indexing
This skill helps you identify and resolve indexing problems that prevent your web pages from appearing in Google search results. It guides you through common crawl and indexation blockers, then walks you through targeted fixes to get your content discoverable and ranked.
indexing helps you diagnose why Google crawled your pages but didn't add them to the search index. Common causes include low-quality content, duplicate pages, or crawl budget issues. Check Google Search Console's Coverage report to identify affected pages, then review their content quality, ensure they're not blocked by robots.txt or noindex tags, and verify they're not duplicates of indexed pages. Submit sitemaps and use the Indexing API for important pages to accelerate discovery.
AI-generated summary based on this skill's SKILL.md
Install
kostja94/marketing-skills/indexing
git clone https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills
cp -r marketing-skills/skills/seo/technical/indexing ~/.claude/skills/indexingFrequently asked questions
AI-generated answers based on this skill's SKILL.md and metadata
What should I do about crawled but currently not indexed pages?
indexing helps you diagnose why Google crawled your pages but didn't add them to the search index. Common causes include low-quality content, duplicate pages, or crawl budget issues. Check Google Search Console's Coverage report to identify affected pages, then review their content quality, ensure they're not blocked by robots.txt or noindex tags, and verify they're not duplicates of indexed pages. Submit sitemaps and use the Indexing API for important pages to accelerate discovery.
How do I implement noindex tags to exclude pages from search?
indexing guides you through noindex implementation for pages you want to keep live but hidden from search results. Add the meta tag `<meta name="robots" content="noindex">` in your page's HTML head section, or use HTTP headers like `X-Robots-Tag: noindex`. This is ideal for staging environments, duplicate content, or low-value pages. Unlike 404 responses or 301 redirects, noindex keeps the page accessible while signaling to Google not to index it.
Why are my pages not showing in Google search results?
indexing helps identify multiple reasons your pages may be missing from search: they might be crawled but not indexed, blocked by noindex tags or robots.txt, marked as duplicates, or flagged as low-quality. Check your Search Console Coverage report for errors and exclusions. Verify your pages load properly, contain original content, and aren't accidentally blocked. Ensure your site structure is crawlable and submit your sitemap to Google for better discovery.
What's the difference between noindex and nofollow tags?
indexing clarifies that noindex and nofollow serve different purposes. noindex prevents a page from appearing in search results but allows Google to crawl it and follow its links. nofollow tells Google not to follow links on a page or pass authority through them, but the page itself can still be indexed. Use noindex for duplicate or low-value pages you want hidden; use nofollow for untrusted external links or pages where you don't want to pass ranking power.
How do I use Google Indexing API to accelerate content discovery?
indexing explains that the Google Indexing API lets you notify Google immediately when you publish or update important content, bypassing normal crawl delays. It's designed for job postings and live events. Set up authentication with a service account, format your requests with the page URL and publish action, then submit them to the API. This is faster than waiting for Google's crawler to find your pages naturally, but requires proper implementation and valid content types.
Should I use a 301 redirect, 404, or noindex to remove a page?
indexing helps you choose the right removal method. Use a 301 redirect if you're moving content to a new URL—it passes ranking power to the replacement. Use 404 if the page is truly gone and has no replacement; Google will gradually remove it from the index. Use noindex if you want to keep the page live but hidden from search. For deleted pages, 301 redirects are preferred; for pages you want to hide but keep accessible, use noindex.
SKILL.md
rendered from the published skill — quoted content, verbatim
SEO Technical: Indexing
Guides indexing troubleshooting and fix actions. For how to find and diagnose issues in GSC, see google-search-console.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Scope (Technical SEO)
- Fix actions: noindex, canonical, content quality, URL Inspection; verify robots.txt does not block (see robots-txt)
- Noindex: Page-level index control; which pages to exclude and how. Complements robots-txt (path-level crawl control) and google-search-console (Coverage diagnosis)
Initial
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skills/seo/technical/indexing/SKILL.md