indexing

What this skill does

# 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 Assessment

**Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for site URL and indexing goals.

Identify issue from GSC (see **google-search-console** for Coverage report, issue types, diagnosis workflow). Then apply fix below.

## Crawled - Currently Not Indexed

| Cause | Action |
|-------|--------|
| Low quality, duplicate, off-topic | Improve content, fix duplicates, set correct canonical |
| Static assets (CSS/JS) | See below |
| Feed, share URLs with params | Usually OK to ignore; or noindex, canonical to main URL |
| Important content pages | Use URL Inspection, verify canonical/internal links/sitemap, Request indexing |

### Static Assets (Next.js / Vercel)

Vercel adds unique `dpl=` params to static assets per deploy, creating many "Crawled - currently not indexed" URLs.

| Do | Don't |
|----|-------|
| Keep robots.txt allowing `/_next/` | Do not block `/_next/` (breaks CSS/JS loading). See **robots-txt** |
| Accept static assets in GSC as expected | Do not block `/_next/static/css/` or `?dpl=` |
| Use X-Robots-Tag for static assets | CSS/JS should not be indexed; no SEO impact |

Static assets in "Crawled - currently not indexed" is **normal and expected**.

## Other Issue Types (from GSC Coverage)

| Issue | Fix |
|-------|-----|
| Excluded by «noindex» tag | Remove noindex if accidental; keep if intentional |
| Blocked by robots.txt | See **robots-txt**; remove Disallow for important paths |
| Redirect / 404 | Fix URL or add redirect |
| Duplicate / Canonical | Set correct canonical; usually OK |
| **Soft-404** | Page returns 200 but content says "not found" or empty—Google may treat as 404. Fix: return 404 status for truly missing pages; or add real content for 200 pages |

### Soft-404

A soft-404 occurs when a page returns HTTP 200 but the content indicates the page doesn't exist (e.g. "Page not found" message, empty state). Google may treat it as 404 and exclude from index.

| Fix | When |
|-----|------|
| **Return 404** | Page truly doesn't exist; use proper 404 status |
| **Add content** | Page is intentional (e.g. empty search results); ensure substantive content or use noindex |
| **Redirect** | If URL moved, use 301 to correct destination |

## Noindex Usage

- **How**: `metadata.robots = { index: false }` or `<meta name="robots" content="noindex">` or X-Robots-Tag
- **Rationale**: Not all site content should be indexed; noindex is a valid choice for many pages
- **Caution**: Avoid noindex on important content pages
- **With robots.txt**: robots.txt = path-level crawl control; noindex = page-level index control. Do **not** block noindex pages in robots.txt—crawlers must access the page to read the directive. Use both: robots for /admin/, /api/; noindex for /login/, /thank-you/, etc. See **robots-txt** for when to use which.
- **nofollow ≠ noindex**: nofollow controls link equity only; it does **not** prevent indexing. To exclude from search, use noindex. See **page-metadata** for meta robots implementation.

### Page Types That Typically Need Noindex

| Category | Page Types | Typical Meta | Reason |
|----------|------------|--------------|--------|
| **Auth & Account** | Login, Signup, Password reset, Account dashboard | Login: `noindex,nofollow`; Signup: `noindex,follow` | No search value; login indexed = security risk; signup follow allows crawl of Privacy/Terms links |
| **Admin & Private** | Admin, Staging, Test pages, Internal tools | `noindex,nofollow` | Not for public; avoid discovery |
| **Conversion Endpoints** | Thank-you, Confirmation, Checkout success, Download gate | `noindex,follow` | Post-conversion; no SERP value; allow link equity |
| **System & Utility** | 404, Internal search results, Faceted/filter URLs | `noindex,follow` or `noindex,nofollow` | Thin/duplicate; 404 = error state |
| **Legal** | Privacy, Terms, Cookie Policy (optional) | Often `noindex,follow` | Low-value indexed; reduces clutter |
| **Duplicate & Thin** | Printer-friendly, Parameter URLs, Near-duplicate | `noindex,follow` or canonical | Duplicate content; canonical preferred when possible |
| **Low-Value** | Media kit, Feedback board (external), Thin press | `noindex` or index for brand queries | Case-by-case |

**noindex,follow vs noindex,nofollow**: Use `noindex,follow` for most cases—excludes from SERP but allows link equity. Use `noindex,nofollow` only for login (security), staging, or temporary test pages.

## Page Removal Decision Framework

When intentionally removing a page from the web, choose the method based on whether a relevant alternative exists and whether the page should remain accessible:

| Scenario | Method | Rationale |
|----------|--------|-----------|
| Has a closely related replacement page | **301 redirect** | Preserves accumulated link signals and user flow |
| Content merged into a new page | **301 redirect** | Direct old URL to the new canonical location |
| Permanently deleted, no alternative | **410 Gone** | Explicitly signals permanent removal to search engines |
| Deleted, uncertain if permanent | **404 Not Found** | Safe default; can reinstate later if needed |
| Still accessible but should not be indexed | **noindex** | Page remains available to users; excluded from SERP |

**Before removing**: Check the URL's search traffic, backlinks, internal links, and conversion value. If the page has value, consider updating or merging rather than removing.

**Common mistakes**:
- 404-ing pages that have relevant alternatives (wastes accumulated signals)
- Redirecting all deleted pages to the homepage (breaks user intent)
- Creating redirect chains (A → B → C) instead of direct redirects
- Removing pages without cleaning up internal links pointing to them
- Using `robots.txt` to block noindex pages (crawler must access the page to read the noindex directive)

**Post-removal cleanup**:
1. Remove deleted URLs from XML sitemap; update and resubmit
2. Update internal links to point directly to the final URL (avoid relying on redirects)
3. For 301 redirects, ensure the target URL is in the sitemap
4. In GSC, use URL Inspection to verify important pages; use Removals tool for temporary quick-hide (not permanent — use proper HTTP status or noindex)

## Google Indexing API

| Type | Typical use |
|------|-------------|
| JobPosting | Job boards |
| BroadcastEvent | Live platforms |

**Requirements**: Enable Indexing API, create service account, add owner in Search Console, request quota (default 200 URLs/day).

## Output Format

- **Action items**: Prioritized fixes
- **References**: [Page indexing report](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7440203)

## Related Skills

- **google-search-console**: Find and diagnose indexing issues in GSC
- **robots-txt**: Path-level crawl control; when to use robots.txt vs noindex; do not block /_next/ or noindex pages
- **page-metadata**: Meta robots implementation; noindex vs nofollow
- **xml-sitemap**: Submit and maintain sitemap
- **indexnow**: Faster indexing for Bing
- **canonical-tag**: Resolve duplicate content