Bitesize: How to tell if mobile-first indexing is enabled

22 Jan, 2020

Categories: SEO

2 Minute Read

Two very quick and easy ways to check if your website has been moved over to mobile-first indexing using Google Search Console and your email account.

If you’re wondering whether your website has been moved over to mobile-first indexing yet, there are two easy ways you can check this.

Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console
Check for Google Search Console notification emails

Ideally, you’ll want access to the Google Search Console (GSC) account associated with your site(s) but you can also check by using the email account linked to your GSC account.

Method #1: Use the Inspection Tools in GSC

Google Search Console URL inspection tool

To check in Google Search Console, click on the left-hand menu column and open up the URL Inspection Tool. You can use this tool to check how Google last crawled your domain by looking at the Crawled as section.

Google Search Console crawled section on URL inspection tool

If you see the value “Google smartphone” in this field it means your site has been moved over to mobile-first indexing. If you see the value “Googlebot desktop,” then it’s still waiting.

Method #2: Check for Google Search Console notifications in your email

If you don’t have access to your GSC account, you can still check whether it has been enabled on your site if you have access to the email address assigned to your GSC account.

Google Search Console Mobile-first indexing enabled for www.example.com

If you search for “Mobile-first indexing enabled” in your inbox, you should see any emails from the Google Search console Team notifying you that your site has been moved over.

Mobile-first indexing enabled by default for new sites

Last year, Google announced that all new websites would have mobile-first indexing enabled by default. So, if your site went live after July 1st then it will already have the new indexing format enabled.

Keep in mind that mobile-first indexing will only affect your website if you are running separate desktop and mobile pages. Responsive websites are basically unaffected by the change.

You can find out more about mobile-first indexing by reading our 2020 guide and we’ve also got plenty of tips on how to create mobile-friendly content. Or find out more about our mobile SEO services and give us a call on 02392 830281 if you need help.

Kerry Dye

Kerry has been working in digital marketing almost since the beginning of the World Wide Web, designing her first website in 1995 and moving fully into the industry in 1996 to work for one of the very first web design companies. After a successful four years, Kerry moved to an in-house position for a sailing company, running the digital presence of their yacht races including SEO, PPC and email marketing as the primary channels. A stint then followed at another in-house role as online marketing manager. Kerry moved to Vertical Leap in 2007, making her one of the company’s longest-serving employees. As a T-shaped marketer – able to advise on digital strategy outside her main specialism – she rose through the ranks and in 2012 became the head of the Small and Medium Business (SMB) SEO team. In 2022 she became Vertical Leap's Automation and Process Manager. Kerry lives in the historic town of Bishops Waltham with her husband and daughter. When she’s not at work she enjoys cooking proper food, curling up with a good book and being a leader for Brownie and Rainbow Guides.