Indexing is the step where a search engine processes a page it has crawled and decides whether to store it in its index, which is essentially the searchable database behind the results you see. During indexing, the search engine analyzes the page’s content and signals such as headings, internal links, structured data, and canonical tags to understand what the page is about and which queries it may be relevant for. If a page is not indexed, it generally cannot appear in search results, even if people search for its exact title.
For accuracy and clarity, it helps to remember that crawling does not guarantee indexing. A page may be crawled but excluded from the index due to a noindex directive, duplicate or near duplicate content, thin or low value pages, blocked resources that prevent proper rendering, or other quality and technical issues. To support reliable indexing, publish clear, original content, use consistent internal linking, avoid accidental noindex, and make sure the page returns the right status code and is accessible to bots. Tools like Google Search Console can show whether a URL is indexed and often provide the specific reason if it is not.