When your landing pages start disappearing from search results or never show up at all, it is often due to underlying crawl errors.
If you manage dozens or hundreds of pages in HubSpot, these technical issues can quickly get buried unless you know where to look.
HubSpot flags crawl issues like broken links, redirect errors, or blocked pages, but the next steps are not always clear. You might see warnings in the “Crawl Issues” section and wonder if they are harmless or hurting search rankings.
This guide walks you through how HubSpot detects crawl errors, what these alerts mean, and how to fix them without breaking your site.
You will also learn how to track cleanup progress and set up workflows to prevent recurring problems.
HubSpot SEO Crawling Errors Explained
Crawl error tracking is built into HubSpot’s SEO toolset. Navigate to the “Website” or “Marketing” area and open the “SEO Recommendations” tab to find the “Crawl Issues” section. This is your dashboard for identifying technical barriers to indexation.
HubSpot’s site scanner automatically reviews connected domains. It checks for HTTP status codes, redirect behavior, and indexing signals from canonical tags or robots.txt. It flags anything that might prevent Google or Bing from reading and ranking your content.
Each error includes:
- Specific URL Affected: The page with the issue
- Error Type: 404, 500, redirect loop, or blocked file
- First Detected Date: When HubSpot first flagged the issue
- Brief Explanation: Description of what may be wrong
This data is generated by HubSpot’s crawler, which simulates how a search bot interacts with your site. While it does not replace Google Search Console, it provides faster feedback for HubSpot-hosted and connected URLs.
How It Works Under the Hood
HubSpot’s crawler mimics search engines to assess pages and tracks how a bot navigates your site.
During each crawl:
- HubSpot reviews sitemaps or internal links across your domain.
- It sends requests to every URL and logs the status code response from your server.
- The crawler checks redirect rules, canonical declarations, and meta robots tags.
- Based on findings, it determines if the page is indexable or blocked from ranking.
It pulls data from:
- URLs listed in your sitemap or domain
- Redirect rules in Website > Domains & URLs
- Robots.txt rules from your settings
It outputs:
- Lists of pages with 404s, 500s, or inaccessible resources
- Alerts for redirect loops or chains with too many hops
- Warnings about missing assets like CSS, JavaScript, or images
- Flags for slow-loading or unresponsive pages
HubSpot automatically schedules crawls, but you can trigger a manual scan after updates. CMS Hub Enterprise users also see results in Content Audit reports.
Main Uses Inside HubSpot
Maintaining Clean Site Architecture
A healthy internal link structure helps crawlers navigate efficiently. HubSpot highlights 404 errors that indicate broken links in your structure.
Example:
Old blog posts linking to a retired ebook will return 404 errors. Use the “Inbound Links” column to find these posts and update links to point to current resources. One crawl cycle should clear these errors.
Improving Redirect and Indexing Hygiene
Redirects that loop or chain multiple times block crawlers and dilute SEO signals.
Example:
If a product page was moved and then redirected again to a second URL, a crawler may get caught in a loop. HubSpot flags “redirect loop” or “chain” warnings. Consolidate redirects to route all traffic cleanly to the final URL.
Auditing Blocked or Canonicalized Pages
Some errors are caused by signals that discourage indexing, such as misconfigured canonical tags or robots.txt rules.
Example:
A category page may have a canonical pointing to the homepage by mistake. This tells crawlers to ignore the category page. Correct canonical URLs to ensure all important pages remain in the SEO hierarchy.
Common Setup Errors and Wrong Assumptions
Mistake: Assuming HubSpot Errors Match Google Search Console Exactly
- Why it Matters: HubSpot’s crawler runs on a different schedule and may catch issues Google misses.
- What to Do: Use both tools side by side. Prioritize issues affecting high-value URLs.
Mistake: Ignoring Your Redirect Logic
- Why it Matters: Multiple redirects can create chain reactions.
- What to Do: Export current redirects, check for overlaps or sequences longer than two hops, and simplify.
Mistake: Overreacting to Short-Term Downtime
- Why it Matters: Brief 500 errors may appear as crawl issues even if resolved.
- What to Do: Check server logs and trigger a manual rescan once the page is healthy.
Mistake: Treating All Blocked Pages as Errors
- Why it Matters: Some pages, like thank-you pages, are intentionally hidden.
- What to Do: Document intentional blocks to avoid wasting time “fixing” them.
Step-by-Step Setup or Use Guide
- Ensure your site is connected to HubSpot.
- Go to Marketing > Website > SEO and click the “Recommendations” tab.
- Select your domain and review the “Crawl Issues” list.
- Click each item for details, including error type, detection date, and sample URLs. Organize cleanup by 404s, loops, blocks, etc.
- Fix broken links by updating or redirecting missing URLs.
- Consolidate redirects in Settings > Website > Domains & URLs > Redirects, ensuring each old URL points directly to a valid page.
- Review blocked pages in Settings > Website > Pages > Crawling and Indexing. Check robots.txt and meta tags.
- Adjust canonical URLs in page settings to match correct page intent.
- Run a manual rescan in the SEO tool to verify fixes.
- Repeat quarterly or after major site updates to maintain crawlability.
Measuring Results in HubSpot
Track the impact of fixes using HubSpot tools:
- SEO Recommendations Summary: View remaining errors by category
- Website Analytics: Track organic traffic by page or campaign
- Page Performance: Confirm broken pages now return a stable 200 status
- Custom Reports: Monitor Page URL, Last Modified Date, and Response Code
Healthy trends post-cleanup include:
- Decline in 404 and server errors
- Short redirect paths (one hop max)
- Fewer unintentional blocks
- Increased impressions for repaired pages
Short Example That Ties It Together
If you manage 300 landing pages and find 25 crawl issues, export the list, fix broken links, consolidate redirect chains, and correct canonical tags.
After rescanning, only two issues remain: intentional thank-you pages. Subsequent analytics show increased impressions and full indexation for the remaining URLs.
How INSIDEA Helps
Managing crawl errors can get overlooked when focusing on content strategy and campaigns. INSIDEA helps HubSpot users efficiently fix and prevent crawl errors.
Our services include:
- Crawl Error Diagnosis: Identify recurring indexing issues
- Redirect and Indexing Cleanup: Audit robots.txt, redirects, and metadata
- SEO Tool Optimization: Set up SEO Recommendations, Search Console, and alerts
- HubSpot Portal Optimization: Maintain internal links, page-level SEO, and technical hygiene
- Reporting and Dashboards: Track crawl health alongside organic KPIs
INSIDEA can help you hire HubSpot experts or provide HubSpot consulting services to maintain technical SEO health and keep your pages indexable.
Proper crawl error management ensures search engines can access your content, improving visibility and driving organic traffic. Keep HubSpot crawl reports clean with ongoing monitoring and expert support.
