By Shad Super in Questions —

How Can Webmasters Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to See How Googlebot Views Their Pages?

Summary

Webmasters can use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to see how Googlebot views their pages. This tool provides detailed reports on URL indexing, page loading issues, and enhanced analysis with Live Tests. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to leverage this tool effectively.

Accessing the URL Inspection Tool

To access the URL Inspection Tool, log into your Google Search Console account. Navigate to the left-hand menu and click on "URL Inspection."

URL Inspection Tool

Source: Google Search Console Help [2023]

Inspecting a URL

Enter the URL you want to inspect into the search bar at the top of the page. Click "Enter," and you’ll be presented with an inspection report detailing:

  • Indexing Status - Whether the URL is indexed by Google, and if not, the specific reasons for it.
  • Crawled Status - The last crawl date, any crawling errors, and mobile usability issues.
  • Enhancements - Additional features affecting the URL, such as AMP, breadcrumbs, and structured data.

Coverage Report

Indexing Status

This section provides insights into whether the URL is indexed in Google Search. If the URL is not indexed, the tool will give reasons such as "Crawled - Currently Not Indexed" or "Blocked by robots.txt". For more detailed information, see the Google Coverage Report [2022].

Enhancements

Google Search Console also highlights enhancements such as AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), structured data, and mobile usability. For each of these enhancements, the tool provides details on improvements or issues. Learn more about these enhancements at Google Search Console Enhancements Report [2023].

Live Test

Running a Live Test

The "Test Live URL" option allows you to see how Googlebot processes your page in real-time. This is particularly useful for diagnosing issues that may have been fixed after the last crawl. Select "Test Live URL" and wait for the results.

Test Live URL

Source: Google Search - Test Live URL [2023]

Result Analysis

The live test will reveal several aspects of your page:

  • Page Resources - A list of what resources are successfully loaded or blocked.
  • JavaScript Console Messages - Errors or warnings from your JavaScript console.
  • Page Retrieval - How Googlebot visualizes your page, which can be cross-checked with the actual live page.

Common Use Cases

Here are some practical ways to use the URL Inspection Tool:

  • Diagnosing Canonicalization Issues - Ensures Google is referencing the correct canonical URL for your page.
  • Fixing Mobile Usability Issues - Identifies mobile-specific issues so you can improve mobile experience.
  • Validating Fixes - Use the live test to confirm that fixes have resolved past issues.

Troubleshooting Coverage and Enhancement Errors

If you encounter issues such as "Crawled - Currently Not Indexed," explore Google's detailed help guide at Google’s URL Inspection Help [2023]. Moreover, for common enhancement errors like AMP or structured data issues, consult Enhancements Troubleshooting [2023].

References