How to Evaluate as a Googlebot

Evaluate your website as Googlebot to ensure it is indexed correctly.

Googlebot is the algorithmic program used by Google to index the Web. The program perpetually scans the Web for new and updated content, creating copies of all websites in order to provide fast and efficient Web searching. You can evaluate your website through the lens of Googlebot to ensure that Google is able to index the entirety of your site and that all links are easy to follow. In order to take advantage of the "Fetch as Googlebot" feature, you need to add your website to Google Webmaster Tools. The process takes only a few moments.

Instructions

1. Navigate to google.com/webmasters/tools and sign in using your Google account credentials.

2. Click "Add a site," type your website address, then click "Continue."

3. Click "Download this verification file" to save the Webmaster Tools verification file to your computer.

4. Upload the verification file to the root of your website directory using an FTP client.

5. Return to google.com/webmasters/tools and click "Verify this site" once upload is complete.

6. Select your website from the "Sites" list.

7. Click the "+" sign beside "Diagnostics," then click "Fetch as Googlebot.

8. Click the "Fetch" button to view your website home page. You can also view directories and other website files by entering their specific address in the provided text box before clicking "Fetch."

9. Click "Success" once the Googlebot has crawled your website to evaluate your website as Googlebot.

References

• Google: Fetch as Googlebot - Webmaster Tools