URLs in web index went to 0 in GWT

[frank72]

As the title goes, the numer of URLs in web index went to zero in a couple of hours. However if I use "site:operator" it shows there are indexed page of my blog on Google ...is it a bug or what?
Is anyone experiencing such issue?

Thanks

[edited by: tedster at 1:51 pm (utc) on Mar 22, 2011]
[edit reason] Disable graphic smile faces [/edit]

[frank72]

Is anyone experiencing such issue? Is it normal? My blog is 5 years old so I should not have any kind of issue. Till 3 hourhs ago GWT was reporting the exact number of indexed URLs

[aristotle]

Is the blog still getting the normal level of traffic from Google?

[Bewenched]

I noticed the same thing this afternoon, so I resubmitted it and all of them came back saying they were indexed. Must be a glitch. Either that or Google is seeing how attentive we are.. haha

[frank72]

@aristotle: thanks for your reply. Yes, my blog is still getting the normal amount of traffic. I would dare say two things:
1) the traffic has been higher during the past 3 hours
2) If i type "site:operator" the number of indexed urls is higher thanks this morning, definitely

[edited by: tedster at 1:52 pm (utc) on Mar 22, 2011]
[edit reason] Disable graphic smile faces [/edit]

[isactually]

Frank we're seeing similar issue on our WMT. Our sitemap seems to be working correctly, but "URLs in index" figure is way off. We have 15K URLs in sitemap and previously we were seeing 14.5K "URLs in index." However, last night at 11pm it began showing 38 URLs in index.

Similar to your issue a Google search with "site:URL" is still showing all the pages in the index and we're still getting traffic from Google. Additionally we've checked some of our larger SERPs and we seem to still be in same positions.

Is anyone else seeing strange WMT data? Anyone seen this before?

[frank72]

I am still experiencing the issue. However "site: operator" and "cache: operator" are showing almost correct figures...I am wondering if this has to do with the Panda update...

[edited by: Robert_Charlton at 6:33 pm (utc) on Mar 22, 2011]
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[Reno]

I had the exact same thing happen about 2 months ago ~ checked GWT one day and saw that a 6 yr old site had 0 indexed URLs. The site was fine so I simply waited a few days and it did come back. Don't know why it happened, don't know why it fixed itself.

I've been using GWT since the beginning and it does happen periodically that a glitch appears. For example, an older site will need to be re-verified even though nothing has changed. So don't panic too much, at least not yet.

.....................

[Robert Charlton]

I've been using GWT since the beginning and it does happen periodically that a glitch appears.

I think this point needs emphasizing. I'm amazed at the degree of worry and distraction that WMT glitches cause.

These are free tools with an incredibly complicated back end. It's the nature of the database structure that Google is using that there is a degree of latency inherent in the system. Google wisely has made the choice to have critical functions in the system update before reporting functions do.

That said, Google would be saving its more diligent users a lot of distraction and wasted time if it monitored these tools a bit more closely than it does.

[isactually]

Update. The data updated today -- about 18 hours later to show our 14.5K indexed URLs (BIG SIGH OF RELIEF). Robert you are way on point about Google saving it's flock a lot of heartache if they just provided a degree of transparency.

I suppose it's easy to poor/no SLA if it's free! But I know I for one would be willing to pay for a WMT that was bulletproof.

[Pjman]

I notice this type of behavior right before ranking shifts (panda, mayday). Wonder if we are in for shift. Many SEOs are saying we are due for ranking shift ala Panda phase 2.

[frank72]

@Pjman: this makes sense as I am experiencing some fluctuaction in traffic today.