Fixing Google Search Console Errors on Your Squarespace Website
Squarespace SEO
Fixing Google Search Console Errors on Your Squarespace Website
Your new Squarespace site is live 🎉 …
But soon after the emails start to arrive: “Issues detected,” “Pages not indexed,” “Mobile usability warnings.” What does this all mean??
Did you break something? Did your developer miss a step? Is Squarespace “bad for SEO”?
Take a breath. These messages are normal. In this guide, you’ll learn what Google Search Console (GSC) is, how to connect it to Squarespace, what the most common “errors” actually mean, and exactly what to fix (and what to safely ignore).
What is Google Search Console, and Why Do You Need It?
GSC is Google’s free dashboard that provides free insights into how your Squarespace website shows up in web search. Think of it as your:
Status center (what’s indexed, what isn’t, and why)
Performance report (queries, clicks, impressions, average position)
Help desk (tools to request re-indexing, test pages, and confirm fixes)
It doesn’t change your SEO rankings directly, but it helps you spot issues that do affect them.
Connecting Squarespace to Google Search Console
(5-minute setup)
Go to search.google.com/search-console and click Start Now.
Choose URL prefix, enter your full domain with
https://.Verify ownership. The simplest route for most Squarespace sites:
If you use Google Workspace for email, choose Verify via DNS (Google often does this automatically).
Or use HTML tag: In GSC, copy the tag. In Squarespace, go to Settings → Developer Tools → Code Injection → Header, paste the tag, Save, then click Verify back in GSC.
Submit your sitemap: Indexing → Sitemaps → Add new sitemap and enter
sitemap.xml(example:https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml).Done. Google will begin (or continue) crawling.
TIP
If you ever publish a new page on your website, always be sure to submit the new page for indexing! Simply use the GSC URL Inspection → paste your new URL in the search bar → and Request Indexing to speed things up.
A Quick Tour of the GSC Tabs (What’s Worth Checking)
Performance
Queries, clicks, impressions. Use this to learn what you already rank for and where to improve.Pages
(used to be “Coverage”) – Which URLs are indexed or excluded and the reasons.URL Inspection:
Real-time check of a single page’s index status and any crawl issues. Use the Test Live URL for fresh diagnostics.Security & Manual Actions
Rare, but if you ever see an alert here, address it immediately.
Why Am I Getting “Error” Emails?
GSC sends summaries when it sees status changes (e.g., a new batch of pages not indexed). Think of them as FYIs—not all require action. Some statuses are completely normal on Squarespace sites.
Below are the most common messages you’ll see, in plain English, with Squarespace-specific fixes.
Decoding the Common GSC Messages (and what to do)
1) Alternate page with proper canonical tag
What it means:
Google found duplicate/near-duplicate versions of a page and chose one “primary” version to index. The others point to it via a canonical tag.
Should you worry?
Usually no. This is expected with category pages, filtered views, and parameters.
Do this:
If the preferred page is indexed and the alternates point to it, do nothing.
If the wrong page is canonical, open the flagged page → right-click → View Source and search for
rel="canonical". Make sure it points to your preferred URL.
TIP
In Squarespace, avoid creating multiple pages with different URLs that have near-identical content, as Google can potentially flag this and prevent your pages from showing up in search results. For example, if you are creating service pages for various neighbourhoods that you are hoping to perform well in local SEO, do not simply “duplicate” the page and change the neighbourhood name, and leave all the other page copy the same.
2) Page with redirect
What it means:
Google saw this URL but it forwards elsewhere.
Should you worry?
No, if the redirect is intentional.
Do this in Squarespace:
Use Settings → Developer Tools → URL Mappings for redirects.
Prefer 301 (permanent) redirects to pass SEO value. Format:
/old-url->/new-url 301If a redirect wasn’t intended, remove or correct that mapping.
3) Blocked by robots.txt
What it means:
Your robots.txt tells bots not to crawl certain paths (e.g., internal search, config).
Should you worry?
Usually no. Squarespace auto-manages robots.txt to hide low-value or duplicate pages.
Do this:
Check
https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt. You’ll typically see lines disallowing site search (/search) or internal config paths. This is normal.If something important is blocked (rare), make sure the page is published and not “hidden from search” (next item). You can’t edit robots.txt directly in Squarespace; instead, ensure the page is linked internally and indexable so Google can discover an accessible route.
4) Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag
What it means:
The page explicitly tells Google not to index it.
Should you worry?
Only if you intended the page to rank.
Fix in Squarespace:
Go to Pages → (gear icon) → SEO, turn off “Hide page from search results,” Save.
Back in GSC, URL Inspection → Request Indexing.
5) Crawled – currently not indexed
What it means:
Google crawled the page but chose not to index it (yet). Often, quality, duplication, or prioritization.
Common causes: thin/duplicative content, weak internal links, or it’s brand new.
Fix checklist:
Add unique, helpful content (aim for substance over word count).
Strengthen internal links from nav, homepage, and relevant pages.
Ensure the page is not “hidden from search.”
Use URL Inspection → Request Indexing after improvements.
When to ignore:
Pages like RSS feeds or low-value utility pages may never be indexed—and that’s fine.
6) Discovered – currently not indexed
What it means:
Google is aware of the URL (sitemap or links) but hasn’t crawled it yet.
Fix checklist:
Link to the page from important pages (homepage, services, pillar blogs).
Submit/confirm your sitemap (
/sitemap.xml) in GSC.Request indexing via URL Inspection for priority pages.
Be patient—brand-new sites often take longer.
7) 404 (Not found)
What it means:
Google tried a URL that no longer exists.
Decide first:
Should this page exist? Restore it.
Is it gone on purpose? You can do nothing—Google will drop it over time.
Is there a better replacement? Add a 301 redirect to the closest relevant page (URL Mappings).
Also check: Update any internal links pointing to the old URL.
8) Mobile usability / Core Web Vitals (if you see them)
What it means:
Possible layout shift, tap targets, or speed issues on mobile.
Quick wins on Squarespace:
Keep sections lean; avoid heavy, stacked third-party scripts.
Compress imagery (upload smaller, optimized images; use built-in lazy loading).
Limit custom code that injects big libraries.
9) Security issues / Manual actions
What it means:
Hacked content, malware, or policy violations.
Action:
Treat as urgent. Remove the issue, then click Validate Fix in GSC.
The GSC Fast Decision Cheat-Sheet (bookmark this)
Is it a canonical or redirect notice?
→ If the right page is the canonical/target, ignore.Is it blocked by robots.txt?
→ If it’s a search/config/utility page, ignore.Is it ‘noindex’?
→ If you want it indexed, turn off “Hide page from search results” (Page → SEO).Crawled/Discovered not indexed?
→ Improve content, add internal links, and Request Indexing.404?
→ Restore, or 301 to the best match, or leave to drop naturally.Anything in Security/Manual actions?
→ Fix immediately.
Squarespace-Specific Tips That Help Indexing
Use clean, consistent URLs (no changing slugs unnecessarily).
Submit your sitemap once; Squarespace keeps it updated.
Build internal links: add “related links” blocks in blogs, link service pages together, and include your most important pages in the main nav or footer.
Categories & tags can be indexed; link to category pages from your blog index to signal importance.
Use URL Mappings for any restructuring to preserve equity.
Avoid duplicate pages created for slight design differences; use sections/blocks instead.
Key takeaways
Most GSC “errors” are status updates, not emergencies.
Fix the few that matter (noindex by mistake, unintended redirects, thin content).
Strengthen internal linking and content quality—Google cares about usefulness.
Use URL Inspection → Request Indexing after meaningful changes.
Focus on helpful, unique pages you actually want to rank.
FAQs
Do I need to fix every single Google Search Console warning?
No. Some statuses (canonical alternates, utility pages blocked by robots) are expected and harmless.
How long does indexing my new Squarespace website take?
New or low-authority sites may take days to weeks. Request indexing to speed this process up.
Should I use 301 or 302 redirects?
Use 301 (permanent) for moved/merged content. Use 302 only when truly temporary.
Why are my blog category pages “Discovered – not indexed”?
They’re known but not yet crawled or prioritized. Link to them from key pages and request indexing if they’re important.
Will Google Search Console improve my Squarespace website rankings?
Indirectly. GSC doesn’t boost rank, but it helps you spot and fix issues that affect performance.
Need a hand?
At M81 Creative, we’ve worked with over 100+ clients to support them in their brand growth and website management. If you want an expert to review your Google Search Console Pages report, tidy redirects, and set a clean indexing strategy, we can help.
Marlo Biasutti, RGD
CEO/Creative Director
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