Help your profile show up on Google

You want people who Google your name to land on your profile. Two switches let search engines in. A few small touches help you look good in the results. And there's a quick way to check whether Google has found you yet. We'll walk through all of it.

Before you start

Two things have to be true before Google will list your profile:

Your profile must be Published. A profile that isn't published is hidden from everyone, search engines included.
The Search Engines setting must be on. This is the one switch that lets Google in. If you'd rather stay out of search, see keeping your profile off Google instead.

This works on any plan. There's nothing to buy.

How do I get my profile to show up on Google?

Open your profile settings.
Scroll to the Visibility & Features card.
Turn on Published. Its note reads "Make this profile publicly visible."
Turn on the Search Engines toggle. Its note reads "Allow search engine indexing."
Select Save changes. You'll see a "Settings saved." message.

That's the green light. With both switches on, your profile invites Google to list it, and we hand Google a sitemap so it can find your sections and posts too. Now Google has to come visit, which takes time. The rest of this guide helps you look good once it does, and shows you how to check.

Writing a title and bio that read well in search

Google shows two lines for your profile: a bold title and a short description under it. Both come straight from your profile, so it's worth getting them right.

Your Title becomes the bold line in search results and the name on the browser tab. Make it clear and specific, like "Jordan Lee, wedding photographer." Aim for under about 60 characters so it shows in full.
Your Bio becomes the short description under that title. We use the first 160 characters or so, so put what matters in the first sentence.

You'll find both fields in the Profile Information card on your profile settings page. Fill them in and save. Google also reads the rest of your page, so a clear name and real section text help it understand what you're about.

Setting the image that shows when you share your link

When someone shares your link on social media or in a chat, a preview card appears with an image. We pick that image for you in this order:

Your profile cover image, if you have one.
Your avatar, if there's no cover.

For a sharp preview card, add a cover image in your profile settings.

How long until Google finds me?

Here's the honest answer: it's up to Google, not to us. The moment you save, your profile starts inviting search engines in. But Google still has to crawl your page and then index it. That runs on its own schedule, and nobody outside Google sets it.

Google says crawling a new page can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. A brand-new profile often takes at least a week to first appear. And Google never promises to list any page at all, ever. There's no button on our side that makes it instant. We wish there were.

You can nudge things along by sharing your profile link. Pages that get visited and linked to tend to get noticed sooner.

Am I on Google yet? (how to check)

You don't have to wait and wonder. Ask Google directly with a special search called the site: operator. It tells Google "only show me pages from this web address."

Go to Google.
In the search box, type site: followed by your profile's web address, with no space. For a custom domain that looks like site:yourdomain.com. For a NoTrouble address it looks like site:your-handle.notrouble.com.
Press search.

What you'll see:

Your profile appears in the results. Google has found and listed you. You're in.
"Your search did not match any documents." Google hasn't listed your profile yet. If you turned the setting on a moment ago, that's normal, give it time.

You can also search your exact name or your handle. If your profile is indexed, it should turn up. One note: the site: check doesn't always show every page Google has, so treat it as a quick yes-or-no, not a full count.

How do I check if my profile is indexed?

The fastest check is the site: search above: type site: plus your web address into Google and see if your profile comes back. If it does, you're indexed.

For a definite answer on a single page, Google offers a free tool called the URL Inspection tool inside Google Search Console. You paste in a page's web address and it tells you whether that exact page is indexed, and why if it isn't. That's a Google tool, not a NoTrouble one, so you'll sign in and work in their dashboard. For most people, the site: search is enough.

I turned indexing on but I'm still not in Google

First, take a breath. New pages often take a week or more to show up, so a fresh profile not appearing yet is normal, not broken. Once it's been longer than that, run through these in order:

Your profile isn't published. Open your profile settings, find the Visibility & Features card, and confirm Published is on. A profile that isn't published can't be listed no matter what.
The Search Engines toggle slipped off. In that same card, confirm Search Engines is on and that you selected Save changes after.
The change is brand new. If you turned Search Engines on recently, Google hasn't re-visited your page to notice. This is the most common reason, and time is the only fix.
You searched too broadly. Search your exact name or handle, or use the site: check above. For a general phrase, you're competing with the whole web.
You changed your handle. Your web address is built from your handle. If you changed it, the old address stopped working, and Google needs time to catch up to the new one.

Why isn't my whole profile in search, only the main page?

This is normal, and nothing's wrong. We list your published sections and posts in your sitemap. Google indexes pages on its own timeline, though, and it decides which ones to include. Your main profile page usually shows up first. Deeper pages can follow over the days and weeks after, and Google may skip a few. Keeping each section and post published, with a clear title and real text, gives them the best shot.