Click here for our complete SEO glossary.
What is a crawl error? What are the types of crawl errors? How do you fix them? If you’re not sure how to answer any of those questions, don’t worry – you’re not alone. In fact, most people have no idea what a crawl error is, let alone how to fix them. But that’s about to change. In this post, we will explore everything there is to know about crawl errors and SEO. By the time you finish reading, you will be an expert on all things crawl-error related! So without further ado, let’s get started.
What is a crawl error?
A crawl error is an error that occurs when a search engine bot (also known as a “spider”) tries to crawl a website. There are three main types of crawl errors: DNS errors, server errors, and robot failure.
DNS errors occur when the spider can’t connect to the website’s DNS server. This usually happens because the DNS server is down or not responding.
Server errors occur when the spider tries to connect to the website but the server is down or not responding. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a heavy traffic load on the server or a temporary technical issue with the server.
Robot failure occurs when the spider tries to crawl a website but is unable to because it is blocked by a robot.txt file. This usually happens when the website owner has intentionally blocked the search engine bot from crawling their site.
What are the types of crawl errors?
There are three main types of crawl errors: DNS errors, server errors, and robot failure.
DNS errors occur when the spider can’t connect to the website’s DNS server. This usually happens because the DNS server is down or not responding.
Server errors occur when the spider tries to connect to the website but the server is down or not responding. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a heavy traffic load on the server or a temporary technical issue with the server.
Robot failure occurs when the spider tries to crawl a website but is unable to because it is blocked by a robot.txt file. This usually happens when the website owner has intentionally blocked the search engine bot from crawling their site.
How do you fix them?
Fixing crawl errors is a fairly simple process, but it does require some technical knowledge. If you’re not comfortable making changes to your website’s code, then you should contact a web developer or SEO specialist for help.
The first step is to identify which type of crawl error you’re dealing with. You can do this by using Google Search Console or another similar tool. Once you’ve identified the type of error, you can take the appropriate steps to fix it.
For DNS errors, you will need to contact your DNS provider and ask them to fix the problem.
For server errors, you will need to check your server’s status and make sure it is up and running. If the server is down, you will need to contact your web host and ask them to resolve the issue.
For robot failure, you will need to edit your website’s robot.txt file and remove the block on the search engine bot. Once you’ve done this, the spider should be able to crawl your site without any problems.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about crawl errors and SEO, you should be able to fix any problems that you encounter. If you’re ever unsure about anything, don’t hesitate to contact a web developer or SEO specialist for help. They will be more than happy to assist you in fixing the problem.
Jamie Fallon is an SEO expert who lives life to the maximum, redlining every day on a rollercoaster straight to the grave.
In an SEO career of almost ten years, he’s seen it all, he’s done it all, and he’s not impressed: from white text on a white background to today, when you can have robots paint or write for you like some kind of sick science fiction come true.
No matter what life throws at him, Jamie always manages to come out on top. He’s an expert at seeing the silver lining in every cloud and making the best of every situation. His positive attitude and unshakable faith in himself have seen him through tough times. For some people, success goes to their heads; but Jamie never forgets what got him to wherever he thinks he is.
When he’s not busy gaming the system, you can find him writing angry thinkpieces on how Google is ruining everything good about the internet, or hanging out with his wife (pictured).
