How to Fix Google Search Console Indexing Errors: A Comprehensive Guide

As an online brand or business owner, you’ve burnt the midnight oil building your website, crafting engaging content, and fine-tuning your SEO strategy. 

But despite all that effort, your traffic isn’t improving, and your web pages are nowhere to be found on Google.

Frustrating, right? The culprit could be lurking in plain sight: Google Search Console (GSC) indexing errors.

Google Search Console is a free-of-cost, first-party organic traffic diagnostic toolkit for your website’s health. But navigating the maze of errors and warnings it throws at you can feel overwhelming.

Whether it’s cryptic “404 errors,” “Crawled—currently not indexed” messages, or mobile usability warnings, these issues could quietly sabotage your rankings and user experience.

With over 7K+ global clients and a record 43+ million dollars managed, our experts at Mavlers know their way around this tricky labyrinth. We have Namrata Kumari, Sr. SEO Analyst (Search), sharing her expert insights and learning on the day’s topic so that you can amp up your GSC repertoire like a pro!

This blog breaks down these errors, explains their impact on your website, and—most importantly—provides actionable solutions to fix them.

By the end, you’ll not only understand these errors but also learn how to prevent them, empowering you to regain lost visibility and traffic.

What is Google Search Console, and why does it matter?

Let’s begin with the basics for better understanding. 

So, Google Search Console (GSC) is like having a behind-the-scenes pass to understand how Google views your website. It’s a free, user-friendly tool that helps website owners—not just tech-savvy SEOs—spot issues and boost their online performance.

Now imagine your website as your shopfront, and Google is the road bringing customers to it. GSC ensures that the road is clear, guiding you to:

• Diagnose problems like crawling and indexing errors.
• Enhance the user experience by flagging usability issues/roadblocks.
• Monitor search performance so you know which keywords are responsible for bringing in the most traffic.
• Validate fixes, ensuring your site aligns with Google’s best practices.

Think of GSC as your website’s personal assistant, offering valuable insights to keep it visible, functional, and search-engine friendly. 

Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or developer, it’s your go-to for staying on Google’s radar.

Understanding Google Search Console indexing errors

Now that you know how crucial Google Search Console is, let’s dive into one of its most important features—identifying and fixing indexing errors.

Imagine Google’s crawlers as visitors trying to enter your house. 

Indexing errors are like locked doors, broken pathways, or missing house numbers—they block crawlers from understanding or reflecting your content in search results.

Let’s uncover these roadblocks and, more importantly, how to clear them for smoother access:

1. Status code errors

These errors arise from HTTP response codes, signaling that something went wrong when Google tried to visit your pages. Let’s look at the causes and fixes of some of them.

• 404 errors (Page not found):

~ Cause: Deleted pages or updated URLs without redirection.

~ Fix: Use 301 redirects to guide users and crawlers to updated or relevant pages. If a page is permanently removed, ensure it’s excluded from your sitemap and doesn’t link internally.

• Server errors (5xx):

~ Cause: Server overloads or misconfigurations.

~ Fix: Optimize server resources, upgrade hosting plans, or debug backend code issues. Use the Crawl Stats report in GSC to monitor server health and fix response delays.

• Soft 404 errors:

~ Cause: Pages that technically load but are devoid of meaningful content (for instance, placeholder text or empty pages).

~ Fix: You can resolve this issue by adding engaging, useful content or redirecting users to more relevant pages. Avoid leaving “dead-end” pages on your site.

2. Crawl and indexation issues

Sometimes, Google can struggle to crawl or decide to skip indexing your pages due to specific issues, such as:

• “Crawled – Currently not indexed”:

~ Fix: You can consider improving your page’s content by staying away from publishing low-quality, duplicate, or spammy pages. 

Also, remember to strengthen internal links to signal the page’s importance.

• Blocked by Robots.txt:

~ Fix: Double-check your robots.txt file to ensure critical pages aren’t mistakenly blocked from being crawled.

• Duplicate without user-selected canonical:

~ Fix: Use canonical tags to tell Google which version of a duplicate page should take priority. This avoids splitting search value across similar URLs.

3. Mobile usability issues

Since Google uses mobile-first indexing, a poor mobile experience can hurt your rankings. Some common issues include:

• Viewport not set:

~ Fix: Add a <meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1″> tag to make your site responsive to different screen sizes.

• Clickable elements too close together:

~ Fix: Increase spacing between buttons, links, and other clickable items to ensure easy navigation on mobile devices.

• Content wider than screen:

Fix: Make sure your site is fully responsive, scaling content to fit all device sizes without horizontal scrolling.

4. HTTPS and security issues

A secure site is not just a trust signal—it’s a ranking factor. HTTPS-related errors or security warnings can undermine user trust and hurt visibility.

Here’s how you can fix HTTPS errors:

• Install a valid SSL certificate and ensure all pages use HTTPS.
• Update internal links and canonical tags to point to secure URLs.
• Resolve mixed-content issues by replacing HTTP assets (like images or scripts) with HTTPS versions.

Beyond errors: Manual actions and user-generated challenges

Sometimes, Google manually penalizes websites for violations, such as:

• Unnatural linking: Avoid buying or exchanging links. Build natural backlinks through high-quality content and outreach.

• Thin content or cloaking: Avoid publishing low-quality, duplicated, or misleading content. Focus on user-centric, in-depth articles.

• Spammy structured markup: Ensure schema markup is accurate and follows Google’s guidelines.

GSC will notify you if you’ve been hit with a manual action. Proceed to fix the issues and submit a reconsideration request for review.

Preventing indexing errors: Proactive tips

As the age-old adage goes, prevention is always better than cure. And it still holds its weight in gold. Here’s how you can stay ahead of indexing issues:

• Invest in regular audits: Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to catch issues before they escalate.

• XML sitemaps: Keep your sitemap updated and submit it to GSC.

• Optimize Robots.txt files: Ensure important pages aren’t accidentally blocked.

• Use analytics: Pair GSC with Google Analytics to monitor performance trends.

• Stay updated: SEO best practices change frequently. Regularly review Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.

How to validate fixes in Google Search Console

Last but not least, it’s crucial to let Google know after resolving errors. 

Use the URL Inspection Tool to test fixes, then click “Validate Fix” to prompt Google to re-crawl and update its index.

The road ahead

With the right approach and knowledge, fixing GSC indexing errors does not seem like a gargantuan task. We now suggest exploring ~ The Ultimate Guide to Google Merchant Center Suspension: Causes and Remedies.