Indexability.

Indexability refers to whether a page can be stored in a search engine's index—the database of pages eligible to appear in search results. Even a crawlable page may not be indexable if it has a noindex directive, is blocked by canonical tags pointing elsewhere, has thin or duplicate content triggering quality filters, or returns certain HTTP status codes.

Crawlability vs. Indexability

These concepts are distinct: crawlability is about access (can the bot reach the page?), indexability is about inclusion (will the page be stored and ranked?). A page can be crawlable but not indexable (if it has a noindex tag) and indexable but poorly crawled (if internal links don't lead bots there regularly). Both must be addressed for content to rank.

Diagnosing Indexability Issues

Google Search Console's Coverage report categorises pages by status: Indexed, Not indexed (with specific reasons), and Excluded. Common non-indexing reasons include 'Noindex tag detected', 'Page with redirect', 'Duplicate without user-selected canonical', and 'Crawled—currently not indexed' (content quality issue). Each category requires different remediation.