How do you use the URL Inspection Tool in GSC to debug indexing or rendering issues?

The URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console (GSC) is essential for debugging indexing and rendering issues. Here's a clear, step-by-step guide on how to use it effectively:

🔧 What the URL Inspection Tool Can Do

It allows you to:

Check indexing status of a specific URL.
See how Googlebot views and renders your page.
View any crawling, indexing, or AMP issues.
Test live versions vs. indexed versions.
Request reindexing after fixing problems.

✅ Step-by-Step: How to Use It

1. Access the Tool

Go to Google Search Console.
Enter a full URL (exact page) in the top search bar.
GSC will fetch the most recent crawl data for that URL.

2. Review the Summary Status

You'll see one of these messages:

✅ URL is on Google: Indexed and eligible to appear in search.
🚫 URL is not on Google: Not indexed (with reasons).

Check for:

Coverage status (indexed or not).
Canonical URL: Is Google using the one you want?
Mobile usability: Any mobile rendering problems?
Enhancements: Breadcrumbs, structured data, etc.

3. Click “View Crawled Page”

This shows how Google renders the page:

You'll see two tabs:

HTML: What Googlebot actually received (can reveal missing content due to JavaScript).
Screenshot: Visual rendering of the page — useful for spotting rendering issues.

🔍 Common things to check:

Missing images or text
Render-blocking JavaScript/CSS
Lazy-loaded or client-side content not being rendered

4. Check “More Info” Section

Under "Page Resources", you can check:

Any blocked resources (e.g., CSS or JS that failed to load)
Errors with JavaScript execution

If JS files are blocked or failing, Google might not see or index your content properly.

5. Test Live URL

Click “Test Live URL” to:

Re-crawl the current version of the page.
Compare live vs. indexed state.
Great for debugging issues that have recently been fixed.

6. Request Indexing (If Needed)

If everything looks good and you’ve:

Fixed an error,
Updated content,
Added canonical/meta tags…

Click “Request Indexing” to prompt Google to recrawl the page faster.

🚨 Use Cases for Debugging

Problem	How URL Inspection Helps
Page not appearing in search	Confirms if indexed or excluded (with reason)
Rendered content missing in Google	View rendered HTML and screenshot
Structured data not showing in results	Check enhancement section for schema errors
JavaScript-generated content missing	View HTML tab and JS resource errors
Canonical tag not respected	See what canonical Google actually chose

Pro Tip:

Always compare live test results with Google's indexed version. The discrepancy often reveals why something isn’t showing up or ranking.

How does BGP prevent routing loops? Explain AS_PATH and loop prevention mechanisms.

In Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), preventing routing loops is critical — especially because BGP is the inter-domain routing protocol used to connect Autonomous Systems (ASes) on the internet. 🔄 How BGP Prevents Routing Loops The main mechanism BGP uses is the AS_PATH attribute . 🔍 What is AS_PATH? AS_PATH is a BGP path attribute that lists the sequence of Autonomous Systems (AS numbers) a route has traversed. Each time a route is advertised across an AS boundary, the local AS number is prepended to the AS_PATH. Example: If AS 65001 → AS 65002 → AS 65003 is the route a prefix has taken, the AS_PATH will look like: makefile AS_PATH: 65003 65002 65001 It’s prepended in reverse order — so the last AS is first . 🚫 Loop Prevention Using AS_PATH ✅ Core Mechanism: BGP routers reject any route advertisement that contains their own AS number in the AS_PATH. 🔁 Why It Works: If a route makes its way back to an AS that’s already in the AS_PATH , that AS kno...

Explain the Angular compilation process: View Engine vs. Ivy.

The Angular compilation process transforms your Angular templates and components into efficient JavaScript code that the browser can execute. Over time, Angular has evolved from the View Engine compiler to a newer, more efficient system called Ivy . Here's a breakdown of the differences between View Engine and Ivy , and how each affects the compilation process: 🔧 1. What Is Angular Compilation? Angular templates ( HTML inside components) are not regular HTML—they include Angular-specific syntax like *ngIf , {{ }} interpolation, and custom directives. The compiler translates these templates into JavaScript instructions that render and update the DOM. Angular uses Ahead-of-Time (AOT) or Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation modes: JIT : Compiles in the browser at runtime (used in development). AOT : Compiles at build time into efficient JS (used in production). 🧱 2. View Engine (Legacy Compiler) ➤ Used in Angular versions < 9 🔍 How It Works: Compiles templat...

What are the different types of directives in Angular? Give real-world examples.

In Angular, directives are classes that allow you to manipulate the DOM or component behavior . There are three main types of directives: 🧱 1. Component Directives Technically, components are directives with a template. They control a section of the screen (UI) and encapsulate logi c. ✅ Example: @Component ({ selector : 'app-user-card' , template : `<h2>{{ name }}</h2>` }) export class UserCardComponent { name = 'Alice' ; } 📌 Real-World Use: A ProductCardComponent showing product details on an e-commerce site. A ChatMessageComponent displaying individual messages in a chat app. ⚙️ 2. Structural Directives These change the DOM layout by adding or removing elements. ✅ Built-in Examples: *ngIf : Conditionally includes a template. *ngFor : Iterates over a list and renders template for each item. *ngSwitch : Switches views based on a condition. 📌 Real-World Use: < div * ngIf = "user.isLoggedIn...

Informational Blogs

Search This Blog