2.5 Images (Lever 5)MediumVerified
Images blocked by robots.txt
If the image directory is disallowed in robots.txt, Google cannot index those images even though they display fine to users. I check robots for accidental image blocks.
What it is
Image paths disallowed.
Why it matters
Images can’t be crawled/indexed.
How to fix it
Allow image resources.
How to find it on your site
- Check robots.txt for Disallow rules covering image paths or CDNs.
- Test whether image URLs are blocked in the robots tester.
- Unblock images you want indexed.
- Re-check image indexing in Search Console.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Blocked images cannot appear in image search, losing a discovery channel. Unblocking restores eligibility.
Impact
Low-medium. Direct.
Evidence
Don’t block images you want indexed. Google Search Central, Intro to robots.txt; Google Search Central, Image SEO best practices
Sources