anywhere, that is worth saying plainly, because it is a step a lot of people perform religiously on the assumption that it does something.
How to repeat this
Running this needs at least two sites of genuinely different ages and eight weeks of patience. Setup is an hour. The part that ruins it is publishing the pages on different days or making them different lengths, which quietly turns an indexing test into a content test.
- Pick two or three properties of clearly different ages and authority.
- Write four near-identical pages per property, each containing its own unique invented string.
- Publish all of them on the same day, linked normally and included in the sitemap.
- Submit half of them through Search Console. Leave the rest completely alone.
- Check daily for a fortnight, then weekly, recording first crawl and first appearance for the invented string.
Limitations
Three properties is a small sample and my sites are not representative of every sector. Indexing is also affected by crawl demand, which varies with how often a site changes, so a result here describes these sites rather than yours. Google does not publish how any of this is decided.
FAQ
How long should indexing take?
There is no reliable published figure, and it varies with the site. Established, frequently updated sites are usually crawled within days. New domains with few links can take considerably longer. Anyone giving you a confident number across all sites is guessing.
Does submitting a URL in Search Console help?
It is designed to prompt a crawl, and whether it measurably shortens the wait is exactly what this test is checking. My expectation is that it helps most where discovery is the bottleneck, meaning new or poorly linked sites, and does little on sites Google already crawls often.
Why is my page crawled but not indexed?
Usually because Google looked at it and judged it not worth keeping, rather than because of a technical fault. That normally points at duplication or thin content. Resubmitting does not fix it, because the page was found perfectly well the first time.
Does a sitemap speed up indexing?
A sitemap helps with discovery, particularly on large sites and new sections, so it can shorten the first half of the wait. It does not oblige Google to index anything, and a sitemap full of redirected or noindexed URLs works against you rather than for you.
Sources
- Google Search Central, URL inspection tool documentation, on requesting indexing and what the tool reports about crawl status. Accessed 16 September 2026.
- Google Search Central, sitemaps documentation, on discovery and the absence of any indexing guarantee. Accessed 16 September 2026.
Waiting on pages that never appear?
Pages that never get indexed usually have a reason, and it is rarely the one people assume. Working out whether yours is a discovery problem, a quality judgement or something technical takes a look at Search Console rather than a guess.
Get in touch, or start with a free assessment. More tests are on the tests hub.