Sitemap lists non-indexable URLs

This error appears when your sitemap declares URLs that have a noindex directive applied. Here's what it means and how to eliminate that contradiction.

What this error means

The sitemap tells Google which pages exist on your site and which ones you want indexed. The noindex directive does exactly the opposite — it tells Google not to include that page in its results. Having the same URL in the sitemap and with noindex at the same time is a contradictory signal that confuses search engines. When Google encounters this situation, it usually maintains the noindex decision and ignores the sitemap entry. The result is that URL takes up space in the sitemap without contributing anything, consuming crawl budget that could be dedicated to pages that should be indexed. This isn't always an intentional error. It can happen when a URL is added to the sitemap without checking whether it has noindex, when noindex is applied to an entire category without removing it from the sitemap, or when changes to the indexing configuration aren't reflected in the sitemap generation. The fix depends on the intent. If the page shouldn't be indexed, it needs to be removed from the sitemap. If it should be indexed, the noindex directive needs to be removed.

Why fixing non-indexable URLs in the sitemap matters

Having URLs with noindex in the sitemap doesn't break anything, but it does create confusion and waste resources. Every URL that shouldn't be there is crawl budget Google dedicates to something that won't benefit it. Cleaning non-indexable URLs from the sitemap is a quick technical improvement that increases crawl efficiency and eliminates contradictory signals.

Impact on SEO rankings

Pages that take time to get indexed can't rank or generate organic traffic. If crawl budget is consumed on URLs that won't be indexed, new or updated pages take longer to appear in search results.

Crawling and indexing obstacles

Every URL with noindex in the sitemap consumes crawl budget without giving anything back. That budget could be dedicated to discovering and crawling pages that should be indexed — especially on large sites or those with frequently updated content.

Negative signals for site quality

A sitemap with non-indexable URLs reflects a lack of control over what's declared and what's blocked. For Google, it's a signal that the site's technical configuration isn't being managed consistently.

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

Identify which sitemap URLs have noindex

Ruk Audit shows you exactly which URLs declared in the sitemap have a noindex directive applied. Review them before making any changes and be clear about which ones should be indexed and which shouldn't.

Step 2

Decide what to do with each URL

For each affected URL there are two options. If the page shouldn't be indexed, it needs to come out of the sitemap. If it should be indexed, the noindex directive needs to be removed from the page.

Step 3

Apply the changes to the sitemap and affected pages

For URLs that shouldn't be indexed, remove them from the sitemap through your SEO plugin or CMS settings. For those that should be indexed, remove the noindex directive from the page editor or directly in the code.

Step 4

Submit the corrected sitemap to Google Search Console

With the changes applied, submit the sitemap from Google Search Console so Google processes it as soon as possible and stops crawling the URLs that shouldn't be declared.

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