How to Fix Indexing Issues in Google Search Console: Step-by-Step with Examples

Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most valuable tools available to website owners and SEO professionals. Among its many features, the Index Coverage report gives you a snapshot of which pages are indexed by Google and which are excluded, along with reasons why. However, many site owners are often confused when they see errors like “Excluded by noindex tag”, “Crawled – currently not indexed”, “404 Not Found”, or “Redirected” in the report.

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In this guide, we'll break down the most common indexing issues found in GSC using real-world examples from example.com, explain what they mean, and provide clear solutions to clean up your site and improve crawl efficiency.

1. Excluded by ‘noindex’ Tag

One of the most common indexing issues you’ll encounter is pages being excluded because they contain a noindex directive. This tag explicitly tells Google not to index the page in search results. You might see URLs like:

• https://example.com/author/marketing-examplegmail-com/

• https://example.com/my-account/

• https://example.com/?s={search_term_string}

These types of pages are typically low in content value or are meant for user interaction rather than search engines — like author archives, search result pages, or account-related URLs. If you’ve intentionally added the noindex tag to these pages (which is a good practice), then there's no need to worry.

However, if you didn’t intend for Google to ignore these pages, check your site’s metadata or plugins that might be applying the noindex tag automatically. For pages that you no longer need, consider returning a 410 Gone status, which signals to Google that the content has been permanently removed and should be dropped from the index faster than a regular 404.

Best Practices:

• Don’t include noindex pages in your sitemap.

• Use noindex only for pages that shouldn't be in search (like thank-you pages or login portals).

• Avoid noindex on pages you want traffic for — fix it by removing the tag.

2. Page with Redirect

Another common entry in your Index Coverage report may be a “Page with redirect” notice. For example:

• https://example.com/contact/ might redirect to https://example.com/contact-us/

• https://example.com/e-commerce-management-solutions could redirect to a version with a trailing slash

This is usually not a problem if it’s done correctly. A redirect tells Google that one URL has permanently moved to another. The key is to ensure that these redirects use 301 status codes (not 302 or JavaScript-based redirects) and that the redirected (destination) URL is the one listed in your sitemap, not the original.

Also, avoid redirect chains (i.e., one redirect leading to another). If a page has moved, always point directly to the new page without hopping through multiple URLs.

Best Practices:

• Use 301 (permanent) redirects.

• Remove old URLs from your sitemap.

• Ensure internal links point to the new destination URL.

3. Crawled – Currently Not Indexed

Seeing a page labeled as “Crawled – currently not indexed” can be frustrating. It means that Googlebot visited the page but decided not to index it — at least for now. This decision is usually based on quality signals. Example pages might include:

• https://example.com/dinnerware/

• https://example.com/portfolio-form/

• Image URLs like https://example.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/img-14.webp

For content pages, this often happens when Google doesn’t find enough value or original content to justify adding it to the index. For instance, pages that are too short, duplicate other content, or are thin on context and engagement signals may get crawled but not indexed.

For images, remember that not all images need to be indexed individually. Unless your image is being prominently used on a high-traffic, indexable page and has SEO value (filename, alt text, etc.), it may not show up in Google's image search results.

Best Practices:

• Add meaningful, original content to thin pages.

• Link to them from other important, indexed pages.

• Make sure you’re not blocking Google from resources like JavaScript or images.

4. Not Found (404)

Google often encounters URLs that return a “404 Not Found” status. These are URLs that either previously existed and were removed or were never real to begin with. You might see examples like:

• https://example.com/en/index.html

• https://example.com/ecommerce-designing/

• https://example.com/catchadfe/abaacd1694555.cgi

There are two main causes of 404 errors. First, the page might have been deleted or renamed without a proper redirect. Second, it could be a result of spammy, autogenerated, or mistyped URLs (like .cgi pages or gibberish paths). While 404 errors don’t directly harm your rankings, having too many can signal poor maintenance and user experience, especially if they exist in your sitemap or internal links.

If the page was moved, implement a 301 redirect. If it no longer serves a purpose, leave it as a 404 or return a 410 Gone for faster cleanup.

Best Practices:

• Audit and fix internal links that point to 404 pages.

• Use 301 redirects for moved pages.

• Don’t include broken URLs in your sitemap.

5. Spammy or Bot-Generated URLs

In some cases, you’ll find strange-looking URLs in GSC, often ending in .cgi or containing random strings, such as:

• https://example.com/catchadfe/abaacd1694555.cgi

• https://example.com/duppyfecf/afcdac1320899.cgi

These are usually spam attempts, crawler artifacts, or malicious bots testing for vulnerabilities. These URLs never existed and are not created by your site — they’re either the result of broken links, spam campaigns, or automated scripts trying to probe your server.

In these cases, do not redirect to your homepage. Instead, return a 410 Gone status for these URLs, block them via your robots.txt, and monitor patterns. If you’re experiencing a large number of such URLs, consider adding security measures like rate limiting or a firewall.

Best Practices:

• Block common patterns in robots.txt:

  txt
  Disallow: /*.cgi$
  Disallow: /catch
  Disallow: /duppy
  

• Return a 410 status code for non-existent spammy URLs.

• Report spam via Google’s spam report tool.

Final Tips: How to Clean Up GSC Indexing Issues

Cleaning up the Index Coverage report is less about "fixing errors" and more about helping Google crawl, understand, and index only the most valuable parts of your site. Here’s a quick summary of what to do for each issue type:

Issue Type	What to Do
noindex pages	Leave as-is if intentional, remove from sitemap
Redirected pages (301)	Use 301 properly, remove old URLs from sitemap
Not Indexed (200)	Improve content quality and internal linking
404 Pages	Leave as 404 if page is gone, 410 if spam/junk
Spammy or fake URLs	Return 410, block patterns via robots.txt, don’t link internally

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Conclusion

Your GSC Index Coverage report provides invaluable insights into how Google sees your site. Not every warning requires action — but understanding each issue and how to respond ensures your crawl budget is spent wisely, your content ranks effectively, and your site remains clean and trustworthy.

Make a habit of checking your Index Coverage monthly, and use the insights to guide your content, technical SEO, and site structure decisions. With consistent effort, you'll not only clear out indexing issues but also build a stronger, more search-optimized website.