SEO fix guide
Non-200 HTTP Status Code on Primary URL
The primary URL returns a non-200 HTTP status code, which may prevent search engines from indexing the page correctly.
Issue ID: CRAWL-STATUS-001
Severity: critical
Impact: High
Effort: S
Use this article when
- You need deeper remediation guidance than the issue card can show.
- You want CMS-specific steps before handing the fix to a developer.
- You want a repeatable re-check path after shipping the change.
What this issue is
The primary URL returns a non-200 HTTP status code, which may prevent search engines from indexing the page correctly.
Why it matters
The primary URL returns a non-200 HTTP status code, which may prevent search engines from indexing the page correctly. This affects how clearly search engines understand the page and how persuasive it looks in search results.
How we detect it
- FreeSiteAudit flags this issue when the rule for CRAWL-STATUS-001 fails and the page evidence points to Http headers.
- You can usually confirm this by checking the page source or the relevant page settings inside your CMS.
Evidence examples
Check the affected page source, rendered output, or relevant CMS setting to confirm the missing or incorrect element.
How to fix it
- 1Investigate the server configuration to ensure the URL returns a 200 OK status
- 2Fix any redirect chains or server errors
How to re-check it
- Use curl or a browser to confirm the URL returns HTTP 200
Related tools
This issue is best verified with the full FreeSiteAudit crawl rather than a single-point mini tool.