So now that the indexing bug from yesterday is fully resolved, I had to ask if we should expect any ripple effect in Google Search Console or other areas. Gary Illyes from Google said he does not expect data loss in Google Search Console as a result of this issue.
My impression was that this indexing bug only impacted new or updated URLs that Google was trying to index. It seems like that assumption was somewhat on target. Gary responded to my question saying "If they were not indexed, how could we lose their data."
If they were not indexed, how could we lose their data?
— Gary "鯨理" Illyes (@methode) May 23, 2019
So he clarified that the original tweet wasn't super transparent, I assume because Google was still investigating the issue:
Oh I know. I wrote the tweet 👀
— Gary "鯨理" Illyes (@methode) May 23, 2019
Either way - now that it is resolved, Gary said he does not expect there to be any data loss in Search Console as a result.
But to give a less smartass answer, i don't expect data loss, no. Emphasis on "expect"
— Gary "鯨理" Illyes (@methode) May 23, 2019
With the April indexing bug, pages were literally dropping out of the index and thus, Google had data loss in Search Console. Here it was about pages not yet showing up the index in the first place.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
Update:
"[methode] clarified that the original tweet wasn't super transparent, I assume because Google was still investigating the issue"
— Gary "鯨理" Illyes (@methode) May 23, 2019
^ that's spot on, @rustybrick . Tweeting ASAP means we don't have details yet, we just know something's wronghttps://t.co/r1DoMGAAjs
