Google Crawled Your Page But Won’t Index It?

Key takeaways

• “Crawled - currently not indexed” means Google found your page but didn’t add it to the search index—often due to low content value, technical issues, or limited internal links.
• Thin or duplicate content, weak internal linking, or canonical/technical conflicts are common culprits that affect a page’s index status.
• Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to check a page’s current status, request indexing, or validate fixes.
• Focus on content quality, structured internal linking, and fixing technical issues like noindex tags or blocked resources to help get your page indexed.
• Not every page needs to be indexed—make sure it matches user intent and adds value to your site’s search presence before trying to fix it.

You created a page, submitted it, and even saw that Google crawled it—but it still doesn’t appear in search results. Inside your Google Search Console dashboard, the Page Indexing Report shows the frustrating status: “Crawled - currently not indexed.”

It’s one of the most common indexing issues site owners run into. And while it might feel like a dead end, it’s almost always fixable.

At Lantern Sol, we’ve helped clients recover thousands of pages stuck in this exact state. As an ecommerce SEO agency, we often see this happen with product pages, category filters, and seasonal landing pages. In most cases, the solution comes down to three things: content clarity, stronger internal linking, or small technical adjustments that are easy to overlook.

In this guide, we’ll walk through what the “crawled - currently not indexed” message really means, why Google decided not to index your page, and what you can do to turn things around.

What Does "Crawled - Currently Not Indexed" Mean?

This status appears in Google Search Console when Google crawls your page but decides not to add it to the search index.

Here's what that means in plain terms:

• Google knows the page exists.
• It reviewed the content during the indexing process.
• But it did not include the URL in the list of indexed pages that appear in search results.

This can be a problem if the page is meant to drive traffic or visibility.

Common Reasons Why Your Page Isn’t Indexed

In our work with clients, we’ve seen a consistent set of factors that tend to cause this issue. Below are the most common ones, along with what to look for and how to address them.

1. Thin Content or Low Content Quality

Pages with little original value or surface-level content often get skipped by Google. If a page doesn’t offer anything new, useful, or relevant, it likely won’t be added to the search index. Google simply doesn’t index pages that don’t satisfy user intent or provide valuable content.

We’ve seen this often with short blog posts, placeholder pages, or content that’s overly generic.

To avoid this:

• Don’t publish half-finished drafts or filler just to “have something there.”
• Instead, focus on making sure each page delivers a clear, helpful answer to a specific question your audience might search for.

At Lantern Sol, our clients typically see better indexing results when we align the content with search intent and ensure the page adds something unique to what’s already in the index.

2. Duplicate Content

If your page is too similar to other pages on your site—or mirrors content already published elsewhere—it may be flagged as a duplicate page and skipped during indexing.

A duplicate page could be an unintentional copy of a blog post, a near-identical service page targeting a different location, or multiple URLs showing the same product with slight variations (like tracking parameters or filters).

Google hates duplicate content because it creates confusion around which version to rank, splits link equity, and weakens overall content signals. Duplicate content can also result in improper use of the canonical tag, which tells Google which version should be considered the primary one.

To stay on top of duplicate content issues, use tools like Excel or Google Sheets to compare and track similar pages. For example:

• If your ecommerce site has product pages with near-identical descriptions (like different colors or sizes of the same item), list their URLs side by side and highlight content differences.
• If your CMS creates dynamically generated URLs (like /shoes?color=blue vs. /shoes?color=red), catalog them in a spreadsheet and note which version should be canonical.
• If you’ve created multiple landing pages for the same keyword, track their metadata, H1s, and copy snippets in columns to ensure each page has unique value.

This kind of manual auditing helps you catch overlaps and decide which pages to consolidate, redirect, or tag with rel=canonical.

3. Poor Internal Linking and Site Structure

If a page isn’t linked from other indexed pages, Google may not view it as important—or might struggle to discover it altogether. Weak internal linking and poor website architecture make it harder for search engines to understand which pages matter most.

Think of internal links as signals that guide Google’s crawlers. If no other content on your site points to a page, it’s easy for that page to be overlooked.

To fix this:

• Strengthen internal linking across your product pages, blog content, and site navigation: Make sure every important page is linked from at least one other page. Use contextual links within blog posts, related products on product pages, and clear navigation menus to create a web of connections.
• Prioritize linking from high-traffic, authoritative pages to the ones you want indexed: Pages that already perform well in search can pass ranking signals to less visible pages. For example, if your homepage or a top-ranking blog post gets a lot of traffic, include strategic internal links to deeper pages you want Google to notice.

At Lantern Sol, we often uncover indexing issues during internal link audits—especially on larger sites where deep pages go unnoticed without clear pathways leading to them.

4. Blocked Resources or Technical Errors

Sometimes, a page is crawlable but still doesn’t get indexed due to technical roadblocks. Google may try to access the page but run into barriers that prevent proper evaluation.

Common culprits include:

• Robots.txt rules that unintentionally block important sections of your site
• Noindex tags that tell Google to skip the page
• Server errors that occur during the crawl, such as 5xx response codes

It’s also important to check that the desktop version of your site is accessible and rendering correctly, as this is what Googlebot typically uses to assess content.

We’ve found that even small misconfigurations—like a forgotten noindex tag in a CMS template—can keep valuable pages out of the index until corrected.

5. Unimportant or Temporary Pages

Not every page on your site needs to be indexed. In many cases, Google will skip over pages that don’t offer lasting value or serve a specific search purpose.

Some common examples include:

• Thank-you pages after a form submission
• Test or staging pages used during site development
• Paginated pages, which are part of a sequence (like page 2, 3, 4 of a blog or product list)
• URLs with tracking parameters that don’t contain unique content

Paginated pages usually contain the same type of content as the main category page but are broken into multiple parts for user browsing. While useful for navigation, they rarely need to be indexed unless they carry distinct content or SEO value.

If a page doesn’t align with user intent or contribute to your site’s visibility in search, Google may decide it’s not worth including in the index. And that’s okay. Focus your efforts on the pages that matter most.

Whether you run a blog, a large content library, or an online store, these indexing issues show up across the board. Our SEO services for ecommerce are built to address them at scale—especially for product-heavy sites with deep navigation layers.

How to Fix a "Currently Not Indexed" Error

If your page has been stuck in “Crawled - currently not indexed,” the good news is you’re not out of options. At Lantern Sol, we’ve seen many of these pages make it into the index with a few targeted changes.

Below are the steps we recommend taking to help get your content indexed—and keep it there.

1. Use the URL Inspection Tool

In the Google Search Console dashboard, paste the full URL into the URL Inspection Tool to check the page’s current index status. This tool displays key information like crawl status, the last crawl date, and whether the page is currently in the Google index.

If the page isn’t indexed, click “Request Indexing” to ask Google to perform a manual indexing review. This signals that the page is ready for reevaluation—especially helpful after updates have been made.

If you’ve already made improvements, you can also use the “Validate Fix” option to confirm that changes have been made and prompt another review.

In many cases, combining this step with updated content and stronger internal links can lead to indexing within just a few days, particularly when the page is easy to crawl and clearly connected to the rest of your site.

2. Improve Content Quality

If the page didn’t make it into the index, there’s a good chance Google didn’t see it as valuable or unique enough. To change that, focus on making the content more helpful, relevant, and complete.

• Expand the content with more detail, structured data, original images, or supporting visuals that enhance user understanding.
• Use clear headings, natural keyword placement, and formatting that makes the page easy to read and navigate.
• Most importantly, make sure the content is better than what’s already indexed. Aim to offer a more useful answer or clearer explanation than competing pages.

Even small changes that improve clarity or depth can help signal to Google that the page is worth indexing.

3. Add Internal Links

Internal links help Google understand how relevant pages are connected within your site. If a page isn’t linked from any indexed pages, it might not be considered a priority during Google’s indexing process—even if it contains valuable content. As a website owner, improving internal links is one of the most effective ways to support indexing.

To improve discoverability:

• Link to the affected page from other relevant pages that are already indexed.
• Add contextual links in blog posts, product pages, or resource hubs that naturally point to the destination URL you want indexed.
• Consider linking from your homepage, main navigation, or pillar content, especially if you're trying to boost visibility for known pages that were skipped.

Google crawlers follow internal links as part of mapping your site’s structure. Strengthening those connections gives the page more signals of relevance and increases its chances of being indexed.

Even a single link from one of your top-performing pages can make a difference. If two pages cover similar topics, linking between them helps clarify their relationship and prevents either from being overlooked.

4. Create a Temporary Sitemap

If you’re dealing with multiple URLs that haven’t been indexed, creating a temporary sitemap can be an effective way to draw Google’s attention to those pages.

• Submit a new sitemap in Search Console that includes only the affected pages you want reevaluated.
• This helps inform search engines that these are important pages worth reconsidering.

A focused sitemap sends a clear signal to Google: these URLs have been updated, are better connected within the site, and may now meet the criteria for inclusion in the index. It’s a simple step that can support faster recrawling without disrupting your main sitemap structure.

5. Check for Technical Roadblocks

Even well-written content can stay out of the index if technical issues are getting in the way. Google relies on clean, accessible code and accurate signals to determine whether a page should be indexed.

• Validate URLs for things like noindex tags, canonical tag errors, or incorrect redirects that could be confusing Google.
• Fix any issues that might affect indexing, including missing canonical tags, broken links, or JavaScript that prevents full page rendering.

These technical details can make or break how a page is evaluated. If the page can’t load properly or is sending conflicting signals, Google may decide to skip it, regardless of how well it’s written.

Ultimately, the goal is to ensure Google can clearly crawl and understand the content—and that it recognizes the page is structured to answer search queries in a meaningful way.

When Should You NOT Fix It?

Not every page on your site needs to be indexed. And in many cases, it’s perfectly fine if Google skips them.

Some pages aren’t meant to rank in search or bring in organic traffic. Examples include:

• Pages that don’t match user intent, such as thin or overly technical documentation not meant for public access
• Pages with temporary value, like event-specific landing pages or seasonal announcements
• Utility pages, such as login screens, admin panels, or checkout confirmation pages

These types of pages often serve a functional purpose rather than a discoverability one. In those cases, there’s no need to force indexing.

Instead, focus your time and effort on valuable pages—the ones that are designed to bring in search traffic, answer key questions, and support your broader goals for visibility and conversions.

Tips to Prevent Future Indexing Errors

While it’s possible to fix pages after they’re excluded from the index, it’s even better to avoid the issue altogether. Here are a few ways to build your content and site structure with indexing in mind:

• Prioritize quality and clarity: Always publish helpful content with a clear structure. Make sure each page delivers real value and is easy for both users and search engines to understand.
• Review your site structure: Audit your website architecture regularly. Ensure internal links are strong, key pages are easy to find, and nothing important is buried too deep.
• Monitor indexing activity: Use the Indexing Report in Google Search Console to monitor indexing trends and catch potential issues early.
• Keep sitemaps current: Submit updated sitemaps when new content is added or key pages are updated to keep search engines informed and engaged.

Building pages with clarity and searchability in mind from the start increases the chances of getting indexed—and staying indexed.

Final Thoughts: Turning “Not Indexed” Into Opportunity

A "currently not indexed" status doesn’t mean your content has failed—it just means Google hasn't yet seen enough value to include it in the index.

Make a few smart updates, publish high-quality content, and use tools like Request Indexing or Validate Fix to prompt a fresh look. After requesting reindexing, check the Page Indexing Report for updates. If you’re managing dozens or hundreds of URLs, be sure to track your affected pages individually to catch ongoing patterns or recurring issues.

We work with clients across industries who face these same indexing challenges. Whether it's a newly launched product page or a legacy URL that lost visibility, the right combination of technical clarity, thoughtful internal linking, and content that’s genuinely helpful can make all the difference. Google may have crawled your page—but with the right structure and signals, you can make sure it gets indexed where it matters.

If you're running an online store and struggling with visibility, we can help. Get a free e-commerce SEO audit to identify what's holding your content back—and what to do about it.