You spent hours writing a high‑quality blog post, hit Publish, shared it on social media—and then waited. Days later, you open Google Search Console and see the dreaded status:
“Discovered – Currently Not Indexed.”
Frustrating, right?
In simple terms, this means Google knows your page exists (usually from your XML sitemap), but it has chosen not to crawl or index it yet. This is not a penalty—but it is a signal that Google doesn’t see your page as a priority.
The good news? This is fixable.
In this guide, you’ll learn 3 proven methods to help Google crawl and index your WordPress pages faster—without guessing or blindly clicking “Request Indexing.”
Why Does “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed” Happen?
Let’s keep this simple. This issue usually appears due to one (or more) of the reasons below.
1. Crawl Budget Limitations
Googlebot has a limited amount of time and resources for each website. If your site is new, slow, or has many low‑value URLs, Google may delay crawling new pages.
2. Thin or Low‑Priority Content Signals
If Google suspects your page is similar to others, low value, or not very useful, it may deprioritize crawling it—even if the content is original.
3. Orphan Pages (No Internal Links)
If no other page on your site links to the new post, Googlebot has no natural path to reach it. In this case, the sitemap alone is a weak signal.
Fix #1: The Internal Link Boost (Most Effective)
Why This Works
Googlebot discovers and prioritizes pages by following links. A page with zero internal links (an orphan page) relies only on your sitemap—which Google often ignores until later.
What to Do (Step‑by‑Step)
- Open an existing, high‑performing post on your website.
- Add a contextual internal link pointing to the unindexed page.
- Use natural anchor text related to the topic (avoid “click here”).
Pro Tip for WordPress Users
You can:
- Manually add links inside the WordPress editor, or
- Use a tool like Link Whisper to identify internal linking opportunities automatically.
📌 This step alone fixes most “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed” issues.
Fix #2: Improve Crawl Budget (Technical Optimization)
Why This Matters
If your server is slow or Googlebot is wasting time crawling useless URLs, it may stop before reaching your important posts.
Step 1: Check Your Site Speed
Use Google PageSpeed Insights and ensure:
- Your hosting is fast
- Caching is enabled
- Images are optimized
A slow WordPress site = less crawling.
Step 2: Stop Wasting Crawl Budget (Critical for WordPress)
By default, WordPress creates many low‑value URLs:
- Tag pages
- Author archives
- Date archives
- Feed URLs
If you don’t use them strategically, noindex them.
How to Do It (RankMath / Yoast)
- Go to your SEO plugin settings
- Navigate to Titles & Meta
- Set the following to NoIndex (if unused):
- Tags
- Archives
- Author pages
This frees up Googlebot to crawl and index your actual blog posts.
Fix #3: Verify Sitemap & Request Indexing (The Right Way)
Step 1: Resubmit Your Sitemap
In Google Search Console:
- Go to Sitemaps
- Submit or resubmit:
sitemap_index.xml
This refreshes Google’s discovery signals.
Step 2: Use URL Inspection (Only After Fix #1)
Now:
- Open URL Inspection Tool
- Paste the affected URL
- Click Request Indexing
⚠️ Important: Request indexing after adding internal links. Otherwise, Google may ignore the request.
FAQ: Discovered – Currently Not Indexed (WordPress)
It means Google knows the URL exists (usually from your sitemap or internal links) but has decided not to crawl or index it yet. This is often due to crawl budget limits or low priority signals.
It can take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. Proper internal linking, good site speed, and optimized crawl budget can significantly speed up the process.
No. If the page has weak signals (no internal links, thin content, slow server), Google may ignore the request. Fix those issues first, then request indexing.
Yes. Too many low‑value pages (tags, archives, feeds) can waste crawl budget and delay indexing of important content.
If they don’t provide unique value or traffic, yes. Noindexing unused tags and archives helps Google focus on your main posts and pages.
Conclusion & Call to Action
Seeing “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed” doesn’t mean your content is bad. It means Google needs stronger signals.
To recap:
- Add internal links (most important)
- Optimize crawl budget
- Fix sitemap and request indexing properly
Indexing can take time—but these steps dramatically speed up the process.
Need Professional Help?
Still seeing indexing errors or unexplained drops in Search Console?
I offer comprehensive Technical SEO Audits to uncover and fix hidden indexing, crawl, and performance issues.
👉 Contact me for a quote and let me handle the technical headaches for you.
