The checks reference
Every issue the crawler can report has its own page here that explains, in plain terms, what the issue is, why it matters for SEO, and exactly how to fix it.
The checks reference is the heart of the docs. When you see an issue in your report, this is where you come to understand and clear it.
How each check page is structured
Every check page follows the same shape, so once you have read one you know how to read them all:
- What it flags: the specific problem the crawler looks for.
- Why it matters for SEO: the real effect on rankings, clicks, or crawling.
- How to fix it: concrete steps, with the right fix for each cause.
- How Crawlpit Monster reports it: where to find it in your report and what the app shows.
- Common mistakes and an FAQ.
The checks
| Check | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Broken links | 404s and dead redirects, with the pages that link to them |
| Titles and meta descriptions | Missing, duplicate, too long, or too short |
| Headings | Missing H1s, multiple H1s, skipped levels |
| Image alt text | Images with no descriptive alt text |
| Indexability | Whether search engines can index each page, and why not |
| Structured data | Schema that is missing or malformed |
| Internal links | Inlinks and outlinks, and how link value flows |
| Orphan pages | Pages nothing links to internally |
| Anchor text | Empty, generic, or repetitive link text |
| Response time | Slow pages, measured by time to first byte |
How checks feed the health score
Not every check counts equally. Each one contributes to the health score by impact tier: issues that can hide a page from search, like indexability problems, weigh heaviest, while polish-level issues weigh least. That is why the reference is worth reading in priority order rather than top to bottom.
Where to start
If you are working through a first report, read these first, in this order:
- Indexability, because an excluded page cannot rank at all.
- Broken links, to stop wasting crawl budget and losing users.
- Titles and meta descriptions, the on-page basics that drive rankings and clicks.
Everything else builds on those.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to fix every issue?
No. Fix the critical and high-impact ones first. Many low-tier issues are worth clearing over time but will not make or break rankings.
Where do I see these checks in the app?
As issue groups on the dashboard. Each group links here for the full explanation. See The dashboard.
Are these the same as Google's guidelines?
They are aligned with widely accepted SEO best practice and Google's documentation, translated into fixes you can act on.