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You’ve fixed the issues flagged in GSC, but the status hasn't changed. What might be happening?

 If you’ve fixed the issues flagged in Google Search Console (GSC) but the status hasn't changed , here are some common reasons and what might be happening: 🔍 Why the Status Might Not Update Immediately 1. Google Hasn't Re-Crawled or Re-Processed the URLs Yet GSC relies on real user field data (CrUX) and crawls that take time. Google may take days to weeks to re-collect and process updated data. Fixing the issue on your server doesn’t instantly update reports. 2. Validation Process is Ongoing If you clicked “Validate Fix” in GSC: Google monitors the URLs for roughly 28 days to confirm the fix. During this period, the status remains “ Validation in progress ” . 3. Partial or Incorrect Fixes Some issues require fixes across multiple pages/templates . Google samples URLs; if some still have problems, status remains failing. Fixes may not fully address the root cause (e.g., images still missing dimensions). 4. Cached or Stale Data GSC...
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How do you interpret and act on the 'Core Web Vitals' report in GSC?

Interpreting and acting on the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console (GSC) is crucial for improving page experience , which directly affects SEO rankings and user satisfaction . 📊 What Are Core Web Vitals? Core Web Vitals measure real-world user experience across three key metrics : Metric What It Measures Target Value LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) Loading performance – time to load main content ≤ 2.5 seconds FID (First Input Delay) Interactivity – delay before response to input ≤ 100 milliseconds CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) Visual stability – unexpected layout shifts ≤ 0.1 🔍 How to Access & Interpret the Report 1. Go to GSC > Page Experience > Core Web Vitals Split into Mobile and Desktop sections. URLs are grouped by performance status : Good, Needs Improvement, Poor. 2. Understand URL Groups GSC groups similar URLs to reflect performance patterns. Each group shows: A sample URL Failing metric(s) The number of affected URLs ...

Why do valid pages appear in the 'Excluded' section of GSC, and what should be your next step?

Valid pages can appear in the “Excluded” section of Google Search Console (GSC) for several reasons, even if they are live and accessible. The “Excluded” category means Google is aware of the page but has chosen not to index it , or can't index it due to specific conditions. 🔍 Common Reasons Valid Pages Are 'Excluded' 1. Crawled - Currently Not Indexed Google crawled the page but decided not to index it yet . Common for: Thin content Duplicate or low-quality pages New or recently updated content Next step: Improve content quality and usefulness; then request reindexing. 2. Discovered – Currently Not Indexed Google knows about the page (e.g., from a sitemap or internal link) but hasn’t crawled it yet. Often due to: Crawl budget limits New websites or large sitemaps Next step: Build internal links to the page and monitor crawl activity. 3. Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag The page is marked with a canonical pointing...

What does 'Page with redirect' mean in GSC, and how can it affect indexing?

 In Google Search Console (GSC) , the “ Page with redirect ” status means that Googlebot encountered a redirect when attempting to crawl the submitted URL. In other words, the URL doesn't serve content directly — it automatically forwards to another URL (via HTTP 3xx status codes). 🔁 Common Types of Redirects 301 (Moved Permanently) – Recommended for SEO; tells Google to index the new URL. 302 (Found / Temporary) – May not pass full SEO value; not ideal for permanent moves. JavaScript-based redirects – May not be followed reliably by crawlers. Meta refresh redirects – Generally discouraged; can confuse Googlebot. ⚠️ How It Affects Indexing Impact Explanation ✅ Redirect target indexed Google will often index the final destination of the redirect chain. ❌ Original URL not indexed The URL shown in GSC won’t be indexed — because it’s just a redirection. 🔄 Chains and loops Multiple redirects (chains) or circular redirects can block indexing . 🧭 Signal dilutio...

How do you fix 'Submitted URL has crawl issue' in GSC?

The " Submitted URL has crawl issue " error in Google Search Console (GSC) means that Google attempted to crawl a URL you submitted via a sitemap or indexing request, but something prevented it from doing so successfully . It's a generic error , so identifying the exact cause requires investigation. Here’s how to diagnose and fix it: 🕵️‍♂️ Step-by-Step Fix Guide 🔍 1. Inspect the URL in GSC In GSC, go to “ URL Inspection ” and enter the problematic URL. Check: Crawl status Page fetch results Indexing status Coverage report details ✅  2. Common Causes & Fixes Problem What to Check & Do ❌  Server error (5xx) Your site/server might be down. Check hosting/server logs. Fix outages. 🕓  Timeout Page load may be too slow. Optimize page speed and reduce server response time. 🔒  Blocked by robots.txt Verify that the URL is  not disallowed  in  /robots.txt . 🚫  Noindex tag Check if the page has a  <meta name="ro...

How does BGP hijacking occur, and how can you prevent it?

  BGP hijacking is a serious network security threat where an attacker injects false BGP routes into the global routing system, diverting traffic to malicious destinations, blackholing it, or enabling man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. 🚨 How BGP Hijacking Occurs BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) works on trust — any Autonomous System (AS) can announce prefixes without built-in validation. BGP hijacking exploits this: 🔧 Common Types of BGP Hijacks: Prefix Hijack An AS announces a prefix it doesn’t own (e.g., AS64500 advertises 192.0.2.0/24). If upstream providers accept and propagate this, traffic destined to the real owner is rerouted to the hijacker. Subprefix Hijack Hijacker announces a more specific prefix (e.g., 192.0.2.0/25 instead of 192.0.2.0/24). Since BGP prefers longer matches, this overrides the legitimate route. AS Path Manipulation Hijacker spoofs an AS path to appear as a legitimate route. Can be used to hide the origin or manipul...

Explain uRPF (Unicast Reverse Path Forwarding) and where it’s useful.

Unicast Reverse Path Forwarding (uRPF) is a security feature used on routers to prevent IP address spoofing by ensuring that incoming packets arrive on the interface that the router would use to send return traffic to the source IP address.                      🧠 How uRPF Works When a packet arrives on an interface, uRPF checks the source IP address against the router’s routing table to verify that: The best return path (route to the source IP) goes out the same interface that the packet came in on. If the check fails, the packet is dropped. This helps mitigate spoofed or misrouted traffic . 🔍 Modes of uRPF 1. Strict Mode The most secure. Packet is accepted only if the source IP is reachable via the same interface the packet arrived on. Ideal for single-homed or stub networks . 🔴 Can cause false drops in asymmetric routing environments. 2. Loose Mode Packet is accepted if the source IP exists ...