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How to Find and Fix Crawl Errors in 2026

Identify and resolve crawl errors that prevent Google from indexing your pages. Practical fixes for common issues.

Crawl errors prevent search engines from accessing and indexing your pages. For Melbourne businesses, fixing these issues is essential for maintaining search visibility.

Common Crawl Errors

  • 404 Not Found – Page doesn't exist
  • 500 Server Errors – Server-side problems
  • Redirect Issues – Chains, loops, or broken redirects
  • Blocked Resources – CSS/JS blocked by robots.txt
  • Timeout Errors – Server too slow to respond

Priority Fix: Focus first on errors affecting important pages—those with backlinks, traffic, or business value. Not every 404 needs fixing.

Finding Crawl Errors

Google Search Console

Check Coverage report for crawl errors. Filter by error type and review affected URLs.

Site Crawl Tools

Use Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or similar tools to crawl your site and identify issues Google might find.

Fixing Common Issues

404 Errors

For important pages: implement 301 redirects to relevant content. For pages that should exist: restore them or identify why they're missing.

Redirect Chains

Update all redirects to point directly to final destinations. A→B→C should become A→C.

For comprehensive technical SEO guidance, explore our complete optimisation guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are crawl errors in SEO?How to Find & Fix Crawl Errors | Melbourne SEO Guide

Crawl errors occur when search engine bots can't access your pages. Common types include 404 (not found), 500 (server errors), redirect loops, and blocked resources. These prevent pages from being indexed and ranked.

How do I find crawl errors on my site?How to Find & Fix Crawl Errors | Melbourne SEO Guide

Check Google Search Console's Coverage report for crawl errors. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to crawl your site and identify issues. Check server logs for bot access errors.

Do 404 errors hurt SEO?How to Find & Fix Crawl Errors | Melbourne SEO Guide

404s for non-existent pages are normal and don't hurt SEO. However, 404s for pages that should exist, pages with backlinks, or pages users try to access do hurt SEO and user experience. Fix important 404s with redirects.

How do I fix redirect chains and loops?How to Find & Fix Crawl Errors | Melbourne SEO Guide

Redirect chains (A→B→C) slow crawling. Update all redirects to point directly to final destinations. Redirect loops (A→B→A) prevent access entirely—identify the loop and fix the redirect logic.

How often should I check for crawl errors?How to Find & Fix Crawl Errors | Melbourne SEO Guide

Check Google Search Console weekly for new crawl errors. Run full site crawls monthly or after major site changes. Set up alerts for sudden spikes in errors that could indicate server issues or accidental changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do crawl errors affect AI search visibility?

Crawl errors prevent search engines from indexing your content, which directly impacts AI visibility. AI systems rely on indexed content to make recommendations—if your pages aren't properly crawled and indexed, they can't be cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews. Regular crawl error monitoring is essential for AI SEO.

What are the most critical crawl errors to fix?

Priority crawl errors include 404 (Not Found) errors on important pages, 5xx server errors, redirect chains and loops, blocked resources in robots.txt, and mobile usability issues. Focus first on errors affecting high-value pages that you want AI systems to cite.

How often should Melbourne businesses audit for crawl errors?

Audit your site for crawl errors monthly using Google Search Console and a crawler tool like Screaming Frog. After major website changes, run an immediate audit. Consistent monitoring catches issues before they impact your AI visibility and traditional rankings.

Can robots.txt settings affect AI recommendation?

Absolutely. If you accidentally block AI crawlers or important pages in robots.txt, AI systems can't access your content for citation. Ensure your robots.txt allows access to all content you want AI systems to reference. Some businesses also specifically allow AI crawlers like GPTBot to ensure ChatGPT can access their content.

What's the relationship between site architecture and AI visibility?

Clear site architecture helps both traditional crawlers and AI systems understand your content's hierarchy and relationships. A logical structure with proper internal linking helps AI systems understand your expertise areas and navigate your content effectively, improving citation probability for relevant queries.

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