Fixing indexing issues in Google Search Console

Fixing indexing issues in Google Search Console starts with reading the reason Google gives you, not with randomly requesting indexing on every URL. On BlogSpot the usual culprits are noindex tags, robots.txt blocks, soft 404 empty pages, duplicates, and “crawled but not indexed” on thin or new URLs. I work through the Pages report, inspect one URL at a time, fix the cause, then request indexing once.

If your crawl basics are messy, set robots and sitemap correctly first: how to set robots.txt and sitemap on BlogSpot. Indexing fixes stick longer when the sitewide files are clean.

Step 1: Find the issue in Search Console

Open Google Search Console for the property that matches your blog (Domain or URL-prefix, whichever you verified). Go to Indexing, then Pages (wording may say Pages or a similar coverage report). Note which URLs sit under Why pages aren’t indexed and the reason labels.

Pick one important URL. Open URL Inspection, run the live test if needed, and read whether Google can fetch it, which canonical it chose, and whether a noindex or robots rule appears. Fixing without inspecting wastes days.

Submitted URL not found (404)

Cause: the sitemap or an old link points to a URL that does not exist. Fix: restore the post if it should live, or remove the dead URL from your sitemap and from internal links. On Blogger, republish or correct the permalink. Submit an updated sitemap after cleanup.

Submitted URL blocked by robots.txt

Cause: robots.txt disallows the path. Fix: in Blogger go to Settings, Crawlers and indexing, and adjust custom robots.txt so important posts are allowed. Do not disallow / if you want the blog indexed. Recheck with Search Console’s robots.txt reports and a live fetch.

Submitted URL marked noindex

Cause: a robots meta tag or equivalent tells Google not to index. On Blogger this often comes from Custom robots tags on the post or page. Open the post Options, clear noindex or none if you want it public, then update. Details: custom robot tags on Blogger.

Also check if you accidentally noindexed a whole batch while testing. Money pages should not carry noindex.

Crawled - currently not indexed

Cause: Google fetched the page and chose not to add it yet. Common on new sites, thin posts, or near-duplicates. Fix: improve the page with clear steps, unique examples, and better internal links. Make sure it is not a doorway of keyword spam. Request indexing after the improvement, then wait. Repeating Request indexing daily without changes does little.

Strengthen the rest of the site’s SEO habits too: BlogSpot SEO and mobile friendly.

Duplicate / Google chose a different canonical

Cause: similar or duplicate URLs exist and Google picked another version as canonical. Fix: consolidate thin copies, link consistently to the preferred URL, and avoid publishing the same article under multiple permalinks. Parameter noise (including mobile parameters) is usually secondary to real duplicate posts. Be careful with cosmetic ?m=1 scripts; they are not a full indexing strategy: removing ?m=1 from Blogger URLs.

Alternate page with proper canonical tag

Cause: the URL is marked as an alternate of another canonical page. If that is intentional (for example a legitimate alternate), you may not need a fix. If it is wrong, correct canonical signals and internal links so the preferred URL is obvious.

Soft 404

Cause: the URL returns a success status but looks empty or “not found” to Google. Fix: put real content on the page or remove it and return a proper not-found experience. Blank Blogger pages and “coming soon” stubs are frequent soft 404 sources. Publish substance or unpublish.

Redirect errors

Cause: redirect loops or broken chains. Fix: map where the URL should land, remove loops, and test in an incognito window. Custom domain misconfiguration can also create redirect messes. Confirm HTTPS and domain settings in Blogger and at your registrar.

Request indexing the right way

After you fix the cause, use URL Inspection on the clean URL and click Request indexing. Use this for key pages, not for every label archive. Give Google time. Recheck the Pages report after several days rather than refreshing every hour.

Keep the sitemap submitted and fresh. When you delete posts, let the sitemap drop them. When you add cornerstone guides, link to them from related articles so crawlers discover them naturally.

A simple weekly routine

Once a week I open Pages, note new exclusions on URLs I care about, and inspect two or three. I fix noindex and 404s the same day. I schedule content upgrades for crawled-not-indexed posts. I avoid mass requesting indexing after huge theme experiments until the theme is stable.

If you also run WordPress elsewhere, indexing tooling differs (sitemaps, IndexNow for Bing and others). That playbook is separate: IndexNow for WordPress.

FAQ

How long do fixes take to show? Often days, sometimes longer. Live tests can look good before the index report catches up.

Should every blog URL be indexed? No. Thin parameter URLs and pure utility pages can stay out. Focus on posts and key pages.

Does AdSense require indexing? Ads and indexing are different systems, but a crawlable, useful site helps long-term traffic that ads need. AdSense setup: AdSense on Blogger.

I fixed robots.txt and still see the old error. Wait for recrawl, confirm the live robots.txt URL in the browser, and use Inspection’s live test.

Read the Pages reason, inspect the URL, fix the real cause (404, robots, noindex, thin content, duplicates, soft 404, redirects), then request indexing once and monitor. That loop is how fixing indexing issues in Google Search Console becomes routine instead of guesswork on BlogSpot.