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Every Search Console Page indexing status, explained

One page per status, named exactly as the report names it. Each says what Google means, whether it is actually a problem, how to confirm it, and how long Google says recovery takes, with Google's own documentation cited.

Not every status is an error. Google's guide to the report says a page marked duplicate or alternate is usually a good sign, and that URLs blocked by robots.txt are probably blocked on purpose. The label beside each status says which kind it usually is.

If the report shows a drop and you do not yet know why, start withthe six checks that rule each cause out, or go straight to the platform fix pages if you know the cause.

Why pages aren't indexed

  • Server error (5xx)Usually a problemWhat "Server error (5xx)" in the Page indexing report means, why Googlebot got a 500-level response, how to confirm it and how recovery works.
  • Redirect errorUsually a problemGoogle hit a redirect loop, a chain too long to follow, an overlong URL or an empty URL. How to find the broken hop and collapse the chain.
  • Blocked by robots.txtDepends on the URLA robots.txt rule stops Googlebot fetching the URL. When that is intended, when it is not, how to find the rule and how long unblocking takes.
  • Excluded by 'noindex' tagDepends on the URLGoogle found a noindex in the robots meta tag or the X-Robots-Tag header. Where it usually comes from, how to find it, and how to get the page back.
  • Soft 404Depends on the URLGoogle judged a page that returns 200 to be an error or empty page. The causes Google lists, how to see what it rendered, and the three ways to fix it.
  • Blocked due to unauthorized request (401)Depends on the URLYour server asked Googlebot to log in. When that is the right outcome, when it is not, and how to let Google reach a page that should be public.
  • Not found (404)Depends on the URLWhich "Not found (404)" URLs Google says are fine to leave, which to fix, and how: restore, redirect, or remove the links that keep pointing at them.
  • Blocked due to access forbidden (403)Usually a problemGoogle says a 403 to Googlebot is returned incorrectly. How to find the firewall, CDN or server rule sending it and let verified Googlebot through.
  • URL blocked due to other 4xx issueDepends on the URLThe report does not say which 4xx code Googlebot got. How to find the code and the layer that sent it, and what each common one usually means.
  • Crawled - currently not indexedDepends on the URLGoogle crawled the page and chose not to index it for now. What Google says about it, what to rule out, and what can change the decision.
  • Discovered - currently not indexedDepends on the URLGoogle knows the URL but has not crawled it yet, usually to avoid overloading the site. When it clears on its own and when to act on it.
  • Alternate page with proper canonical tagUsually fineGoogle says there is nothing to do for this status. The one case where it does need a look, and how to check the canonical target is indexed.
  • Duplicate without user-selected canonicalDepends on the URLGoogle found duplicates with no canonical declared and picked one itself. When to accept its choice and how to state your own with redirects and tags.
  • Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than userUsually a problemYou declared a canonical and Google indexed a different URL. Why Google overrides it, how to compare the two in URL Inspection, and how to align signals.
  • Page with redirectUsually fineA redirecting URL is not indexed; its target may be. When "Page with redirect" is expected, when it is not, and what to clean up either way.

Improve page experience

  • Indexed, though blocked by robots.txtUsually a problemGoogle indexed a URL it is not allowed to crawl. Why robots.txt does not keep pages out of Search, and what to do whether you want the page or not.
  • Page indexed without contentUsually a problemGoogle indexed the URL but could not read its content: cloaking, often accidental, or a format it cannot index. How to compare what Googlebot gets.

Status names and definitions are fromGoogle's Page indexing report documentation. Where Google's help page words a status differently from the report, the status page gives both.