How to Fix Website Crawl Issues

Crawl issues prevent search engines from discovering and indexing your content. Learn how to identify and fix the most common problems.

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Why Crawl Issues Matter

If search engines can't crawl your pages, they can't rank them. Even small crawl issues can significantly impact your organic traffic.

404 Not Found Errors

Pages that return 404 status codes waste crawl budget and create poor user experience.

Common Causes

  • Deleted pages without redirects
  • Typos in internal links
  • Changed URL structure

How to Fix

  • Set up 301 redirects for deleted pages
  • Fix broken internal links
  • Update sitemaps to remove dead URLs
  • Use SEO Cockpit to find all 404 errors

Redirect Chains & Loops

Multiple redirects slow down crawling and may prevent pages from being indexed.

Common Causes

  • Multiple site migrations
  • Inconsistent redirect rules
  • HTTP to HTTPS redirects combined with www redirects

How to Fix

  • Replace redirect chains with direct redirects
  • Fix redirect loops immediately
  • Consolidate redirect rules
  • Test redirects after changes

Robots.txt Blocking

Incorrectly configured robots.txt can block important pages from being crawled.

Common Causes

  • Overly restrictive Disallow rules
  • Blocking CSS/JS files
  • Leftover staging site rules

How to Fix

  • Review robots.txt rules carefully
  • Allow CSS and JS files for rendering
  • Use robots.txt testing tools
  • Remove staging environment blocks before launch

Server Errors (5xx)

Server errors prevent crawlers from accessing your content and hurt rankings.

Common Causes

  • Server overload
  • Misconfigured server
  • Database connection issues
  • Plugin or code errors

How to Fix

  • Monitor server health regularly
  • Upgrade hosting if needed
  • Fix code errors causing crashes
  • Implement caching to reduce load

Orphan Pages

Pages without internal links are hard for crawlers to discover.

Common Causes

  • Poor site architecture
  • Removed navigation links
  • Content not linked from anywhere

How to Fix

  • Improve internal linking structure
  • Add pages to navigation or footer
  • Create content hubs and topic clusters
  • Use breadcrumbs for better structure

Duplicate Content

Multiple URLs with the same content confuse crawlers and dilute page authority.

Common Causes

  • Missing canonical tags
  • URL parameters creating duplicates
  • HTTP/HTTPS and www/non-www versions
  • Print-friendly page versions

How to Fix

  • Implement canonical tags correctly
  • Use URL parameter handling in GSC
  • Set up proper redirects for URL variations
  • Block duplicate pages with robots.txt or noindex

Preventing Crawl Issues

Regular Audits

Run automated crawls weekly or daily to catch issues early.

Monitor Logs

Check server logs for crawl errors and unusual patterns.

Update Sitemaps

Keep XML sitemaps current with only indexable URLs.

Test Changes

Test all site changes in staging before deploying to production.

Check for Crawl Issues Now

Use our free tools to identify some common crawl issues.

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