You open the Pages report in Search Console and find a list of URLs marked "Crawled - currently not indexed" or "Discovered - currently not indexed". The usual reaction is to assume something is broken and press "Request indexing" again and again.
Before touching anything, it helps to understand that these are two different situations, that neither is a technical error in itself, and that no button guarantees Google will end up indexing a page. What you can do is find out why it is happening and improve your chances.
"Discovered": Google knows it exists but has not gone to look yet
This status means Google knows the URL, usually because it found it in a sitemap or a link, but has not crawled it yet. It has been left in the queue. That may be because Google did not want to overload your server, because it has plenty of other URLs from your site pending, or simply because it does not see the page as a priority.
On small sites with a healthy server, a pile of "discovered" URLs is usually a sign that Google sees little value in them, not that it lacks resources. On very large sites it can genuinely relate to how much time Google spends crawling.
"Crawled": it has read the page and, for now, decided not to include it
Here Google did visit the page, read it and chose not to add it to the index, at least for the moment. It is not a failure: it is a judgement about whether the page offers something the index does not already have. That is why this status is usually more revealing than the other, as it points to the quality or usefulness of what you published.
The practical difference is this: with "Discovered" Google has not yet formed an opinion; with "Crawled" it has, and so far it has not been favourable.
Common causes
There is almost always a mix of these:
- Thin or duplicate content: pages with very little text, descriptions copied from the manufacturer, near-identical product pages, tags or filters that repeat listings.
- Few internal links: orphaned or buried pages that can only be reached through the sitemap. If your own site does not link to them, it is telling Google they are not important.
- Overall site quality: if a large share of your URLs adds little, Google tends to be more selective across the whole domain, good pages included.
- Technical problems: a slow server or intermittent errors, content that only appears after JavaScript runs, chained redirects.
- URLs that should not be indexed: parameters, pagination, internal search results. In that case the status is correct and there is nothing to fix.
A realistic action plan
Start by deciding which ones matter. Export the list and split it: the services, products and articles you want to rank versus everything else. It is normal for part of the rest never to be indexed.
For the ones that matter, use URL Inspection and check that there is no noindex, that the canonical points to the page itself and that Google sees the full content once rendered. Then improve what can be improved: original, useful content that differs from your other pages; internal links from strong pages with descriptive anchor text; and, if you have several near-identical pages, merge them into one better page and redirect the rest. Finally, keep only the URLs you actually want indexed in the sitemap.
Once you have made changes, request validation from the report itself and wait. This is measured in weeks, not hours.
What to avoid, and when there is nothing to do
Avoid requesting indexing in a loop: the quota is limited and it does not fix a quality problem. Publishing more weak content, buying links to force it, or deleting pages in bulk without criteria will not help either. And remember that Google does not index everything it crawls and is under no obligation to.
If a page still does not get in after you have improved it and waited a reasonable time, it probably adds nothing different from what Google already has. Reconsider whether that URL needs to exist or should be folded into a more complete one.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a page take to get indexed?
It depends on the site and the page; there is no guaranteed timeframe. Some get in within days, others take weeks and some never do. A site with good quality and solid internal linking usually moves faster.
Does "Request indexing" help?
For a new, important page it works as a nudge to Google. It does not force indexing or make up for weak content, so it is not worth repeating without having changed anything.
Should I worry if I have lots of URLs with these statuses?
It depends on which ones. If they are filters, tags or pagination, probably not. If they are your key services, products or articles, it is worth reviewing them calmly.