By Shad Super in Questions —

How Can You Troubleshoot Indexed but Not Submitted in Sitemap Status in Google Search Console?

Summary

To troubleshoot the "Indexed, but not submitted in sitemap" status in Google Search Console, you need to understand why certain URLs are indexed without being included in your sitemap. This involves verifying sitemap accuracy, ensuring proper URL management, and checking for potential issues with duplicate content or crawling settings. Here is a detailed guide on how to resolve this issue.

Understanding the "Indexed, but not submitted in sitemap" Status

Google Search Console's "Indexed, but not submitted in sitemap" status indicates that a URL has been indexed by Google but was not included in any sitemaps you have submitted. This can happen for a variety of reasons, and addressing it properly can help improve your site's SEO and indexing efficiency.

Why URLs Might Be Indexed but Not in Your Sitemap

  • URLs not included in your current sitemap setup.
  • Automatic discovery by Google's crawlers through internal or external links.
  • Duplicate content or parameters generating additional URLs.
  • Older URLs that were once part of the sitemap but have since been removed.

Steps to Troubleshoot and Fix the Issue

1. Verify Your Sitemap Accuracy

Ensure that your sitemap is up-to-date and accurately reflects the structure of your website. Tools like XML-Sitemaps, 2023 can help generate a comprehensive sitemap.

2. Check for Canonicalization

Ensure that canonical tags are correctly implemented to avoid indexing of non-canonical URLs [Consolidate Duplicate URLs, 2023]. This helps direct Google to prefer specific URLs over duplicates.

3. Analyze Internal Linking

Review your website's internal linking structure to ensure that important pages are linked correctly. This helps Google's crawlers understand which pages are significant [Internal Links: A Complete Guide, 2023].

4. Use URL Inspection Tool

Google Search Console's URL Inspection Tool can provide insights into how Google views specific URLs, which can help diagnose why a URL is indexed but not in your sitemap [URL Inspection Tool, 2023].

5. Monitor Crawl Settings

Ensure that your robots.txt file is not inadvertently blocking important pages. This file should be configured correctly to allow crawling of all necessary pages [Robots.txt Introduction, 2023].

6. Check for Duplicate Content

Duplicate content can cause Google to index multiple URLs with similar content. Use tools like Siteliner, 2023 to find and address duplicate content issues.

Best Practices

  • Regularly update your sitemap to include all relevant URLs.
  • Use canonical tags to consolidate duplicate URLs.
  • Maintain a clean and efficient internal linking structure.
  • Regularly use the URL Inspection Tool to identify and fix indexing issues.
  • Review and adjust robots.txt and meta tags for better crawling efficiency.

Conclusion

By understanding why URLs might be indexed but not submitted in your sitemap and following these troubleshooting steps, you can better manage your site's indexing and improve its visibility in search results. Regularly maintaining your sitemap and addressing potential issues will help keep your site optimized for search engines.

References