Google Search Console receives a new update that simplifies Search Console reports so users can focus more on issues affecting how their website appears in Google search results. The latest update will roll out ]to all properties over the next few months.
This upcoming update will affect the “warning” label for URLs and items. This change was brought about after users have reported that they are confused by the warning status as to whether it means that the page or item can or can’t appear on Google. To avoid this confusion, Google Search Console will label top-level items as either “valid” or invalid.”
The “valid” label will appear on pages or items without critical issues. In contrast, “invalid” means they have critical issues.
According to Google, the new grouping is designed to make it easier for users to see quickly which issues affect their site’s appearance on Google. This way, it will help them prioritize their fixes.
Users will also be able to see the “valid” and “invalid” labels when looking at reports rendered by Google’s URL inspection tool. However, the individual issues on pages are still classified as errors, warnings, or good. These labels are communicated through the use of color and icons.
Here’s a screenshot of the old report and new report so you can distinguish the difference:
New “Warning” Labels
The following reports that will be affected by this new label include the following:
- Core Web Vitals – The Poor/Need Improvement/Good categories will remain, but the pages will be grouped into good and not-good tables.
- Mobile Usability – The new update will label categories as “not usable” or “usable.”
- AMP Report – Warnings in the AMP report on your web pages will now appear as either “valid” or “invalid.”
- Rich Results Reports – The new labels will also apply to Events, Fact checks, Logos, and other reports.
- URL Inspection – With the new update, the top-level verdict for the URL will either be:
- (1) URL is on Google.
- (2) URL is on Google but has issues.
- (3) URL is not on Google.
As stated earlier, these changes will not be applied immediately but will roll out gradually over the following months.
These changes will only apply to Google Search Console. There will be no changes in how Google will crawl, index, or serve your website in search results.
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