Methods to Find the Number of Pages on a Website
Method #1: Google Search Operators
To estimate how many pages from a domain are indexed, do the following steps:
- Open Google.
- Type: site:example.com.
- Press Enter.
At the top, Google will show you the number of results, and the number of pages that have been indexed will appear as well.
Advantages
- It is simple and swift.
- Easy to do if the goal is to know about the indexed pages.
Disadvantages
- It is not always 100% accurate.
- There are some limitations based on the frequency of Google updates.
Method #2: Check Google Search Console
If you are the owner of the site, Google Search Console provides detailed information related to indexing. Here is how it works:
- Log in to Google Search Console.
- Choose the website.
- Select the Pages report under Indexing.
- View the number of Indexed pages OR View the number of Not Indexed pages.
Advantages
- It provided flawless and insightful information.
- Identifies some important indexing issues and reasons for exclusions.
Disadvantages
- This is available by verifying the ownership of the website.
Method #3: Use Website Crawling Tools
All available pages can be identified employing such SEO tools as Xenu Crawl, Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, etc. For this purpose, do as follows:
- Download/install a crawler.
- Enter the website URL.
- With the help of the tool, complete the crawl.
- Check the total number of detected URLs.
Advantages:
- The results are trustworthy.
- It is very practical and effective for large-scale audits.
Disadvantages
- Sometimes, the pages concealed behind logins or JavaScript cannot be included.
- There are crawl limits in the free versions.
Method #4: Use the XML Sitemap
Since the majority of websites have an XML sitemap, it is quite possible you can have it as well, and with the help of the sitemap, you’ll see all intended pages for search engines. Most websites have an XML sitemap that lists all intended pages for search engines. This is how you can use it:
- Locate the sitemap: example.com/sitemap.xml or check robots.txt.
- Open the sitemap in a browser/sitemap checker.
- Count the number of <url> entries.
Advantages
- It offers a straightforward review process.
- Provides errorless results.
Disadvantages
- Not all websites keep their sitemaps updated.
- It does not always include dynamically generated pages.
Method #5: Use Online Services & Tools
Digital tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush offer analysis of crawl behavior and indexing. The steps are described below:
- Sign up, then log in to the SEO platform.
- Enter the website URL.
- Go to Site Explorer/Site Audit features.
- Check how many pages have been discovered and indexed.
Advantages:
- It provides insightful information regarding the page count (backlinks, keywords).
- This is a reliable solution for competitive analysis.
Disadvantages:
- To work without limitations, one needs to subscribe to a paid version.
- Reported data may not represent indexing changes in real-time.
Method #6: Check with CMS or Analytics (For Your Own Site)
Being the owner of the website, you can see the number of pages that are accessed or published with the help of a content management system (CMS) or web analytics platform (like Google Analytics). To check the information, do the following:
- Open WordPress.
- Go to Pages.
- Select All Pages.
There is also another option:
- In Google Analytics, go to the Behavior
- Select Site Content
- Select All Pages report.
Advantages:
- For live content, flawless results are provided.
- It is an effective method for identifying popular/orphan pages.
Disadvantages:
- It can’t be used for sites that are out of your management or control.
- Admin access is required.
Why Knowing the Number of Pages on a Website is Important
Information about the number of website pages plays a significant role in developing effective content strategy, enhancing SEO performance, improving technical management, gaining more valuable competitive know-how, and you name it. To put it short, the number of pages on a website is a key metric for digital success. Let’s go deep into each of them to better understand the highlighted importance of website page count.
SEO and Site Structure Analysis
The details about total pages help acquire knowledge of the site structure, its search engines, crawling, and indexing. Additionally, it unveils the true depth and complexity of the website and has its own impact while identifying orphaned pages or duplicate content.
Content Management and Planning
Being aware of the page count lets the website owners manage and plan the essential parts of the content, and think about the updates and expansions in an organized manner. In the case of restructuring and setting new yet realistic goals with a vision of constant content growth, information about page numbers on a website does matter.
Competitive Analysis
While there are front-runners in the industry, the benchmark of your site’s size can be defined on the basis of such details as the number of pages. It is a strong insight into the scale, strategy, and tactics used by the competitors.
Website Performance and Maintenance
Everyone likes the idea of optimizing the site performance, taking into consideration many technical resources, which are easily planned if there is a clear-cut understanding of the page count. For instance, an abundance of pages speaks about a heavier server load and prolonged maintenance time.
User Experience Optimization
Navigating could become challenging for users when there are numerous pages. So if you know more details about the page count, you can boost the site navigation and foster the internal linking strategies. If you use WordPress you can use WordPress plugins that suggest internal linking.
Marketing and Budgeting
The success of marketing campaigns often relies on the quantity of landing pages or sections. Knowing details concerning page count will impact the budgeting for advertising, content creation, and SEO.
Who Might Need the Number of Pages on a Website
Knowing the number of pages is a fundamental metric for the digital success of a website, and it is used by many specialists, such as website creators, administrators, marketers, etc. The number can help them make important decisions aligned with their goals.
- SEO and link building specialists use the number of pages to estimate traffic potential, on-page SEO, content audits, etc. Also, it helps them analyze the strategies of plan optimization and evaluate indexing coverage.
- For others, such as website owners and administrators managing the site growth, redesign plans, and content updates, are highly dependent on the number of pages on a website. Additionally, the information about pages ensures relevance and consistent quality across the website.
- The website’s scalability and overall technical health are assessed by IT specialists and web developers. In this context, the number of pages on a website is helpful for the allocation of resources and maintenance planning.
- Who else, if not market researchers, needs to learn more about content gaps with the help of identifying the market positioning? Also, knowing the number of pages on a website helps them benchmark the strategies exercised by the competitors.
- UX designers cannot be out of this game since they are known for improving user flow and site navigation. When a UX designer knows a lot about a website, in this case, the number of pages on the website, the design of the site will be designed appropriately, for instance, the interface will be user-friendly.
- Strategies of targeting and budgeting are successfully managed by campaign managers and advertisers if the number of pages on a website is known to them. When this information is available to them, the number of landing pages can be easily and wisely determined.
Final thoughts
When you see someone longing to learn about the number of pages, don’t think it is only about the quantity – this is the case when the quality and organizational structure of the site matter a lot. A site with overfilled information or another one that is poorly maintained will not perform as well as a well-structured and logical website will.
To avoid problems and have control over the health of the website, just follow the tools and techniques we recommend in this article.