Indexing
- 871 installs
- 787 repo stars
- Updated June 9, 2026
- kostja94/marketing-skills
indexing is a Claude SEO skill that diagnoses and fixes Google indexing problems from Search Console for developers who need pages crawled, indexed, or correctly excluded with noindex.
About
indexing is a technical SEO skill from kostja94/marketing-skills at version 1.0.1 that guides troubleshooting when Google Search Console reports coverage issues. The skill covers statuses like Crawled - currently not indexed, Discovered - currently not indexed, index coverage errors, noindex implementation, and Google Indexing API requests. Developers reach for indexing when shipped pages fail to appear in search results or wrong pages get indexed. The workflow pairs with google-search-console for diagnosis and defers sitemap work to the xml-sitemap skill. indexing focuses on fix actions and policy choices rather than content writing.
- Guides noindex, canonical, content quality, and URL Inspection fixes
- Handles 'Crawled - currently not indexed', 'discovered - currently not indexed', and index coverage issues
- Integrates with robots.txt path control and Google Indexing API requests
- Reads project-context.md for site URL and indexing goals on first use
- Provides initial 1-2 sentence overview on first invocation
Indexing by the numbers
- 871 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +6 installs in the week ending Jul 29, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #502 of 1,879 Marketing & SEO skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Security screen: LOW risk (skills.sh audit)
- Data as of Jul 31, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
npx skills add https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills --skill indexingAdd your badge
Show developers this skill is listed on Skillselion. Paste this into your README.
| Installs | 871 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 787 |
| Security audit | 3 / 3 scanners passed |
| Last updated | June 9, 2026 |
| Repository | kostja94/marketing-skills ↗ |
Why are Search Console pages not indexed?
Diagnose and fix Google indexing problems reported in Search Console.
Who is it for?
Developers or technical SEO owners debugging Google Search Console indexing coverage on live sites.
Skip if: Teams only building XML sitemaps or doing keyword content strategy without GSC indexing errors.
When should I use this skill?
User mentions fix indexing, not indexed, index coverage, noindex, or Google Indexing API from Search Console.
What you get
Indexing fix plan covering GSC status resolution, noindex tags, and optional Google Indexing API requests.
- indexing fix checklist
- noindex implementation guidance
By the numbers
- Skill metadata version 1.0.1
Files
SEO Technical: Indexing
Guides indexing troubleshooting and fix actions. For how to find and diagnose issues in GSC, see google-search-console.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Scope (Technical SEO)
- Fix actions: noindex, canonical, content quality, URL Inspection; verify robots.txt does not block (see robots-txt)
- Noindex: Page-level index control; which pages to exclude and how. Complements robots-txt (path-level crawl control) and google-search-console (Coverage diagnosis)
Initial Assessment
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for site URL and indexing goals.
Identify issue from GSC (see google-search-console for Coverage report, issue types, diagnosis workflow). Then apply fix below.
Crawled - Currently Not Indexed
| Cause | Action |
|---|---|
| Low quality, duplicate, off-topic | Improve content, fix duplicates, set correct canonical |
| Static assets (CSS/JS) | See below |
| Feed, share URLs with params | Usually OK to ignore; or noindex, canonical to main URL |
| Important content pages | Use URL Inspection, verify canonical/internal links/sitemap, Request indexing |
Static Assets (Next.js / Vercel)
Vercel adds unique dpl= params to static assets per deploy, creating many "Crawled - currently not indexed" URLs.
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
Keep robots.txt allowing /_next/ | Do not block /_next/ (breaks CSS/JS loading). See robots-txt |
| Accept static assets in GSC as expected | Do not block /_next/static/css/ or ?dpl= |
| Use X-Robots-Tag for static assets | CSS/JS should not be indexed; no SEO impact |
Static assets in "Crawled - currently not indexed" is normal and expected.
Other Issue Types (from GSC Coverage)
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Excluded by «noindex» tag | Remove noindex if accidental; keep if intentional |
| Blocked by robots.txt | See robots-txt; remove Disallow for important paths |
| Redirect / 404 | Fix URL or add redirect |
| Duplicate / Canonical | Set correct canonical; usually OK |
| Soft-404 | Page returns 200 but content says "not found" or empty—Google may treat as 404. Fix: return 404 status for truly missing pages; or add real content for 200 pages |
Soft-404
A soft-404 occurs when a page returns HTTP 200 but the content indicates the page doesn't exist (e.g. "Page not found" message, empty state). Google may treat it as 404 and exclude from index.
| Fix | When |
|---|---|
| Return 404 | Page truly doesn't exist; use proper 404 status |
| Add content | Page is intentional (e.g. empty search results); ensure substantive content or use noindex |
| Redirect | If URL moved, use 301 to correct destination |
Noindex Usage
- How:
metadata.robots = { index: false }or<meta name="robots" content="noindex">or X-Robots-Tag - Rationale: Not all site content should be indexed; noindex is a valid choice for many pages
- Caution: Avoid noindex on important content pages
- With robots.txt: robots.txt = path-level crawl control; noindex = page-level index control. Do not block noindex pages in robots.txt—crawlers must access the page to read the directive. Use both: robots for /admin/, /api/; noindex for /login/, /thank-you/, etc. See robots-txt for when to use which.
- nofollow ≠ noindex: nofollow controls link equity only; it does not prevent indexing. To exclude from search, use noindex. See page-metadata for meta robots implementation.
Page Types That Typically Need Noindex
| Category | Page Types | Typical Meta | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auth & Account | Login, Signup, Password reset, Account dashboard | Login: noindex,nofollow; Signup: noindex,follow | No search value; login indexed = security risk; signup follow allows crawl of Privacy/Terms links |
| Admin & Private | Admin, Staging, Test pages, Internal tools | noindex,nofollow | Not for public; avoid discovery |
| Conversion Endpoints | Thank-you, Confirmation, Checkout success, Download gate | noindex,follow | Post-conversion; no SERP value; allow link equity |
| System & Utility | 404, Internal search results, Faceted/filter URLs | noindex,follow or noindex,nofollow | Thin/duplicate; 404 = error state |
| Legal | Privacy, Terms, Cookie Policy (optional) | Often noindex,follow | Low-value indexed; reduces clutter |
| Duplicate & Thin | Printer-friendly, Parameter URLs, Near-duplicate | noindex,follow or canonical | Duplicate content; canonical preferred when possible |
| Low-Value | Media kit, Feedback board (external), Thin press | noindex or index for brand queries | Case-by-case |
noindex,follow vs noindex,nofollow: Use noindex,follow for most cases—excludes from SERP but allows link equity. Use noindex,nofollow only for login (security), staging, or temporary test pages.
Page Removal Decision Framework
When intentionally removing a page from the web, choose the method based on whether a relevant alternative exists and whether the page should remain accessible:
| Scenario | Method | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Has a closely related replacement page | 301 redirect | Preserves accumulated link signals and user flow |
| Content merged into a new page | 301 redirect | Direct old URL to the new canonical location |
| Permanently deleted, no alternative | 410 Gone | Explicitly signals permanent removal to search engines |
| Deleted, uncertain if permanent | 404 Not Found | Safe default; can reinstate later if needed |
| Still accessible but should not be indexed | noindex | Page remains available to users; excluded from SERP |
Before removing: Check the URL's search traffic, backlinks, internal links, and conversion value. If the page has value, consider updating or merging rather than removing.
Common mistakes:
- 404-ing pages that have relevant alternatives (wastes accumulated signals)
- Redirecting all deleted pages to the homepage (breaks user intent)
- Creating redirect chains (A → B → C) instead of direct redirects
- Removing pages without cleaning up internal links pointing to them
- Using
robots.txtto block noindex pages (crawler must access the page to read the noindex directive)
Post-removal cleanup: 1. Remove deleted URLs from XML sitemap; update and resubmit 2. Update internal links to point directly to the final URL (avoid relying on redirects) 3. For 301 redirects, ensure the target URL is in the sitemap 4. In GSC, use URL Inspection to verify important pages; use Removals tool for temporary quick-hide (not permanent — use proper HTTP status or noindex)
Google Indexing API
| Type | Typical use |
|---|---|
| JobPosting | Job boards |
| BroadcastEvent | Live platforms |
Requirements: Enable Indexing API, create service account, add owner in Search Console, request quota (default 200 URLs/day).
Output Format
- Action items: Prioritized fixes
- References: Page indexing report
Related Skills
- google-search-console: Find and diagnose indexing issues in GSC
- robots-txt: Path-level crawl control; when to use robots.txt vs noindex; do not block /_next/ or noindex pages
- page-metadata: Meta robots implementation; noindex vs nofollow
- xml-sitemap: Submit and maintain sitemap
- indexnow: Faster indexing for Bing
- canonical-tag: Resolve duplicate content
Related skills
Seo AuditRun structured SEO audits on their SaaS site or content hub and receive a prioritized action plan.173k42.2kCopywritingGenerate, rewrite, or strengthen persuasive website and landing-page copy that converts visitors into users.164k42.2k
Viral Short FormQuickly generate high-retention hooks, scripts, and outlines for TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts, and carousels.132k67Viral HooksWrite and critique viral hooks for short-form video opening sequences.123k67Viral Captions And CtasOptimize social media captions and CTAs for viral short-form video reach and saves.123k67Viral Youtube ShortsWrite and diagnose YouTube Shorts for Shorts Feed and long-form funnel.123k67How it compares
Use indexing for GSC coverage and noindex fixes; use xml-sitemap when the problem is sitemap structure rather than index status.
FAQ
What indexing issues does the indexing skill cover?
The indexing skill covers Google Search Console indexing troubleshooting including Crawled - currently not indexed, Discovered - currently not indexed, index coverage errors, noindex tags, and Google Indexing API usage at version 1.0.1.
Should indexing handle XML sitemaps?
The indexing skill defers sitemap creation and validation to the xml-sitemap skill. indexing focuses on coverage diagnosis, noindex decisions, and indexing API requests after issues appear in Search Console.
Is Indexing safe to install?
skills.sh reports 3 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.