---
title: "Turn on indexing (Going live) to put your site online"
description: "Turning on indexing lets algorithms index your website, when to do it, which pages to finish first, and why not to do it too early."
type: "Trust post"
docType: "How-to guide"
from: "write-to-sell/positioning/introduction"
tags: ["1. Positioning"]
entity: "indexing"
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cuongthach.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Turn on indexing (Going live) to put your site online

Turning on indexing, or **Going live**, is the step where you let algorithms index your website. From then on, your website is officially on the Internet, which means that when someone searches for something that fits your brand, your content can show up for them. This is the last step of the Positioning stage, and stage 2 starts here.

## What is indexing?

Indexing is the technical term for **an algorithm collecting your website's content** to show users when they search. When a customer's need matches your brand, product or content, the algorithm shows them that content. When a customer wants to buy, the algorithm can also send them to your product page.

Turning on indexing means you declare the website **ready for others to see**. The algorithm starts to confirm who you are, read your content, and slowly learn what the website is about, which category the product belongs to and which niches the content follows.

Indexing takes time. When you publish a post, it may not be on the Internet right away. How fast it is depends on the website's stage, meaning how much trust it has already earned.

## When should you turn it on?

![When should you turn it on?](https://cuongthach.com/docs/_nimbus/md/1l27dh5/illus-docs-bat-index-khi-nao.en.svg "Six complete pages, then go live")

There are 2 levels, depending on whether you want speed or a solid start.

| Level | Pages that must be complete | Pages |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Recommended | Home page, about page, product page, and the 3 posts of one content funnel | 6 |
| Faster | Home page, about page, product page | 3 |

The recommended level makes use of **the first time an algorithm reads your website**. A [content funnel](https://cuongthach.com/docs/content-system/know-trust-love/introduction) proves your website's expertise and shows where your brand is heading. It is a springboard for later content, because the website is indexed better, and trust is clearer from the start.

There is another reason to turn on indexing early, which is that your website **starts to have a history**. Every measurement you take later needs this history.

## What are the steps to go live?

1. **Complete every page that will be read**

   Check each page on the list above. Each page must be complete, meaning no page or post has only a title. The home page answers who you are, the about page has your promise, and the product page has benefits and a price table.

   After this step, you have 3 or 6 pages that tell a stranger what you do and what you sell.
2. **Move unfinished pages to drafts**

   Every page or post that is not finished, including the sample pages your theme ships with and pages holding pasted placeholder text, goes back to draft. Algorithms only read published pages, so drafts do not drag your website's score down.

   After this step, your published pages are only the complete pages of the step above.
3. **Set links to use the post name**

   A link like `/?p=123` tells neither readers nor algorithms what the page is about, and looks ugly when shared. On WordPress, go to **Settings > Permalinks**, choose the post name structure, and save.

   Do this before you turn on indexing, because changing links after Google has read them breaks the old links.
4. **Turn off the search engine block**

   While you build, a website is usually set so that search engines can't index it. Turning on indexing means turning this off. If your website uses WordPress, go to **Settings > Reading**, untick "Discourage search engines from indexing this site", then save.

   From this moment, the website is open for algorithms to collect.
5. **Track it with Google Search Console**

   Connect your website to [Google Search Console](https://cuongthach.com/docs/write-to-sell/resources/tools/google-search-console) if you haven't yet. Search Console shows you which pages have been indexed, and once it has 3 months of data, it may send a monthly report on impressions and clicks.

   You will see pages get indexed over a few days to a few weeks, depending on the website's stage. Then import your website into [Bing Webmaster Tools](https://cuongthach.com/docs/write-to-sell/resources/tools/bing-webmaster-tools) so it shows up on Bing too.

## Why not turn it on too early?

If you turn on indexing while the content is half done, the first time an algorithm reads your website is also when it is at its weakest. You risk being seen as a **low-quality website** from the start. Once trust has dropped, later posts may be indexed very slowly, or not at all.

So from your first pages, the website needs to show that you are serious, a certain level of care and real effort in the content. Waiting a few more days to complete 6 pages is usually better than turning on indexing with 6 unfinished ones.

:::caution[Don't turn on indexing with title-only pages]
An empty page or one with only a title is a signal of low-quality content. Complete the page first, then turn on indexing.
:::

## Related pages

- Doesn't cover the Blueky screens: see the Blueky post [Essential website setup before SEO](https://help.blueky.com/en/essential-website-setup-before-seo).
- Doesn't teach how to set up measurement tools: see [Google Analytics](https://cuongthach.com/docs/write-to-sell/resources/tools/google-analytics).
- Doesn't teach how to build a product page: see [Create a product page](https://cuongthach.com/docs/write-to-sell/positioning/guides/product-page).
- Doesn't explain the personal site and business site: see [Business site](https://cuongthach.com/docs/write-to-sell/positioning/concepts/business-site).

Source: https://cuongthach.com/docs/write-to-sell/positioning/guides/go-live/index.mdx