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How do you use the URL Inspection Tool in GSC to debug indexing or rendering issues?

The URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful feature that helps you debug indexing, rendering, and canonicalization issues for specific pages on your site.

How do you use the URL Inspection Tool in GSC to debug indexing or rendering issues?

🔍 What It Does

The tool shows how Googlebot sees your page and whether it:

  • Is indexed

  • Can be crawled

  • Is mobile-friendly

  • Has any rendering issues

  • Follows the right canonical URL

🛠️ Step-by-Step: How to Use It

✅ 1. Open URL Inspection Tool

✅ 2. View Index Status

Once the URL loads, you'll see:

  • ✅ URL is on Google (or ❌ Not indexed)

  • Crawl date

  • Sitemap association

  • User-declared canonical vs. Google-selected canonical

  • Mobile usability status

📌 If it's not indexed, look for reasons like:

  • noindex tag

  • Crawl errors

  • Redirects

  • Blocked by robots.txt

✅ 3. Click “View Crawled Page”

This opens two tabs:

  • HTML: The raw HTML Googlebot saw

  • Screenshot: How Google rendered the page

Use this to find issues like:

  • Missing or broken content

  • Render-blocking JavaScript

  • Page elements not loading

✅ 4. Test Live URL

Click “Test Live URL” to force GSC to crawl the page again in real time. This bypasses cached results.

Useful for:

  • Testing after fixing an issue

  • Checking how current the indexed page is

✅ 5. Request Indexing (If Needed)

If you've fixed issues or updated the page, click “Request Indexing” to ask Google to recrawl it.

Note:

  • You can only request indexing for a limited number of URLs per day.

  • This queues the page for reprocessing — not instant indexing.

🚩 What to Watch For

Problem AreaWhat to Look For
Indexing issuesnoindex, crawl errors, canonical mismatch
Rendering problemsBlank screenshots, missing dynamic content
Mobile usability errorsFont size, tap targets, viewport issues
Canonical URL mismatchGoogle ignoring your canonical
Structured dataValidation errors in schema

✅ Bonus Tip: Use in Debugging

When fixing SEO issues:

🧠 Summary

FeatureUse Case
URL statusSee if page is indexed
Crawl infoCheck last crawl, errors, sitemap
Live testForce a real-time crawl
Screenshot & HTMLSee how Google renders your page
Canonical infoVerify self vs. Google canonical
Request indexingTrigger re-crawling after a fix

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