What “Crawled - Currently Not Indexed” Means In Google Search Console

Technical SEO at Ahrefs

Updated: July 16, 20243 min read

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What "Crawled - Currently Not Indexed" Means In Google Search Console

The status "Crawled - currently not indexed" in Google Search Console means that Google has successfully visited your page but has chosen not to include it in its search index. This differs from "Discovered - currently not indexed," which indicates that Google is aware of the URL but hasn't yet crawled it. Essentially, Google knows the page exists, but doesn't consider it valuable enough to appear in search results.

A page can also be moved to this status after previously being indexed. This is one of several indexing statuses Google puts pages in within the GSC reports.

Reasons for this status

There are several reasons why a page might be crawled but not indexed:

Content Quality Issues:
- Thin or low-quality content: Pages with minimal or unhelpful information are less likely to be indexed.
- Duplicate content: Having similar or identical content across multiple pages can confuse Google and result in de-prioritization.
- Lack of relevance: Content that doesn't adequately address user intent or is irrelevant to the target audience may be overlooked.

Ahrefs AI Content Helper can help with this.

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Technical Issues:
- Noindex tags: The page might be explicitly excluded from indexing using a "noindex" meta tag.
- Robots.txt blocks: The robots.txt file might inadvertently block Google's crawlers from accessing the page.
- Canonicalization issues: Incorrectly implemented canonical tags can mislead Google about the preferred version of the page.
- Server errors: Issues like 404 or 500 errors can hinder Google's ability to crawl and index the page.

Ahrefs Site Audit will check for all of these technical issues and show you how to fix them.

Other Factors:
- Crawl budget limitations: Large websites might face issues with Google's crawl budget, meaning not all pages can be crawled and indexed.
- Low domain authority: For new or less authoritative websites, Google might be more selective about the content it indexes.
- Slow page load speed: Slower loading times can negatively impact user experience and signal lower quality to Google, potentially affecting indexing.
- Website architecture and internal linking: A poorly structured website or lack of internal links can make it harder for Google to discover and understand the importance of your pages.

How to address the "Crawled - currently not indexed" status

Here's what you need to fix to get your page indexed:

Improve content quality: Focus on creating unique, valuable, and in-depth content that addresses user needs and avoids duplication.
Ensure proper technical setup:
- Check for and remove any misplaced "noindex" tags from the page.
- Verify your robots.txt file isn't blocking the page from crawling.
- Use canonical tags correctly to specify the preferred version of a page.
- Resolve any server errors or page loading issues promptly.
Optimize website architecture and internal linking:
- Structure your website logically with clear navigation and categories.
- Build a strong internal linking structure, linking to important pages from other relevant content.
Request re-indexing:
- Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to request a re-crawl of the page after making improvements.
Be patient and monitor:
- Understand that indexing can take time, especially for new pages or websites.
- Regularly check Google Search Console for indexing issues and track the status of your pages.

Final Thoughts

Crawled currently not indexed typically points to some kind of quality issue. Fix that, and the pages marked with this issue will likely be indexed.

Post byPatrick Stox

Patrick Stox is an independent SEO consultant. Former Product Advisor, Technical SEO, and Brand Ambassador at Ahrefs. Before that he was a Technical SEO at IBM for many years, worked at an agency, had his own consultancy, and was in-house at a B2B company. A long time ago he started his career as a developer.

He’s an organizer for the Triangle SEO Meetup, the Tech SEO Connect conference, he runs a Technical SEO Slack group, and is a moderator for /r/TechSEO on Reddit.

Patrick was the lead author for the SEO chapter of the 2021 Web Almanac and reviewer for the 2022 chapter. He helped define the role of Search Marketing Strategist for the US Department of Labor. He also co-wrote the SEO Book For Beginners by Ahrefs and was the Technical Review Editor for The Art of SEO 4th Edition.

He’s spoken at 100+ industry events including Pubcon, SMX, Tech SEO Boost, Ad World, Digital Summit, and many more. He’s written 100+ articles for industry sites like Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal, MarTech, and right here at Ahrefs. He was a finalist for SEO Speaker of the Year and SEO Contributor of the Year at the 2018 Search Engine Land Awards. He was also an EzineArticles Platinum author back in the day and still has the mug to prove it.

Patrick has judged nearly a dozen search awards for multiple years including the US Search Awards, UK Search Awards, and Interactive Marketing Awards. He participated in and documented the world’s largest SEO contest to date, the Wix SEO Hero contest which he arguably should have won.