Seeing 'URL is unknown to Google' reported in URL Inspection?

Question

A "URL is unknown" message from Google doesn't necessarily mean Google is completely unaware of the URL. This message indicates that Google hasn't yet processed and added this specific URL to its internal database of crawled web pages.
 
There are two main reasons why a URL might be unknown:
Not Discovered Yet: Google hasn't come across the URL yet. This could be because the page is new or there are no links to it from other indexed pages.
Not Crawled Yet: Google has discovered the URL but hasn't crawled and indexed it yet. This could be due to crawl budget limitations or other factors.
How to Help Google Find and Index Your Pages
Make sure your pages are linked to from other indexed pages. This is the most important factor in helping Google discover your content.
Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console. A sitemap is a file that lists all the URLs on your website. Submitting your sitemap can sometimes help Google discover your URLs more quickly. (Although read this: Does my site need a sitemap? for information on why best to not get too fixated on sitemap, they are not a magic solution) 
Crawl Budget and How to Increase It
Crawl budget refers to the resources Google allocates to crawling your website. Google prioritizes crawling websites with valuable and frequently updated content. Here's how to improve your crawl budget:
Create high-quality, informative content that users will find valuable. This is the most important factor in increasing your crawl budget.
Optimize your website for fast loading times. This will help Google crawl more pages on your site efficiently.
Reduce the number of HTTP requests required to load your pages. This can be done by minimizing the use of JavaScript and CSS files.
Additional Notes
The "Discovery" section in Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool is always blank for unknown URLs. This doesn't necessarily mean Google hasn't discovered the URL. (will only report on Discovery information after processing)
 
It's a common misconception that crawl budget issues only affect large websites. In reality, websites of all sizes can be impacted.
 
"Discovered - currently not indexed" signifies that Google attempted to process the URL but failed due to limitations on its crawling resources (crawl budget).
 
"URL is unknown to Google" indicates that Google hasn't even begun processing the URL, meaning it may not have been discovered yet. And/or there isn't Crawl Demand to crawl. 
 
For a deeper understanding of crawl budget and its implications, refer to this related guide:
Advice for sites with Crawl Budget Issues - the cause of Discovered - currently not indexed 
(To be clear, this is an AI drafted post, but the original was written by a Human (me), it's not purely generative, and the output has been checked to correct the inevitable AI mistakes)

Seeing 'URL is unknown to Google' reported in URL Inspection?

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