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Understanding Crawl Errors: How to Identify, Fix, and Prevent Them in 2024

Understanding Crawl Errors

Every webmaster dreams of their website ranking on the first page of SERP. But despite pouring your heart and soul into content, you don’t get enough leads or traffic. If everything else is in the right place, crawl errors might be the culprit.

Here’s the deal: search engines like Google don’t magically find your website. They rely on a three-step process:

  1. Crawl: Google’s bots are like digital explorers, constantly scouring the web, following links to discover new content. This is how they find your website in the first place.
  2. Index: Think of Google’s index as a massive library. Once they find your site (through crawling), they analyze its content and store the information in this library.
  3. Rank: When someone searches for something related to your website, Google pulls relevant pages from its index and decides which ones to show first. This is where ranking comes in.

Crawl errors disrupt the very first step of this process. If Google can’t crawl your site, it can’t index it. And if it can’t index it? You’re essentially invisible to the millions of users searching for businesses like yours.

Don’t panic. In this guide, we’ll read about crawl errors, providing you with the knowledge and tools to identify, address, and prevent them. We’ll explain the common culprits, share proven solutions, and empower you to get your website back on Google’s good side.

Let’s start with the fundamental question first: 

What Are Crawl Errors?

How Google Crawls Pages

Crawl errors happen when search engine bots can’t navigate your web pages as planned. This means search engines like Google can’t fully explore or understand your site’s content and structure.

So, Search engines might not discover, index, and rank your pages. Not appearing in SERP means limited organic traffic to your site.

Google categorizes crawl errors into two types:

  • Site errors
  • URL errors.

Site errors affect your whole site, while URL errors are specific to individual pages.

Let’s explore them in detail: 

Site Errors

Site errors happen when search engines can’t access any part of your website. These errors affect your entire site, preventing search engines from crawling and indexing your pages. There are three main types of site errors: DNS errors, server errors, and robots.txt errors.

1. DNS Errors

How DNS Works

DNS errors occur when the Domain Name System (DNS) can’t locate your website’s IP address. Think of it as trying to call someone but dialing the wrong number. When search engines encounter DNS errors, they can’t find your site at all.

Example: You type a website URL and see a “server not found” message.

Common Causes:

  • DNS Timeout: The DNS server didn’t respond to the request quickly enough.
  • DNS Lookup Error: The DNS server couldn’t find the domain name.

2. Server Errors

Server errors happen when your web server fails to respond to search engine requests. These errors are like knocking on a door, but no one answers. They can severely impact your site’s crawlability.

Example: You receive a 500 Internal Server Error when trying to visit a page.

Common Types:

  • 500 Internal Server Error: General server issue.
  • 502 Bad Gateway: Invalid response from an upstream server.
  • 503 Service Unavailable: Server is temporarily down.
  • 504 Gateway Timeout: Server didn’t respond in time.

3. Robots.txt Errors

Robots.txt errors occur when there’s a problem with the robots.txt file, which tells search engines which pages to crawl. It’s like giving incorrect directions to a visitor, causing them to miss important areas.

Example: A disallow rule in your robots.txt file blocking search engines from accessing your site.

URL Errors

URL errors happen when search engines have trouble finding specific pages or URLs. Unlike Site errors, URL errors are not sitewide. They just affect the problematic pages.

1. 404 Errors

A 404 error occurs when a page on your site can’t be found. This happens when the URL is incorrect, or the page has been moved or deleted without proper redirection. eg, a user clicks on a link and sees a “404 Page Not Found” message.

2. Soft 404 Errors

Soft 404 errors happen when a page returns a 200 OK status code (indicating success) but displays content that makes Google think it should be a 404 error. This often occurs due to:

  • Thin Content: Pages with insufficient or low-value content, like empty internal search results.
  • Low-Quality or Duplicate Content: Placeholder pages, “lorem ipsum” content, or duplicates without canonical URLs.
  • JavaScript Issues: Problems loading JavaScript resources.
  • Other Reasons: Missing files or broken database connections.
  • Example: A product page showing “Sorry, this product is out of stock” without offering alternatives.

3. 403 Forbidden Errors

A 403 error occurs when access to a page is denied, often due to permission settings on the server. For example, A user tries to access a restricted page and receives a “403 Forbidden” message.

4. Redirect Loops

Redirect Loop

Redirect loops happen when one URL redirects to another, which then redirects back to the first URL, creating an infinite loop. For example, Page A redirects to Page B, which redirects back to Page A.

How to Find Crawl Errors

Finding and fixing crawl errors is crucial for maintaining a healthy and accessible website. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you identify crawl errors using Google Search Console (GSC):

Step 1: Access Google Search Console

  1. Sign In: Log in to your Google Search Console account.
  2. Select Property: Choose the website property you want to inspect.

Select property

Step 2: Navigate to the Indexing Report

  1. Go to indexing: In the left-hand sidebar, click on “pages” under the “Indexing” section.
  2. Overview: The indexing report provides an overview of errors, valid pages, warnings, and exclusions.

Pages (Under Indexing)

Step 3: Identify Crawl Errors

GSC errors report

1. Error Categories 

Review the report and look for errors listed under:

  • Errors: Critical issues that need immediate attention.
  • Valid with Warnings: Pages that have issues but are still indexed.
  • Valid: Successfully indexed pages without any issues.
  • Excluded: Pages that are intentionally not indexed or have specific issues preventing indexing.

2. Types of Errors

  • Site Errors: Affect the entire website, such as DNS errors or server errors.
  • URL Errors: Specific to individual pages, such as 404 errors or access denied (403) errors.

Step 4: Detailed Error Analysis

  1. Click on Errors: Click on the specific error type to view detailed information.
  2. Inspect URLs: For each error, GSC will list the affected URLs. Click on a URL to see more details and recommendations.

Step 5: Use the URL Inspection Tool

  1. Inspect URLs: Copy the problematic URL and use the URL Inspection tool to test and analyze it.
  2. Request Indexing: Once the issue is resolved, request indexing to prompt Google to recrawl the page.

Other Tools to Identify Crawl Errors

While Google Search Console is a powerful tool, using additional SEO tools can provide a more comprehensive analysis of your site’s health. 

Tools like Semrush, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, and Moz Pro offer comprehensive site audits and detailed error reports. Here’s a general process you can follow with these tools:

  1. Perform a Site Audit: Use the tool’s site audit feature to scan your website. Enter your domain and configure the settings as needed.
  2. Review Error Reports: Analyze the detailed reports generated by the tool. Look for broken links, missing pages, and other crawl errors.
  3. Follow Recommendations: Most tools provide actionable insights and recommendations for fixing identified issues.
  4. Monitor Regularly: Use these tools to perform regular site audits to ensure your site remains free of crawl errors.

By using these additional tools, alongside Google Search Console, you can get a more comprehensive view of your site’s health and stay on top of any issues that might affect your SEO performance​​​​​​​​.

How to Fix Crawl Errors

After identifying crawl errors using Google Search Console and other tools, it’s essential to fix them promptly to maintain your site’s health and search engine visibility. Here’s how to prioritize and fix these errors:

Step 1: Prioritize Site-Wide Errors

1. DNS Errors

  • Importance: These errors prevent search engines from accessing your site entirely.
  • Action: Check your DNS settings and ensure your domain is properly configured. Contact your DNS provider if issues persist.

2. Server Errors (5xx)

  • Importance: Server errors indicate that your web server is failing to respond properly, blocking access to your entire site.
  • Action: Monitor server performance, increase resources if necessary, and address any server-side issues immediately.

3. Robots.txt Errors

  • Importance: If search engines can’t read your robots.txt file, they might be unable to crawl important sections of your site.
  • Action: Ensure your robots.txt file is correctly configured and accessible. Use Google Search Console to test and verify the file.

Step 2: Address URL-Specific Errors Based on Impact

1. 404 Errors

  • High-Traffic Pages: Fix 404 errors on pages that receive significant traffic or have valuable backlinks. Set up 301 redirects to relevant pages.
  • Less Critical: Not all 404 errors need immediate attention. Pages that are no longer relevant or intentionally removed can be left as is.
  • Action: Update internal links and ensure high-value pages are redirected correctly.

2. Soft 404 Errors

  • Importance: These errors occur when a page returns a 200 OK status code but displays content that makes Google think it should be a 404 error.
  • Action: Improve content quality on thin pages or return a true 404 status for non-existent pages. Fix any JavaScript issues causing soft 404s.

3. 403 Forbidden Errors

  • Importance: Ensure important pages are not being blocked unintentionally by server permissions or robots.txt settings.
  • Action: Adjust server permissions and robots.txt file to allow access where appropriate.

4. Redirect Loops

  • Importance: Fix redirect loops to prevent poor user experience and ensure search engines can correctly index your content.
  • Action: Check your redirects and ensure they point to the correct URLs without looping.

By combining the prioritization of errors with actionable fixes, you can efficiently manage crawl errors, ensuring your website remains accessible and fully indexed by search engines. This approach helps maintain and improve your SEO performance​​​​​​.

Monitoring Crawlability

Even if your website is running smooth and error-free, it is best to keep an eye on its health.

Here is how you can do that.

Set Up Alerts

You can set up alerts and notifications on various tools to let you know about the developments in real-time.

Google Search Console

  • Enable Notifications: Turn on email alerts to get notified about new crawl errors. This way, you can fix problems quickly.
    • How to do it: Go to Settings > Search Console Preferences > Email Notifications. Turn on alerts.

SEO Tools

Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz Pro can alert you to issues like crawl errors and broken links.

How to set up: Customize alerts in these tools to stay informed about important issues.

Regular Audits

Checking your site regularly helps you catch and fix problems early.

  • Frequency: Do site audits every month or quarter to keep your site error-free.
  • Tools to use: Google Search Console, Semrush, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog can scan your site for problems.
  • Action: Fix the issues these tools find to keep your site healthy.

Internal Link Structure

Good internal links help search engines navigate your site better.

  • Importance: Regularly check and update your internal links.
  • How to do it: Fix broken links and make sure all links point to the right pages.
  • Tools: Use Screaming Frog and Semrush to find and fix broken links.

Page Speed Optimization

Fast-loading pages improve user experience and help search engines crawl your site better.

  • Impact: Faster pages make visitors happy and help with search rankings.
  • How to do it: Use Google PageSpeed Insights to find and fix speed issues.
    • Steps: Optimize images, use browser caching, and minimize JavaScript and CSS.
  • Regular checks: Keep checking your site’s speed and make improvements as needed.

Conclusion

Fixing crawl errors isn’t a one-time job; it’s an ongoing task. Regularly check your crawl data, apply the fixes we’ve discussed, and follow best practices. This way, search engines can find, index, and rank your content easily.

A website free from crawl errors is set for success. It improves user experience, boosts search engine visibility, and helps your online presence grow. Stay alert, stay informed, and keep those crawlers happy!

Need help optimizing your website for search engines? OutreachMonks specializes in link-building services that increase your website’s authority and visibility. Contact us today to learn how we can help you reach your online goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can crawl errors affect my website's mobile rankings?

Yes, crawl errors can impact both desktop and mobile rankings if mobile-specific pages are affected.

How do I handle crawl errors for pages with seasonal content?

Use 301 redirects to relevant current content or update the seasonal pages.

Is it possible to set priority for different sections of my site for crawling?

Yes, using the sitemap's priority settings and robots.txt to guide crawlers.

Can third-party tools like Semrush detect all types of crawl errors?

Third-party tools can detect many, but always cross-check with Google Search Console for comprehensive coverage.

What steps can I take if a specific page consistently shows crawl errors despite fixes?

Check server logs for detailed issues, consider URL restructuring, or consult with your hosting provider.

Ekta Chauhan

Ekta Chauhan

Ekta is a seasoned link builder at Outreach Monks. She uses her digital marketing expertise to deliver great results. Specializing in the SaaS niche, she excels at crafting and executing effective link-building strategies. Ekta also shares her insights by writing engaging and informative articles regularly. On the personal side, despite her calm and quiet nature, don't be fooled—Ekta's creativity means she’s probably plotting to take over the world. When she's not working, she enjoys exploring new hobbies, from painting to trying out new recipes in her kitchen.

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