Understanding Error Messages

How to Read Error Responses

Our platform returns structured errors that include a code, human-readable message, and sometimes a request ID for tracing. Use the code to determine the category and follow the recommended fix.

Common Error Codes

• INVALID_URL: The provided URL is malformed, relative, or missing protocol.
• AUTH_REQUIRED: Missing or invalid authentication token.
• FORBIDDEN: Your plan or role does not allow this action.
• RATE_LIMITED: You exceeded your request rate; slow down and retry later.
• HTTP_ERROR: The target URL returned a 4xx/5xx response.
• BLOCKED_BY_ROBOTS: robots.txt or meta robots prevents crawling.
• TIMEOUT: The URL took too long to respond and was aborted.

Fix by Error Code

• INVALID_URL → Ensure absolute URL (https://example.com/page) and proper encoding.
• AUTH_REQUIRED → Re-authenticate; include a valid token in Authorization header.
• FORBIDDEN → Verify plan/role permissions or contact your workspace admin.
• RATE_LIMITED → Add client backoff, reduce bursts, consider plan upgrade.
• HTTP_ERROR → Fix upstream app errors; confirm stable 200 responses.
• BLOCKED_BY_ROBOTS → Update robots.txt/meta tags to allow crawling of the path.
• TIMEOUT → Improve TTFB via caching/CDN and reduce payload size.

Request IDs & Support

Include the request ID and timestamp when contacting support. This accelerates log tracing and resolution.

Who Is This Guide For?

This guide is ideal for marketers, SEO specialists, founders, and developers who want a reliable, repeatable process for understanding error messages 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.