Ahrefs Webmaster Tools vs GSC for indexability
AWT is free and crawls like a mini Screaming Frog. Does it replace GSC for index checks? No — but it complements it.
Setup: verify domain, run Site Audit, free for your own verified sites.
What AWT does well:
— 'Indexability' issues flagged with severity + explanations
— Spots noindex, canonical conflicts, broken redirects in one report
— Internal link data to find orphans GSC won't surface
Where it falls short:
— It crawls like a bot — it does NOT know Google's actual index decision
— No 'request indexing', no real coverageState — that's GSC-only
— Audit is a snapshot, not live
Pros: free, great for finding why a page is uncrawlable.
Cons: simulates indexability, can't confirm it.
Best for: pre-flight checks before you even ask GSC.
Not for: the final word — only Google's index inspection tells you if it's truly in.
Index or Bust
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Ahrefs Webmaster Tools vs GSC for indexability
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