Tired of Seeing Irrelevant, Old, Non-Canonical, and Bogus URLs in the 'Page Indexing' Report? Here's How to Fix It -

Google Search Console (GSC) provides valuable insights into how Google indexes your website. However, many website owners and SEO professionals get frustrated when they see irrelevant, outdated, non-canonical, and spammy URLs appearing in the ‘Page Indexing’ report. These URLs can negatively impact SEO, dilute site authority, and create unnecessary confusion when analyzing index coverage.

If you’re struggling with these issues, this comprehensive guide will help you understand why these URLs appear, their impact on SEO, and most importantly, how to clean up and optimize your indexing status.

Why Do Irrelevant, Old, Non-Canonical, and Bogus URLs Appear in GSC’s ‘Page Indexing’ Report?

1. Google Indexed Outdated or Deleted Pages

URLs of deleted pages may still appear if they were previously indexed.
Google may store old versions of pages even after removal.

2. Non-Canonical URLs Getting Indexed

When multiple URLs point to the same content, Google may index duplicate or parameterized versions instead of the preferred canonical URL.
Example:arduinoCopyEdithttps://example.com/product-category/shoes https://example.com/shoes?category=products
Even though the first URL is canonical, the second one might still get indexed.

3. URL Parameters & Session IDs Causing Duplicate Indexing

URLs with tracking parameters (e.g., UTM tags) or session IDs often create unnecessary indexed pages.
Example:arduinoCopyEdithttps://example.com/page?utm_source=facebook https://example.com/page?session_id=1234
These URLs serve no real purpose in search results but may still be indexed.

4. Orphan Pages and Stale Content

Pages not linked anywhere on the site but still accessible via direct URL can remain in Google’s index.
Example: Old blog posts, outdated product pages, or abandoned landing pages.

5. Bogus, Spammy, or Hacked URLs Appearing

Hackers or spammers may create fake URLs on your domain to manipulate rankings.
Example:arduinoCopyEdithttps://example.com/buy-viagra-now https://example.com/free-credit-card-details
These URLs can harm SEO and website credibility if indexed.

6. Soft 404s and Incorrect Redirects

Pages that should return a 404 (Not Found) but instead return a 200 OK response might stay indexed.
Redirect loops or broken redirects may cause Google to index unwanted versions.

How to Fix the ‘Page Indexing’ Issues in Google Search Console

Step 1: Identify Problematic URLs Using Google Search Console

Open Google Search Console → Navigate to Indexing → Pages.
Review the sections under ‘Why pages aren’t indexed’ for:
- Not Found (404)
- Blocked by Robots.txt
- Crawled – Currently Not Indexed
- Duplicate Without User-Selected Canonical
Click on each category to see specific URLs.

Bonus: Use Google Search Operators to Spot Indexing Issues

To check what Google has indexed, use:

makefileCopyEditsite:example.com

For non-canonical versions, use:

makefileCopyEditsite:example.com inurl:?

For outdated or spammy indexed pages:

makefileCopyEditsite:example.com -inurl:https

Step 2: Remove Old or Unwanted URLs from Google’s Index

1. Use the “Removals” Tool in Google Search Console

In GSC → Indexing → Removals, request temporary removal of outdated or spammy URLs.
This hides them from search results for 6 months, giving you time to fix issues.

2. Return a Proper 404 or 410 Status Code for Deleted Pages

If a page is permanently removed, return a 410 (Gone) response instead of 404 (Not Found).
Example .htaccess rule for 410:apacheCopyEditRedirect 410 /old-page

3. Add ‘Noindex’ Meta Tag for Unwanted Pages

If you don’t want a page indexed but still need it live, add this to its <head> section:

htmlCopyEdit<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

✅ This tells Google not to index the page.

4. Block Crawling via Robots.txt (For Non-Essential Pages)

For pages like admin panels, thank-you pages, and login pages, block Googlebot in robots.txt:

makefileCopyEditUser-agent: Googlebot
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /checkout/

🚨 Warning: Do NOT block pages already indexed—use “noindex” instead!

Step 3: Fix Non-Canonical & Duplicate URLs

1. Use Canonical Tags to Point Google to the Right URL

If duplicate URLs exist, tell Google which version is preferred:

htmlCopyEdit<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/preferred-page">

✅ This prevents duplicate indexing and consolidates ranking signals.

2. Set URL Parameters in Google Search Console

If Google is indexing UTM-tagged or session-based URLs, configure them in GSC:

Go to GSC → Legacy Tools → URL Parameters
Define parameters like utm_source, ref, session_id as “No Effect”
✅ This helps Google ignore unnecessary parameter-based URLs.

Step 4: Prevent Future Indexing of Bogus & Spammy URLs

1. Secure Your Website to Prevent Hacked Content

Scan for malware using tools like Google Safe Browsing, Sucuri, or Wordfence.
Regularly check server logs for suspicious activity.

2. Redirect Spammy URLs to Homepage (if necessary)

If a spammy page is indexed, redirect it to the homepage instead of letting it sit in Google’s index:

apacheCopyEditRedirect 301 /spammy-url https://example.com

✅ This consolidates link equity instead of just deleting URLs.

Step 5: Speed Up Index Cleanup with Google’s Indexing API (For Developers)

If you have many pages that need to be de-indexed, use Google’s Indexing API to notify Google faster.
Implement API requests for URL removals instead of waiting for Googlebot.
Developers can follow Google’s API docs here.

Final Checklist to Fix Indexing Issues

✅ Check GSC for non-canonical, outdated, and spammy URLs
✅ Remove old pages using Google’s Removal Tool
✅ Ensure deleted pages return 410 or 404 status codes
✅ Use ‘noindex’ for pages you don’t want indexed
✅ Fix duplicate URLs with canonical tags
✅ Block unnecessary URLs in robots.txt
✅ Configure URL parameters in GSC
✅ Secure the website to prevent spam/hacked URLs