How To Fix “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” Error in GSC?

Is your site facing the “Crawled — Currently Not Indexed” error in Google Search Console? Are you struggling to fix it? This common issue can hurt your site’s visibility and traffic. In this guide, we break down the potential causes and offer actionable steps to fix it. Don’t let indexing errors hold you back—learn how to improve your site’s crawl health and boost your SEO performance.

What Does It Truly Mean?

The “Crawled — Currently Not Indexed” status in Google Search Console means that Google has successfully found and visited your page, but has chosen not to include it in the search index—at least for now.

This doesn’t signal a technical error or penalty. Instead, it indicates that Google’s algorithm has evaluated the page and, for various possible reasons, decided it’s not yet worth indexing. In the following sections, we’ll explore the most common causes behind this status and what you can do to fix it.

Why Your Pages Might Not Be Indexed?

Before jumping into technical fixes, it’s essential to understand that Google doesn’t index everything it crawls. There are many possible reasons behind this decision—ranging from incorrect directives to quality issues and crawl prioritization. Below are the key technical and strategic factors that can keep your pages out of the index.

1- Robots.txt Directives

The robots.txt file is a gatekeeper. If it’s misconfigured—either blocking entire folders, file types, or specific user agents—Googlebot might never reach your pages or fail to understand your intent. Even subtle disallow rules (like blocking /wp-content/) can indirectly affect indexability if key resources like CSS or JS files become inaccessible, which in turn can harm renderability and relevance scoring.

2- Meta Robots Tags

This HTML meta tag is a precise instruction to crawlers. If a page contains <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”>, even if crawled, it will be excluded from indexing. Site templates, CMS plugins, or staging environments often include this by default, so it’s critical to audit it across all page types.

3- X-Robots-Tag HTTP Header

This server-level header allows you to control indexation behavior for non-HTML assets (like PDFs or images), but it can also apply to HTML pages. If your server configuration sends a noindex directive—perhaps unintentionally during development or via caching layers—Google will drop those URLs even if they’re listed in your sitemap or linked internally.

4- Canonicalization Issues

Canonical tags help Google choose the “main” version of similar or duplicate pages. But if implemented incorrectly—e.g., pointing all blog posts to the homepage or each other—Google might ignore many pages, believing they’re just alternate copies. This issue is common on e-commerce sites and blogs with tag/category archives.

5- Sitemap Issues

An XML sitemap should serve as a roadmap for Google. If it contains outdated URLs, broken links, non-canonical pages, or duplicate entries, it reduces its credibility. Also, omitting important pages means Google may discover them late or not at all, reducing crawl efficiency and indexing probability.

6- Internal Linking

Google follows links to understand content relationships. Pages that aren’t linked from anywhere—or only from low-priority sections—don’t appear important. If a page is orphaned (i.e., has no internal links pointing to it), even if it gets crawled via sitemap, it may not be deemed worthy of indexing.

7- Site Speed and Performance

Pages that take too long to load—due to unoptimized images, excessive scripts, or server lag—may time out during crawling. Googlebot has a limited crawl window per visit. If your site is slow, fewer pages get rendered and indexed. Use tools like PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to optimize loading times.

8- Mobile-Friendliness

With mobile-first indexing, if your page performs poorly on smartphones—text too small, elements too close, or content not fully visible—Google might deprioritize it. Ensure your responsive design loads quickly, maintains functionality, and serves the same content across devices.

9- Redirect Chain and Loop

A single redirect is usually fine, but multiple redirects in a chain (A → B → C) dilute crawler efficiency. Worse, redirect loops (A → B → A) trap crawlers, preventing content access. This can result in index exclusion, even if the page itself is useful and crawlable outside the loop.

10- Server Errors and Downtime

If your hosting frequently returns 5xx errors or times out, Google may reduce its crawl frequency and eventually drop unstable pages from the index. Consistent uptime, clean server logs, and proper caching/CDN setups are essential for crawl stability.

11- Low-Quality or Thin Content

Google increasingly prioritizes depth, originality, and usefulness. Pages with only a few sentences, auto-generated content, or filler text may be crawled but filtered out as “thin.” Ensure each page has a clear purpose and satisfies a user query with relevant, structured content.

12- Duplicate Content (Internal and External)

Duplicate content confuses Google’s selection process. Internally, the same product description on multiple pages; externally, copying blog content from other websites—both reduce perceived originality. Use canonical tags, consolidate duplicate pages, and rewrite scraped sections.

13- Lack of Unique Value Proposition

If your content merely repeats what’s already out there—especially without offering additional value like visuals, data, or a unique voice—Google may deprioritize indexing. Ask: Why would someone choose this page over 20 similar ones? If the answer isn’t clear, the algorithm might skip it.

14- Website Authority and Trustworthiness (E-A-T)

Sites lacking signals of Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T)—like author bios, contact pages, HTTPS, or structured data—may be considered untrustworthy. Building reputation through high-quality backlinks, brand mentions, and verified credentials helps long-term indexability.

15- Crawl Budget Limitations

Large or dynamic websites often face crawl budget ceilings. If you waste crawl budget on duplicate pages, filters, or session URLs, your important content might be crawled less frequently—or not indexed at all. Use robots.txt and noindex to focus crawl attention.

16- Newly Published Content and Google’s Processing Time

Sometimes Google simply hasn’t had time to assess and index your new page. Fresh content—especially from smaller or newer websites—can take days or even weeks to appear. This delay doesn’t imply rejection. Continue improving discoverability through internal linking and promotion.

Implementing Solutions and Requesting Indexing

Once you’ve identified the root causes behind the “Crawled — Currently Not Indexed” status, it’s time to apply targeted fixes. While some issues resolve automatically over time, others require clear action. Here’s how to proceed effectively:

Step 1: Fix Technical Errors

Correct any robots.txt, meta tag, HTTP header, or canonical misconfigurations. Ensure that key pages are crawlable and don’t carry unintentional noindex signals. Also, fix sitemap inconsistencies and remove duplicate or irrelevant URLs from it.

Step 2: Improve Content Quality

If low-quality or thin content is the issue, enhance those pages with relevant, original, and helpful information. Make your content more comprehensive and ensure it satisfies a real search intent. Add structure, visuals, and clear headings.

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Step 3: Strengthen Internal Linking

Link underperforming or newly published pages from relevant, authoritative pages within your site. Make them easier to discover and signal their importance by placing those links in prominent positions (e.g., navbars, footers, blog posts).

Step 4: Address Performance & UX Issues

Optimize your site for speed, mobile usability, and overall UX. Compress images, eliminate unnecessary scripts, and fix layout shifts. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights and Mobile-Friendly Test to identify bottlenecks.

Step 5: Manually Request Indexing

After applying fixes, go to Google Search Console, use the URL Inspection Tool, and click “Request Indexing”. This sends a fresh crawl request and often results in faster inclusion, especially for high-quality pages.

Step 6: Monitor Performance

Revisit the “Coverage” and “Pages” reports in Search Console regularly. Look for progress and check if errors decrease. Also, monitor traffic and impressions via the “Performance” report to ensure visibility is increasing.

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Conclusion

Fixing the “Crawled — Currently Not Indexed” error requires a strategic approach to identify and resolve potential issues with your site’s crawlability, content quality, and technical setup. By addressing common problems like misconfigured robots.txt files, mobile-friendliness, or duplicate content, you can improve your indexing status and enhance your site’s performance in search results.

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