Page Not Followable

This error appears when a page has a nofollow directive configured that prevents Google from following its links. Here's what it means and how to assess whether it should really be that way.

What this error means

The nofollow directive is an instruction that tells Google not to follow a page's links. It can be applied through the meta robots tag in the HTML or via the X-Robots-Tag HTTP header. When active at the page level, it affects all the links it contains, not just some of them. This means Google won't crawl the pages those links point to. If those pages have no other access routes, they can fall off search engines' radar without anyone having planned it. Page-level nofollow isn't always an error. There are cases where it makes sense to apply it, such as on internal search results pages or pages with content you don't want crawled. The problem is when it's there by mistake or due to a configuration nobody reviewed. If what's needed is to control only certain links, the right approach is to apply the nofollow attribute directly to each link, not at the full page level.

Why reviewing nofollow matters

A nofollow incorrectly applied at the page level can cut off crawl flow to other parts of the site without anyone noticing. And what Google doesn't crawl, it doesn't index. Checking whether this directive is where it should be is quick and can prevent unnecessary visibility problems.

Impact on SEO rankings

When Google can't follow a page's links, it doesn't distribute authority to the linked pages. That can weaken the rankings of pages that depend on those links to be crawled and indexed.

Crawling and indexing obstacles

If the linked pages have no other access routes, Google may never reach them. A misplaced nofollow can leave pages uncrawled without anyone noticing.

Impact on crawl budget

When Google can't follow a page's links, it may waste part of its crawl budget on paths that lead nowhere. That reduces the overall efficiency with which the site is crawled.

How to fix it step by step

If this error showed up in your audit, here are the steps to leave it behind.

Step 1

Locate where nofollow is defined

The nofollow can be in the meta robots tag in the HTML or in the X-Robots-Tag HTTP header. Open the page source, look inside the <head> for the meta robots tag, and also check the HTTP response headers.

Step 2

Decide whether nofollow should be there

It isn't always an error. If the page has content whose links you don't want Google to crawl, it may make sense to keep it. If it's there by mistake, it needs to be removed.

Step 3

Remove nofollow if it shouldn't be there

If the page should allow Google to follow its links, remove the nofollow directive from the meta robots tag and from the HTTP header if it's there too. You can do this through the SEO plugin you use (Yoast, Rank Math, etc.) or directly in the code.

Step 4

Apply nofollow only to the links that need it

If what you wanted was to control specific links, apply the nofollow attribute directly to each link instead of at the full page level. That way you maintain control without blocking the entire crawl flow.

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