In short. Indexed URL Inspection describes Google's stored crawl and indexing information, while the live test checks the page's current accessibility.
Definition: Search Console's indexed URL Inspection result describes Google's stored information from its last crawl of a page. The live URL test fetches the page again to assess its current accessibility and potential indexing issues.
Key facts
- As of 17 October 2026, Google's URL Inspection documentation distinguishes indexed results from a real-time fetch in the live test.
- Google's crawler documentation identifies Google-InspectionTool as the agent used by Search Console testing tools; crawl preferences for that agent affect those tools.
- Google's JavaScript troubleshooting guide describes URL Inspection evidence including loaded resources, JavaScript console output and rendered HTML.
What does the indexed result establish?
Google's URL Inspection documentation explains that Last crawl supplies the crawl time in local time. The stored report includes crawl access, fetch results and indexing permission. Where available, View crawled page exposes the returned HTML, HTTP headers and loaded resources. URL is on Google means the URL is indexed and eligible to appear in Search results.
A canonical URL is the representative address Google selects among similar pages. Google-selected canonical records that selection in indexed data; the live test cannot predict it. Indexed data also provides sitemap and referring-page information, which the live test omits.
What can the live test show?
Google's live-test instructions describe a fresh fetch with its own Time field. A successful test provides a rendered screenshot through this interface path:
Test live URL > View tested page > Screenshot
Screenshots are available only for successful live tests. View tested page also provides the returned HTML, HTTP headers and loaded resources. Live tests exclude duplicate-page decisions, manual actions, security checks and temporary URL blocks.
Google's JavaScript troubleshooting guide describes inspecting loaded resources and JavaScript exceptions. It recommends using URL Inspection or the Rich Results Test to check whether rendered HTML contains the expected page content.
Why can the results disagree after a change?
Google's comparison guidance gives removing a noindex tag, an instruction excluding a page from indexing, or changing a crawl block in robots.txt, the file that controls crawler access, as examples of changes awaiting indexing. Switching between Google Index and Live Test compares the stored and current observations.
Redirects also change the evidence: the live test follows them without showing the final tested URL. The indexed report describes the submitted URL and shows redirections.
Can crawler settings produce different evidence?
Google's crawler reference says preferences addressed to Google-InspectionTool affect Search testing tools. Preferences addressed to Googlebot, Google's Search crawler, affect Google Search and other listed products. The documented agent tokens are:
Google-InspectionTool
Googlebot
The same reference lists both desktop and mobile HTTP user-agent strings for Google-InspectionTool and warns that user-agent strings can be spoofed.
Related terms
- Google-InspectionTool
- Canonical URL
- noindex
- Where do I compare Google's selected canonical with my declared URL?
FAQ
Does a successful live test mean my page is indexed?
Google's URL Inspection documentation says a positive live result means the page can be crawled and parsed. Your page still needs to meet indexing conditions, including canonical selection and quality requirements.
Can I see a screenshot from the indexed crawl?
Google's URL Inspection documentation limits screenshots to successful live tests. You can open View crawled page in the indexed result for stored HTML and response details when that option is available.
Sources
- Google Search Console Help, "URL Inspection tool", undated
- Google Crawling Infrastructure, "List of Google's common crawlers", 15 October 2026
- Google Search Central, "Fix Search-related JavaScript problems", 18 December 2025
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