What Does “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” Really Mean?

I've just published an article about the famous "Crawled - Currently Not Indexed" report in Google Search Console.

If you are looking for a more condensed version, you will find it below. 😊

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When you see “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” in your Page Indexing report in Google Search Console, it means Googlebot accessed your page, processed it, but decided not to include it in the index at that moment.

Sometimes those pages eventually get indexed; other times, they stay excluded. This isn’t always a problem—some pages simply don’t need to be in the index, and Search Console is just keeping you informed.

What should you do if you see URLs with this status?

Step 1: Verify the Issue

Before making any changes to your website, confirm that the indexing problem is real.

1. URL Inspection Tool
   • Open Google Search Console and check the exact URL. Look at the “Last crawl” date; if it’s old, Google’s data may be delayed.
2. site: Search
   • Type site:seosly.com/seo-consultant/ in Google. If the page appears, it’s indexed—despite what the Page Indexing report might say.

This quick check prevents you from spending time on a non-issue. Google Search Console is often simply lagging behind what’s really happening.

Step 2: Identify Which Pages Matter

Review each URL in “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed.” Not every page should be indexed.

For instance, internal search results, parameter-heavy URLs, tag pages with little value, and old or irrelevant content often don’t need to appear in Google’s results.

Mark those pages as intentional exclusions if that’s your strategy. Only focus on pages that add real value to searchers and deserve a spot in the index.

Step 3: Common Reasons Pages Stay Unindexed

Pages can remain “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” for multiple reasons:

1. Low-Quality or Duplicate Content → Google may skip pages that don’t stand out. If your content is too similar to existing pages or offers little substance, it’s often left out.
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2. Technical or Rendering Issues → JavaScript-heavy pages, broken code, or misconfigured settings can prevent Google from fully understanding your content.
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3. Insufficient Internal Linking → Google weighs internal links as a signal of importance. If a page is buried, it might be deprioritized.
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4. Crawl Budget Constraints → Massive sites with thousands of pages might see Google pick and choose what it indexes first, leaving some pages in limbo.
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5. Duplicate or Parameterized URLs → Faceted navigation, session IDs, or tracking parameters can create near-duplicates that Google doesn’t want to index repeatedly.
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6. Hacked or Spammy Pages → Google steers clear of malicious URLs. If you’ve been hacked, thousands (or sometimes even millions) of spammy pages may show up under “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed.”

Step 4: How to Fix It

If you’ve confirmed that certain pages belong in search results, here are steps to help them escape “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” limbo:

1. Improve Content Quality → Strengthen thin pages by adding depth, clarity, and unique value. Make sure the content addresses users’ needs.
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2. Address Technical Barriers → Test your pages in the URL Inspection Tool to see how Google renders them. Resolve JavaScript issues or slow-loading elements that might interfere with proper indexing.
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3. Improve Internal Linking → Link from high-authority pages on your site to the pages you want indexed. A logical site structure with relevant, contextual links signals Google to prioritize those URLs.
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4. Handle Duplicate or Overlapping Content → Use canonical tags or 301 redirects if multiple URLs serve the same purpose. This step consolidates ranking signals and clarifies which URL Google should index.
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5. Manage Crawl Budget → If your site is large, block low-value pages with robots.txt or add a noindex tag. This approach helps Google focus its crawl on pages that truly matter.
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6. Secure Your Site → If you suspect hacking or spammy pages, remove them immediately and take steps to prevent future breaches. Google won’t index content it deems harmful or irrelevant.

Step 5: Give Google Time

Even if you’ve fixed underlying issues, Google may not index your pages overnight. If your domain is new or you’ve recently published a large volume of pages, indexing can be slow.

Use the “Request Indexing” feature in GSC for critical pages, but understand there’s often a waiting period while Google reprocesses your site’s content.

Bottom Line

“Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” might appear alarming, but it isn’t always a sign of trouble. The key questions to ask are:

• Should this page be indexed in the first place?
• Is there anything about this page (quality, technical setup, internal linking) that might deter Google from indexing it?

If you’ve taken all the right steps and still see important pages stuck, investigate deeper patterns—like repeated thin content, stale pages, or site-wide technical problems.

Need more help?

If you need extra guidance or a detailed analysis of your site’s indexing challenges, feel free to reach out by replying to this email.

I’d be happy to discuss what’s keeping your pages in the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” and how to help them earn their rightful place in Google’s search results.

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If you want a fresh perspective on your Google Search Console and GA4 data, you definitely want to try SEOcrawl.

This issue of my SEO newsletter was in a new format where I dig a bit deeper into one specific topic. You can expect to receive those types of issues once a week.

If there is a specific topic you want me to cover, let me know and I will be more than happy to cover it in the newsletter.

To your SEO success,

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