Screenshot of Google Search Console showing Crawled - Currently Not Indexed status

What to do when Google Search Console shows "crawled - currently not indexed" — and how BlogCog can save your day

Within the energetic grid of web trade your site sent out its signals, you opened Google Search Console and – bam – you saw the dreaded message: "crawled - currently not indexed". Your heart skipped, you wondered what that meant, and you may have even whispered quietly, “Is this the end of my organic traffic?” Fear not: it isn’t the end. It’s a starting point. It’s a clue from Google that it found your page, poked in the door, but left without fully accepting the invitation to join its search index.

Let’s walk together through what that enigmatic status actually means, why it happens, and the steps you can take (with a little help from your friends at BlogCog) to turn that “maybe later” into “hello front page.” We’ll make it fun, we’ll keep it real, and yes, we’ll drop in a few jokes (because indexing stress is real and deserves a little levity).

What does “crawled – currently not indexed” really mean?

When Google’s bots visit your page and mark it as “crawled – currently not indexed,” what it’s saying is: “Yes, I saw it. I checked it. But I’m not adding it to the index right now.” It’s not flagged as a hard error – not yet – but it means your page didn’t yet meet Google’s threshold for indexing. In other words: your page got invited to the party, reached the door, and is still standing in the hallway.

Here’s the take-away: if a page is crawled but not indexed, it simply won’t appear in search results – so any organic traffic you hoped for will stay on hold. That doesn’t mean permanent doom; it means you’ve got work to do.

Why does this happen? (Spoiler: many reasons, no one ticket to blame)

There’s no single culprit. The reasons below are the usual suspects in the indexing mystery:

  • Thin or low-value content: If your page doesn’t offer enough unique or useful material, Google may decide “nah, not indexing this yet.”
  • Duplicate or near-duplicate content: If your page is too similar to others (on your site or elsewhere), Google might choose to index the stronger version instead.
  • Poor internal linking or orphan pages: If no other page links to your URL, it may seem less important to Google, making indexing less likely.
  • Technical or structural signals: Meta noindex tags, canonical errors, robots.txt blocks, slow loading pages, redirects-everywhere—all can affect indexing.
  • Crawl budget or site-authority limitations: Especially for newer or large sites, Google may prioritise certain pages and leave others in “crawled but not indexed” limbo.
  • Reporting delays / false positives: Sometimes the page *is* indexed but the report hasn’t caught up yet. Eh, the joys of data refresh delays.

Okay – so what to *do* about it?

Roll up your sleeves, grab a cup of coffee (or whatever your favourite indexing-fuel is) and let’s move through a clear checklist you can follow to shift from “meh maybe” to “hell yes indexed.”

1. Use the URL Inspection Tool to check real status

Go into Google Search Console, use the URL Inspection for that specific page, and check whether Google actually says “indexed” or still gives the “crawled – currently not indexed” status. Because yes: sometimes the dashboard lags. If the URL is already indexed, you can relax (well, a little). Otherwise, proceed.

2. Improve content value

If the page lacks depth, uniqueness or doesn’t clearly match search intent, now’s the time to upgrade it. Ask: “Does this page answer a meaningful question? Does it outperform similar pages in value?” Add more substance, clarify focus, and make it stand out. Google loves pages that make users happy.

3. Fix internal linking and site structure

Make sure the page is linked from other strong pages on your site. Don’t let it float alone. Use anchor text that signals relevance. If it’s buried, Google might treat it as lower priority. One internal link from a well-ranked page can change the perception of importance.

4. Ensure technical setup is clean

Check for any “noindex” meta tags, canonical errors, robots.txt blocks, or redirects pointing away. Make sure the canonical of the page is self-referencing (unless intentional). If the page is slow, fix that too. You want to make the page *crawlable* and *index-worthy* in technical terms.

5. Submit for re-indexing

Once you’ve made improvements, go back to the URL Inspection Tool and hit “Request indexing” (or “Validate fix”). It won’t guarantee immediate inclusion, but it tells Google you’ve made updates. Patience still applies.

6. Prioritise and clean up low-value pages

If your site has hundreds or thousands of pages in the “crawled – currently not indexed” category, ask: do they all deserve indexing? Maybe some of them are tag pages, filters, archives, or variations with little unique value. Minimising such pages can help your overall indexing health.

7. Monitor and follow up

Indexing changes aren’t always instant. Watch your Index Coverage report, track how many pages move into “Indexed” or stay stuck. Make iterative improvements. Over time you’ll see fewer pages in the “limbo” category.

How BlogCog can step in and help dominate this process

As your friendly side-kick in the realm of SEO, BlogCog offers a suite of services to support you through indexing pain points and beyond. Whether you’re spinning up new blog content, polishing old pages, or simply want someone else to keep an eye on your internal linking and indexing health, we’ve got you:

  • BlogCog Services Summary — a quick overview of what we do.
  • Why Blogs — discover why publishing consistent, compelling content matters so much for indexing and ranking.
  • FAQs — answers to your burning indexing & blogging questions.
  • Pricing — transparently laid out so you know your investment.

Specifically for the “crawled – currently not indexed” scenario, we can help you by:

  • Producing high-quality blog posts that meet user query intent and match what Google expects for indexing.
  • Reviewing your internal link structure and recommending or implementing better linking paths.
  • Auditing technical issues like canonical tags, noindex usage, site speed, and sitemap quality.
  • Tracking how pages move from “crawled” to “indexed” and advising you on next steps.

Final thoughts: don’t panic, but act with purpose

When you see “crawled – currently not indexed,” don’t assume doom. Think of it as a friendly nudge from Google: “I looked, I’m not sure yet.” You’ve still got the power. By improving content, refining structure, cleaning tech, and positioning pages the right way, you tilt the odds in your favour. With BlogCog at your side, you won’t just fix the issue — you’ll build a habit of indexing-worthy content, making future “not indexed” scares a lot less scary.

Here’s to turning those limbo pages into search-ranked winners. Google, you better index this page soon – because we’ve done our part.

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