How to ask Google to update your website in search results

Have you made updates to your website hosted on our one.com servers, but you're not seeing the changes in Google's search results? That might be because Google hasn't recrawled your site yet. This guide explains what that is and how you can request a recrawl.

What is crawling and recrawling?

  • Crawling happens when Google's bots scan your website to find and index new or updated pages (URLs) for search results.
  • Recrawling is when these bots revisit your indexed pages (URLs) to check for changes.

Google generally crawls and recrawls websites automatically, following its own dynamic schedule. However, you can request a recrawl through the Google Search Console to help speed up the process, potentially improving your site's visibility in search results.

Note: Requesting a recrawl doesn't guarantee immidiate visibility in search results. Google's systems prioritize indexing high-quality, valuable content, and the crawling process can still take several days to weeks.

Step 1 - Verify your website in Google Search Console

To request a recrawl, you first need to verify your website in Google Search Console, where you log in with your Google account.

  • If you haven’t added your website yet

    1. Choose one of the two property types:

    Domain - recommended for full domain verification
    URL prefix - for a specific address

    2. Follow the verification steps to prove ownership of your domain.

    Screenshot of an opened Google Search Console showing the two property types.

  • If your website has already been added

    1. Click the menu icon (☰) in the top left corner.
    2. Click Search property to open the drop-down menu.
    3. Select your Domain or URL prefix from the list.

    Screenshot of the Google Search Console with the steps to open an already added domain marked with numbered dots.

Step 2 - Submit a URL for recrawling

Once your website is verified, you can request Google to recrawl a specific URL. Note that submitting individual URLs is limited to approximately 10 to 12 URLs daily, and submitting the same URL multiple times does not speed up the crawling process.

  1. In the left menu, click URL Inspection.
  2. Enter the full URL of the page you want to recrawl in the search bar at the top and press Enter.
  3. Wait for Google to retrieve the details.
  4. If the URL is valid and indexed, click Request Indexing, this may take a few minutes.
  5. Google will prioritise this page for recrawling.
Screenshot of the Google Search Console with the 'URL Inspection' in the left menu highlighted, and the search bar at the top to enter the full URL of the page.

Add a sitemap (optional for multiple URLs)

For a larger number of URLs, it's recommended that you add a sitemap. A sitemap.xml file lists all your pages and helps Google efficiently discover and index your pages. A sitemap can also include additional metadata about alternate language versions and video or image pages, making it easier for search engines to understand your site’s structure.

  1. In Google Search Console, go to Indexing in the left menu and select Sitemaps.
  2. Enter the sitemap URL, e.g. https://one-example.com/sitemap.xml
  3. Click Submit to process the sitemap.

Google will periodically check the sitemap for updates and recrawl your pages.

Tip: If you want to learn more about sitemaps or need a more detailed explanation on how to do this, we recommend Google’s own documentation: Build and submit a sitemap

Screenshot of the left menu with 'Indexing' opened and 'Sitemaps' selected. The field to enter the sitemap with the 'Submit' button is also highlighted.

Why hasn't my website been updated in Google Search?

There’s no guaranteed timeline for when Google will recrawl and index your pages. A single URL request may take a few hours to a few days, while submitting a sitemap with multiple URLs can take longer, depending on the website's size. Be patient and monitor progress using the Index Status report or the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console.

The following factors influence revisiting and recrawling speed:

  • Google’s recrawling schedule – Some pages are recrawled more frequently than others.
  • Website authority – High-traffic and frequently updated sites are usually indexed faster.
  • Website content – More frequently updated content and pages lead to quicker recrawling by Google.
  • Technical issues – Problems with sitemaps, robots.txt, or meta tags can prevent Google from recrawling your pages.

Best practices to improve Google recrawling

To help Google recrawl and index your website more efficiently, consider following best practices:

  • Adding links from your new content to existing content, known as internal links, helps Google to find and prioritise updating your site.
  • Gain relevant, quality backlinks from authoritative sites to updated page content to signal credibility.
  • Publish new, useful, and relevant content regularly to encourage Google to revisit your site more often.
  • Maintaining a well-organised site structure with easy navigation helps Google crawl your pages efficiently.
  • Ensure your robots.txt file allows recrawling and that your sitemap is error-free. Issues with sitemaps, meta tags, or the robots.txt file can block Google's bots.

If you need more help with indexing or search visibility, we recommend visiting Google’s official documentation and support.

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