Google Search Console Page Indexing Errors: How To Fix Them

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of common page indexing issues reported in Google Search Console (GSC) and outlines how to address them. It is designed for SEO professionals, marketers, and website owners.

The issues discussed include:

1. Not Found (404): Pages that no longer exist or have been intentionally removed.
2. Excluded by “noindex” Tag: Pages marked with the noindex directive to prevent indexing.
3. Server Error (5xx): Server-related issues preventing Googlebot from crawling a page.
4. Page with Redirect: URLs that redirect to other pages, leading to indexing of the redirected URL.
5. Soft 404: Pages that return a 200 status code but are essentially error pages.
6. Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag: Pages marked as alternates with valid canonical tags.
7. Crawled – Currently Not Indexed: Pages crawled but not yet indexed by Google.
8. Discovered – Currently Not Indexed: Pages known to Google but not crawled or indexed.
9. Blocked by robots.txt: Pages blocked from crawling via the robots.txt file.
10. Duplicate, Google Chose Different Canonical than User: Google selects a different canonical version than what the user specified.
11. Indexed, though Blocked by robots.txt: Pages indexed but blocked from crawling.
12. Page Indexed without Content: Pages that are indexed but have no meaningful content.

Each issue is explained briefly with actionable advice on how to fix it, ensuring pages are indexed properly for better search visibility. By resolving these common indexing issues, websites can improve their SEO performance and ensure that important content is indexed by Google.

This article is part of our Google Search Console Indexing Errors series. You may find other articles in the series here:

Crawled – Currently Not Indexed

Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag

Soft 404

Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag

Indexed thought blocked by robots.txt

Not Found (404)

A “Not Found (404)” error means Google tried to crawl a URL on your site that doesn’t exist – the server returned a 404 Not Found response. This often happens if a page was deleted or the URL is misspelled, and it results in Google dropping that URL from the index. In GSC’s Pages report, these URLs will be listed under the Not Indexed > Not found (404) status.

How to fix: If the missing page has a replacement or was moved, implement a redirect or update links to point to the correct URL. For example:

• Redirect or Restore: If the content was moved or replaced, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new page (to pass any link equity and guide users). If it was removed accidentally, consider restoring the content.
• Fix Broken Links: Audit internal and external links to the 404 page and correct them. Reach out to external sites linking to it and request an update to the correct URL if possible.
• Remove from Sitemap: Ensure the URL is not listed in your XML sitemap (since it no longer exists).
• Custom 404 Page: Create a user-friendly 404 page that helps visitors find relevant content (for instance, with navigation links or a search bar) – while this doesn’t fix the error, it improves user experience when 404s occur.

Additional Guidance:

• You don’t have to “fix” every 404. If a page was intentionally removed and has no suitable replacement (e.g., limited-time offers, time-sensitive content), it’s fine to leave it returning a 404/410. Google explicitly says it’s okay for sites to have 404s, and URLs returning 4xx are dropped from the index.
• Don’t auto-redirect all unknown URLs to the homepage (302/301). Google has repeatedly advised against redirecting dead pages to the homepage. Such redirects are often treated as soft 404s and confuse both users and crawlers. Use a real 404/410 instead unless there’s a clear, relevant one-to-one replacement to 301.

Excluded by “noindex” Tag

When a page is Excluded by a ‘noindex’ tag, it means Googlebot encountered a meta noindex directive (or X-Robots-Tag header) on that page, instructing Google not to index it. In other words, you or your CMS explicitly marked the page to be hidden from search results. This is often intentional for pages like login screens or duplicate content pages, but it can also be an oversight.

How to fix: If the affected page should be indexed and you set the noindex by mistake, remove the noindex directive so Google can index the page. Check your site’s code, CMS settings, or plugins to find where the noindex is coming from. However, if you intentionally added noindex (for a private or low-value page), then this status is expected and no action is needed – GSC is simply confirming that the page is not indexed per your instructions.

Server Error (5xx)

A Server error (5xx) indicates Googlebot tried to crawl the page but your server returned a 5xx HTTP status (a server-side error). This means the page couldn’t be loaded due to an issue on the server (examples: 500 Internal Server Error, 502 Bad Gateway, 503 Service Unavailable, etc.). As a result, Google couldn’t access or index the page.

How to fix: Server errors are often temporary but should be investigated, especially if they persist:

• Check Server Logs: Identify what is causing the error when Googlebot accesses the page. For example, it could be a server overload, a misconfigured application, or a timeout.
• Address Server Issues: If the server was overloaded or down, consider improving your hosting resources or configurations. Ensure your server, database, or CMS is properly configured and not running into memory or CPU limits.
• Retry and Monitor: Once fixed, use GSC’s URL Inspection tool to test the page and then click “Validate Fix” in the Indexing report. Monitor to ensure the 5xx errors do not recur. If needed, contact your hosting provider for further assistance.

Page with Redirect

“Page with redirect” means the URL Google attempted to index is actually a redirect (e.g. it forwards to another URL). Google does not index the redirecting URL itself – only the final destination (if that final page is indexable). This status can appear if you submitted a URL that redirects, or if there is a redirect loop or misconfiguration causing Googlebot confusion.

How to fix: First, inspect the listed URL in GSC to see where it redirects. If the redirect is intentional and configured correctly (e.g. an old page permanently redirected to a new URL), then no fix is needed beyond ensuring the target URL is indexable. If there’s an issue, consider these steps:

• Fix Redirect Loops/Chains: Make sure there isn’t a redirect loop or an excessively long redirect chain. A loop will prevent the page from ever loading, and too many hops can cause a Redirect error. Update any redirects that point in circles or simplify long chains to go directly to the final URL.
• Use Proper Redirects: Use 301 (permanent) redirects when appropriate instead of temporary 302s. Google treats 301s as a stronger signal that the redirect target should be indexed.
• Update Sitemaps/Links: If a URL was submitted in your sitemap or linked, and it now redirects, consider updating the sitemap or links to use the final destination URL (this helps Google discover the final URL directly).
• Canonicalization: Ensure the final page is self-canonical (points to itself) and not blocked from indexing. You can also use a canonical tag on the redirecting URL pointing to the final URL, but typically a 301 redirect is sufficient.

Soft 404 — Clarification

A Soft 404 occurs when a page looks like a not-found page to Google (e.g. it’s mostly blank or shows a “page not found” message) but does not return an actual 404 HTTP status code. In other words, the server returns a 200 OK status for a page that should have been a 404. Google treats these pages as “soft” errors because they likely have no useful content for indexing.

How to fix: The goal is to ensure that genuinely missing or low-value pages either return a proper 404/410 status or are improved into valuable pages:

• Improve or Remove Thin Pages: If the page is flagged as soft 404 due to having little or no content, consider adding meaningful content to it. For example, if it’s an empty category or placeholder page, populate it with relevant text or products. Otherwise, if the page isn’t needed, you might let it return a 404 or redirect it.
• Return Correct Status Codes: For pages that truly don’t exist or are not useful, configure your server to return an actual 404 Not Found or 410 Gone status. This signals to Google that the page should be dropped from the index. After fixes, use the URL Inspection tool and request indexing to see if the soft 404 status resolves.

Alternate Page with Proper Canonical

Google’s canonicalization docs note they may choose a different canonical than the one you indicate, based on signals (redirects, sitemaps, rel=canonical, etc.). This often happens when you have 2 similar pages, and is especially prevalent in multi-market websites.

For international sites (e.g., en-US vs en-GB) where the main content is essentially the same, Google may treat versions as duplicates and pick one canonical, even if each page has a self-canonical and proper hreflang. That’s expected canonicalization behavior; hreflang helps map alternates, but Google still chooses a single canonical within a duplicate cluster. It should also be noted that even if the language is different, it is not unheard of that Google still only chooses to index 1 version at first.

Crawled – Currently Not Indexed

This status means Google was able to crawl the page but chose not to index it yet. Essentially, Googlebot got the content, but for one reason or another Google’s indexer decided not to include it in the index on that crawl. The page may be indexed in the future or Google might continue to leave it out, depending on its assessment of the page’s value or relevance. GSC reports these under Excluded > Crawled – currently not indexed.

Google does not explicitly tell you why a particular page wasn’t indexed, but common reasons include thin or low-quality content, duplicate content, insufficient internal linking, or simply that Google hasn’t processed it yet. It could also be a timing issue (Google crawled it very recently and hasn’t indexed it yet).

How to fix: First, identify if any important pages are in this status. If a page is not critical (e.g., tag pages or other low-priority pages), you may not need to act. For pages that are important, consider the following:

• Content Quality & Uniqueness: Ensure the page has substantial, original content that provides value. Thin or duplicate pages are often skipped by Google. Enrich the content if necessary so it’s worth indexing.
• Internal Linking: Link to the page from other relevant, high-traffic pages on your site. Strong internal links signal to Google that the page is important and help Google discover it more often. Also verify that the page is in your XML sitemap to encourage crawling.
• Recently Published: If the page is new, give Google some time. “Crawled – not indexed” can simply mean indexing is pending. However, if it remains in this state for a long time, that suggests an issue with quality or crawl priority.

Discovered – Currently Not Indexed

“Discovered – currently not indexed” means Google is aware of the URL (e.g. found it via a link or sitemap) but has not crawled it yet. Google has queued the URL for crawling, but it hasn’t actually requested the page. This often occurs for larger sites where Google staggers its crawling, or if crawling the page earlier would have overloaded your server.

How to fix: Ensure that important pages don’t remain stuck in “discovered” state:

• Improve Crawlability: Check your server logs or use the URL Inspection Live Test to see if the page can be fetched. Make sure no technical factors are preventing Google from crawling (e.g., overly slow page load, frequent timeouts, or robots.txt blocking resources).
• Internal Links & Sitemaps: Add internal links to these pages from other well-crawled pages, and include all important URLs in your sitemap. This signals Google that the pages are important and helps it schedule them for crawling sooner.
• Avoid Infinite URL Spaces: Ensure your site isn’t creating near-infinite URL variations (like endless calendar pages or filtering parameters) that could be exhausting Google’s crawl budget. If so, prune or control those URL combinations (via noindex or blocking where appropriate) so Google can focus on real content pages.
• Patience for New Content: If the site or page is very new, you might simply need to wait. You can also manually request indexing in GSC to expedite crawling.

Blocked by robots.txt

This indicates Googlebot could not crawl the page because your site’s robots.txt file disallows it. When a URL is Blocked by robots.txt, Google may still know about the URL (from links or sitemap) but will not crawl it due to the rule. Consequently, the page won’t be indexed (or if it is indexed, it will be without content and classified as a “Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt” warning – which we cover later).

How to fix: If the page is supposed to be indexable, you’ll need to edit your robots.txt to allow Googlebot to crawl it:

1. Locate robots.txt: Fetch yoursite.com/robots.txt and find the section related to the affected page or section.
2. Modify Disallow Rules: If you see a Disallow: line that matches the page or its folder, remove it or narrow it down. For example, if Disallow: /private/ is blocking an important page under /private/, you may need to adjust that rule.
3. Allow Google to Recrawl: Once updated, use the robots.txt Tester in GSC to verify Googlebot is now allowed. Then request indexing for the page (via URL Inspection).

If you actually intended to block the page from being indexed, then using robots.txt was not the correct method to keep it out of the index. The correct approach is to allow Google to crawl it and then use a noindex directive on the page instead.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding and addressing the various page indexing issues reported in Google Search Console is crucial for maintaining the health of your website’s SEO. From handling 404 errors and noindex directives to fixing server errors and redirect loops, resolving these issues ensures that Google can properly crawl, index, and rank your content.

By staying proactive with regular checks in GSC and addressing common indexing problems like soft 404s, blocked pages, and duplicate content, you help ensure that only valuable, accessible pages are included in Google’s index. This not only improves your site’s visibility in search results but also ensures a better user experience, ultimately driving more organic traffic and supporting your SEO goals.

Fixing these issues isn’t just about keeping your site technically sound, it’s also about making sure that Google can properly understand and rank your best content, ultimately leading to better performance in search results.

At First Page Digital, we are a leading SEO agency with extensive experience analysing and resolving GSC page indexing issues. If you need expert assistance to look into your GSC account, feel free to reach out to our team for professional support.