How to fix GSC ‘Crawled – Currently not indexed’ error

Should you’re studying this, you’ve possible encountered the “Crawled – Presently Not Listed” error in Google Search Console. 

Of the 213 Google Search Console profiles I entry, 89% have the “Crawled – Presently Not Listed” error listed of their Google Search Console accounts. (Sure, I counted). 

As any web optimization skilled will inform you, it will possibly really feel like the top of the world if you don’t know how one can resolve the error, leading to a shriveled backlog of technical errors you’ll get to at some point. 

Earlier than you toss this error within the pile to evaluation later, take a step again and assess the info. I’ve rounded up seven fixes for the most typical web optimization debacles I’ve seen so you’ll be able to salvage your web sites and save a little bit time. 

Why would Google crawl a web page however not index it?

There are a number of explanation why a web page could also be crawled however not listed. 

In Google’s web optimization Workplace Hours in March 2022, John Mueller highlighted among the widespread explanation why customers might even see the error “Crawled – Presently not listed,” like: 

• Error code like a 404 error.
• Noindex tag on the web page.
• Duplicate content material. 

Mueller later acknowledged one more reason: 

• “We crawl one thing, however by the point we get to indexing, we resolve we really wish to get one thing else from the web site as an alternative.”

Should you learn between the traces, I interpreted this as Google classifying your content material as unhelpful, signaling a top quality challenge. 

With Google’s AI Overview announcement, Google is reducing the crawl budget, so optimizing your crawl price range with high quality content material is a excessive precedence. 

This ties into what Gary Illyes talked about on X, the place your poor-quality content is replaced with higher-quality content.

How do I repair ‘Crawled – Presently not listed’ in Google Search Console?

1. Manually evaluation all of the pages flagged within the report

First, I manually reviewed all of the pages flagged within the Google Search Console “Crawled – presently not listed” report. 

To entry the report, go to Google Search Console > Pages, then look beneath the part “Why pages aren’t listed.”

As soon as within the report, you’ll be able to export the info to Google Sheets, Excel, or CSV to filter it. 

Then, there are two issues I begin to dive into: 

• Dates in comparison with affected pages: I’m seeking to see if the development line is rising or lowering. If it’s lowering, it alerts that we might have fastened the problem. 

• URL construction: I’m seeking to see if there’s a typical sample between parameter URLs, language subfolders, or comparable URLs. I exploit the “Cut up textual content to columns” possibility in Google Sheets. This helps me determine patterns. As you’ll be able to see under, I already know I want to research two potential points: worldwide web optimization and canonical tags.

2. Begin an inner hyperlink hierarchy implementation mission

Should you’ve ever launched a chunk of content material with out an inner hyperlink, or simply plain forgot (ahem), you’ve in all probability requested your self why your content material isn’t performing. 

If you spend hours, days, and generally months prepping a golden nugget of content material solely to see it as a tragic, damaged mess with no visitors, it’s not enjoyable. 

Happily, if there are methods to salvage the content material and make it a better high quality piece, Google is able to index. 

All you want is a little bit inner hyperlink hierarchy implementation mission. 

I take no less than two weeks to map out inner hyperlink alternatives by figuring out inner pages to hyperlink from and to. 

To search out high quality inner hyperlink possibilities, I leverage Google’s web site search operators like “Website:mydomain.com Key phrase.”

As soon as I collect an inventory of 5-10 pages I’d prefer to hyperlink to and from, I verify for key phrase cannibalization in Google Search Console. 

Go to Search Outcomes > kind of your Question > filter by pages in Google Search Console. 

Then, I decide the web page that I wish to rank for these phrases as my major inner hyperlink. 

Keep in mind your web site’s construction. If there are various pages not listed within the navigation, search engines like google might not discover them due to your web site construction. 

3. Add self-referencing canonical tags to fight duplicate content material

The following battle I intention to win is eradicating any duplicate content material within the report. 

Add self-referencing canonical tags to parameter URLs to keep away from duplicate content material. 

For instance, let’s say this URL was listed in my report for  “Crawled – Presently not listed”: 

• www.annalovesburritos.com/en/120313

The canonical tag ought to be self-referencing and appear to be this: 

• www.annalovesburritos.com/en/120313

However generally, I run into points the place the canonical tag appears to be like like this 

• www.annalovesburritos.com/120313

See something lacking? The subfolder is lacking.

One other problem I face is when the canonical tag for a parameter URL is listed. 

Let’s use the instance above: 

• www.annalovesburritos.com/en/120313

And we add a parameter: 

• www.annalovesburritos.com/en/120313?clientID-12345 

However if you verify the canonical tag, it exhibits the parameter URL: 

• www.annalovesburritos.com/en/120313?clientID-12345 

You do not need to record your parameter URL as your canonical tag to keep away from duplicate content material. 

So, for those who see this: 

<hyperlink rel="canonical" href="https://www.annalovesburritos.com/en/120313?clientID-12345" />

You’ll wish to change it to this: 

<hyperlink rel="canonical" href="https://www.annalovesburritos.com/en/120313" />

5. Double-check your hreflang tags are appropriate

One other fast win to assist get your content material crawled and listed is double-checking your hreflang tags.

You’ll wish to guarantee your nation and language codes are correct. 

However you’ll additionally wish to verify that the content material exists within the language it says it does. 

I can’t inform you what number of instances I’ve come throughout hreflang that claims it’s in Japanese, however after I really go to the Japanese internet web page, it’s written in English. 

That is thought of duplicate content material, and Google will possible by no means index it. 

6. Audit your XML sitemap

When you’ve cleaned up the canonical and hreflang tags, verify your XML sitemap. 

You wish to make sure that all of the pages listed in your XML sitemap are 200 standing pages with self-referencing canonical tags and localized variations listed beneath the first model. 

If in case you have key cash pages, you’ll be able to create a short lived XML sitemap that focuses solely on the pages listed within the “Crawled–Presently not listed” report. 

7. Submit fastened URLs to the URL inspection device 

The ultimate step is manually submitting all of your fastened URLs into the URL inspection device in Google Search Console. 

Sometimes, I’ll select batches of 10-20 URLs and see how Google treats these. 

Needless to say simply since you did every part proper doesn’t imply Google will repair the problem. It turns into a ready sport for Google to recrawl every URL and decide if it’s higher than an present web page. 

Useful content material is the way in which to keep away from the ‘Crawled – Presently not listed’ error in Google Search Console

Let’s face it: Google possible is just not indexing your content material due to high quality points. 

Keep in mind, simply because a web page is listed right this moment doesn’t assure it is going to be listed tomorrow. Google will change the way it evaluates content material, and you will need to adapt to that change. 

You might be at all times monitoring your content material and searching for methods to implement enhancements.