Sitemap says Success, but pages are not indexed: what to check
Success means Google read your sitemap. It does not mean Google indexed the pages in it. Filter the Page indexing report by your sitemap to see why each page is left out.
By Bruno Amorim · ·
Where you see it
The sitemap's Status in Indexing > Sitemaps says Success, but Indexing > Pages shows many submitted pages as not indexed.
What it means
A sitemap helps Google find pages. Google then crawls each page and decides whether to index it.
Google says there is no guarantee that a page discovered in a sitemap has been or will be crawled or indexed. Google makes the final call on what it indexes.
Common causes
- Google crawled the pages but chose not to index them yet: Crawled - currently not indexed.
- Google knows the pages but has not crawled them yet: Discovered - currently not indexed.
- The pages are duplicates, redirect, return errors, or carry a noindex rule.
- The sitemap lists addresses that are not the canonical version of the page.
Find the cause
- Open Indexing > Pages. In the filter above the chart, choose All submitted pages, or your sitemap's address.
- Read the reasons in the Why pages aren't indexed table. Each reason has its own fix.
- Inspect a few pages with URL Inspection to see the details.
How to fix it
- Fix the reasons Search Console gives, starting with the one that covers the most pages you care about.
- Take redirects, errors, noindex pages, and duplicates out of the sitemap. List only the canonical pages you want in search.
- Link to important pages from pages that are already on Google.
- For a few important pages, use Request indexing in URL Inspection.
See which of your pages Google skipped, and why. Free for up to 500 pages.
Get my free reportOn your platform
Shopify
Shopify makes your sitemap at /sitemap.xml and links it to smaller sitemaps for products, collections, blogs, and pages. Submit only sitemap.xml, in the Search Console property for your primary domain. Google can't read the sitemap while the store is in private mode with a password page. Shopify pages not indexed
WordPress
WordPress itself serves /wp-sitemap.xml. Yoast SEO and Rank Math serve /sitemap_index.xml instead, and Yoast turns off the WordPress one. Submit the address your site really uses. WordPress turns its sitemap off when Settings > Reading > Discourage search engines from indexing this site is checked. WordPress pages not indexed
Catch sitemap problems before they cost you pages
On paid plans, CrawlCoach downloads your sitemaps every day and reads Search Console's sitemap data for each fix list. When a sitemap stops loading, Search Console reports errors in it, or Google stops reading it, the fix goes in your fix list with the steps and a link to the right guide. See plans and prices.
Questions
Why are my submitted pages not indexed when the sitemap says Success?
Success only says Google read the file. Each page still has to be crawled and chosen for the index. Filter Indexing > Pages by the sitemap to see the reason Google gives for each page.
How do I see which sitemap pages are indexed?
In Indexing > Pages, use the filter above the chart. All submitted pages shows only addresses from your sitemaps. You can also pick one sitemap's address.
Should I remove pages that are not indexed from my sitemap?
Only if you don't want them in search, such as redirects, errors, noindex pages, and duplicates. Keep pages you want on Google and fix the reason they are left out.
Sources
Checked on October 8, 2026. Search Console's wording can change after that date.
See which of your pages Google skipped
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Related sitemap errors
- 0 discovered pagesSuccess with 0 Discovered pages means Google read the file but found no page addresses in it. Check what the file lists, and where it lives.
- Old Last read or pendingGoogle re-reads a sitemap on its own schedule. A Last read date that does not move after you change pages, or a sitemap with no Last read date, needs a check.
- Has errorsHas errors means Google downloaded your sitemap but found problems in it. Google still uses the addresses it could read. Click the sitemap to see each error, then fix them in the file.