Troubleshooting Failed Submissions

Diagnosis Checklist

1. Validate URL format (absolute, http/https, no spaces).
2. Fetch the URL as an anonymous user; confirm HTTP 200.
3. Check robots.txt and meta robots for disallow/noindex.
4. Inspect TLS/redirects; avoid loops and mixed content.
5. Review server logs for 4xx/5xx or timeouts.

Frequent Failure Reasons

• INVALID_URL: Malformed or relative URL.
• HTTP_ERROR: Target returns 4xx/5xx; fix upstream causes.
• BLOCKED_BY_ROBOTS: robots.txt or meta robots prevents access.
• TIMEOUT: Slow responses; optimize backend or CDN caching.
• RATE_LIMITED: Too many submissions in a short window.

Fix by Category

Apply targeted remedies based on the detected failure category.

• URL Issues: Ensure absolute URL, correct scheme, and proper encoding.
• Server Errors: Stabilize application, add caching, fix upstream dependencies.
• Robots: Update robots.txt and meta robots to allow crawling of target paths.
• Performance: Reduce TTFB and payloads; use compression and CDNs.
• Rate Limits: Stagger submissions, add jitter, or upgrade your plan.

Tools

• URL Validator: Built-in checker in Tasks → New Submission.
• cURL/Wget: Test headers, redirects, and TLS.
• Lighthouse/WebPageTest: Diagnose performance bottlenecks.
• Server Logs/APM: Correlate failures with infrastructure events.

Prevention

• Automated tests to catch 4xx/5xx after deploys.
• SLOs for TTFB and uptime; alert on regressions.
• Content checks to avoid orphaned/blocked important pages.
• Rate-aware batching to respect plan and platform limits.

Who Is This Guide For?

This guide is ideal for marketers, SEO specialists, founders, and developers who want a reliable, repeatable process for troubleshooting failed submissions with minimal friction.

Prerequisites

• An active GetIndexedNow account
• A modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
• Owner or editor access to your website or CMS
• Basic familiarity with URLs and sitemaps

Detailed Steps

1. Open your GetIndexedNow dashboard and verify your project/website is selected.
2. Navigate to the relevant module for this task (Dashboard, URL Submitter, Sitemaps, or API).
3. Complete the input fields carefully—double‑check domain, protocol (http/https), and trailing slashes.
4. Click the primary action (Submit / Validate / Sync) and wait for a confirmation response.
5. Review status badges, logs, or activity feed to confirm successful processing.
6. If you see warnings, use the Troubleshooting section below to resolve them immediately.
7. Document your process so your team can repeat it consistently.

Best Practices

• Keep URLs clean, canonical, and accessible (no login walls for public pages).
• Use concise, descriptive titles and meta descriptions for faster search understanding.
• Batch similar actions (e.g., submit a set of new pages together).
• Avoid resubmitting unchanged URLs too frequently to prevent throttling.
• Maintain a changelog of edits and submissions to support audits.

Troubleshooting

• 403/401 errors: The destination blocks automated access—confirm robots and firewall settings.
• 404/410 errors: The URL doesn’t exist—fix the path or update internal links.
• 5xx errors: The site/server is unstable—retry after stabilizing hosting or CDN settings.
• Mixed content: Ensure all assets load over HTTPS to avoid blocked indexing.
• Slow responses: Optimize server performance or use a CDN to reduce TTFB.

FAQs

• How long does indexing take? It varies by search engine, crawl budget, and site authority. Many see results within hours to days.
• Can I undo a submission? No, but you can update or remove the page and submit changes.
• Is there a daily limit? Rate limits may apply—batch and prioritize important URLs.

Glossary

• Canonical URL: The preferred version of a page for indexing.
• Crawl Budget: The number of pages a crawler is willing to fetch on your site.
• Sitemap: A machine‑readable file listing URLs for discovery.