PromptScoutWhat is Indexability?
Indexability is the ability of a page to be added to a search engine’s index and shown in results. Indexability depends on crawlability, canonicalization, and whether the page is allowed to be indexed.
Quick definition
Indexability means whether a search engine can include a page in its searchable database.
How Indexability works
- Indexability requires that a crawler can access the page (crawlability).
- Indexability depends on the page being eligible for indexing and not treated as a duplicate.
- Indexability can be influenced by canonical URL choices.
- Indexability is affected by technical errors that prevent parsing or rendering.
Why Indexability matters
Indexability matters because a page that is not indexed typically cannot rank.
Indexability also affects AI visibility when AI systems draw from indexed sources.
Example use cases
- Identifying important pages that are accessible but not indexed.
- Consolidating duplicates so a single canonical URL is indexed.
- Fixing server responses that return error codes for crawlers.