Google Downplays Search Console Error Reports, Says Many Aren’t Real Issues

Google’s John Mueller and Martin Splitt recently tackled a common misunderstanding among site owners and SEOs: treating Google Search Console (GSC) as a to-do list of errors to fix. Instead, they argued, it should be viewed as a tool for spotting patterns, many of which are perfectly normal.

The conversation, featured on the Search Off The Record podcast, highlighted how Google itself may be partly to blame for this confusion. Martin Splitt pointed out that users often approach GSC hunting for problems, only to panic over things like 404 “errors” or pages marked as not indexed , issues that frequently require no action at all.

Splitt recalled a question from a Search Central Live event where someone was baffled that a page they knew was indexed showed up as not indexed in the coverage report. He also referenced a Reddit user who thought they had made a serious mistake after seeing a large number of non-indexed pages. “It’s more of a beginner-level issue,” Mueller agreed, noting that new users often see hundreds of pages listed as not indexed and assume something is broken on their end.

The confusion deepens, Splitt explained, when Google sends email notifications about these reports. The “mark as fixed” button, while useful in some contexts, can trigger the wrong reaction. “It’s triggering the wrong response or the wrong expectation,” he said. Mueller added that the feature is designed for cases where a real fix is possible, like correcting a misconfigured server that caused a flood of 404s. But in many other situations, the system simply decided not to index a page, and that’s not a technical glitch to solve.

The key insight from the discussion: focus on patterns, not individual errors. Splitt shared feedback from another Googler who suggested that site owners should ask themselves, “Is the site in the index doing what I expect it to do?” This shift in perspective helps distinguish between genuine problems and normal behavior. For example, during a site migration with redirects, a spike in “page with redirect” entries in the indexing report is actually a good sign. It means your redirects are working. If that spike doesn’t appear, it may mean processing is still ongoing.

The same logic applies to 404 errors. Mueller noted that the term “error” is misleading , it describes the server’s response to a request for a missing URL, not a mistake on your site. “It’s almost like your website is returning an error,” he said, which leads people to think they must fix it. Splitt clarified: “It’s actually a good thing. The problem is… why does Search Console show it as an error? Because it is an error. It’s just an expected one.”

Of course, not all 404s are harmless. If they stem from broken internal links or unupdated redirects, they warrant investigation. But a normal 404 for a deleted page is nothing to worry about.

Ultimately, the message is clear: Search Console is a monitoring tool, not a fault finder. The real value lies in understanding context and spotting unusual trends, not in chasing every “error” notification. Google’s own design may inadvertently encourage the wrong mindset, but with the right approach, site owners can avoid unnecessary fixes and focus on what actually matters.