Google Search Console (GSC) is the primary tool for monitoring how Google crawls and indexes your store. Submitting your sitemap through GSC is one of the most impactful SEO actions you can take.
Step 1: Verify Your Site
- Go to Google Search Console
- Click Add Property and enter your store’s domain
- Choose a verification method:
- HTML file — download and upload to your web root
- HTML meta tag — add to your theme’s header template
- DNS record — add a TXT record via your domain registrar
- Google Analytics — automatic if GA is already set up
- Complete verification
Step 2: Submit Your Sitemap Index
- In GSC, select your property
- In the left sidebar, click Sitemaps
- In the “Add a new sitemap” field, enter your sitemap index URL:
- With
.htaccess:yourstore.com/sitemap_index.xml - Without
.htaccess:yourstore.com/index.php?route=extension/hbseo/sitemap/index
- With
- Click Submit
✅ You only need to submit the sitemap index — not the individual sitemap files. Google follows the links in the index to discover all child sitemaps automatically.
Step 3: Monitor Indexing Status
After submission, GSC shows:
- Discovered URLs — How many URLs Google found in your sitemaps
- Indexed — How many are actually in Google’s index
- Errors — XML parsing errors or URLs that returned errors when Google fetched them
ℹ️ Note: Google does not guarantee indexing every URL in your sitemap. Sitemaps are hints, not commands. Focus on content quality alongside technical SEO.
Using the URL Inspection Tool
Use URL Inspection in GSC to check the index status of any specific page:
- Enter a product, category, or information page URL
- GSC shows whether it’s indexed, when it was last crawled, and the canonical URL Google found
- If not indexed, the tool shows the reason and lets you Request Indexing manually
ℹ️ Google and IndexNow: Google is not currently a participant in the IndexNow protocol (as of early 2026). For Google, use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing of specific important pages, and keep your sitemap fresh and submitted.
Coverage Report — Common Issues to Watch
| Issue | Likely Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Submitted URL not found (404) | Deleted product/page still in sitemap | Purge sitemap cache after major catalog changes |
| Duplicate without user-selected canonical | Multiple URLs for same content | Check canonical tags in your theme |
| Crawled but not indexed | Content quality issue | Improve product descriptions and uniqueness |
| Redirect error | Product URL changed without redirect | Set up 301 redirects or update canonical |
Core Web Vitals
GSC also shows Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, INP) for your pages. Fast pages get crawled more frequently — good Core Web Vitals improve crawl efficiency and indirectly help indexing of your full catalog.