Orphan Pages

Orphan pages are URLs that exist on your site but have no internal links or sitemap entries pointing to them. These isolated pages were discovered only through Google Search Console, meaning your own site architecture doesn't acknowledge them.

This warning-level technical issue signals a gap in your internal linking strategy that can weaken page authority and confuse search engines about your site structure.

What Are Orphan Pages?

An orphan page is a webpage that exists and is accessible but is completely disconnected from the rest of your website's navigation and link structure. Think of it as a room in a building with no doors leading to it.

For a page to be classified as an orphan, it must meet all of these criteria:

  • Not in your XML sitemap: The page URL isn't listed in any of your sitemap files.
  • No internal links: No other page on your site contains an anchor tag (<a href="...">) pointing to this URL.
  • Discovered externally: Google found the page through sources outside your site, such as backlinks from other websites, old bookmarks, or previously indexed content.

Orphan pages typically surface during site audits when comparing your internal crawl data against Google Search Console's index. If Google knows about a page that your own site doesn't reference, you have an orphan.

Common examples include old landing pages from expired campaigns, test pages accidentally left live, or content that was removed from navigation but never properly redirected.

The SEO Impact

Orphan pages create multiple problems for your site's search performance and overall health.

Reduced Link Equity: Internal links pass authority (often called "link juice") between pages. Orphan pages receive zero internal link equity, making them significantly weaker in Google's eyes. Even high-quality content will struggle to rank without this foundational support.

Poor Crawl Efficiency: Search engine crawlers discover new content primarily by following links. When a page has no inbound internal links, crawlers may visit it infrequently or miss updates entirely. Your crawl budget is wasted on pages that Google must discover through alternative, less efficient paths.

Site Architecture Confusion: A well-structured website forms a logical hierarchy where every page has a clear relationship to others. Orphan pages break this structure, signaling to search engines that your site organization may be incomplete or poorly maintained.

User Experience Dead Ends: If users somehow land on an orphan page (through search results, old bookmarks, or external links), they have no natural path back to your main content. This increases bounce rates and reduces engagement metrics.

Index Bloat Risk: Orphan pages that shouldn't exist anymore, such as outdated product pages or test URLs, consume index space without providing value. Google may interpret these as low-quality content, potentially affecting your site's overall quality signals.

According to studies by Ahrefs and SEMrush, sites with strong internal linking structures consistently outperform those with fragmented architectures, particularly for competitive keywords.

Common Causes

Orphan pages typically appear due to these scenarios:

  • Incomplete site migrations: During redesigns or platform changes, old URLs remain accessible but aren't integrated into the new navigation structure.
  • Removed navigation links: Content is unpublished from menus or category pages but the underlying URL still resolves.
  • Expired campaigns: Marketing landing pages created for specific promotions are forgotten after the campaign ends.
  • CMS workflow gaps: Pages saved as drafts or created for testing are accidentally published without proper internal linking.

How Zignalify Detects This

Zignalify identifies orphan pages by comparing data from multiple discovery sources.

During each audit, our system tracks how every page on your site was discovered. Pages can be found through your XML sitemap, through our internal crawl (following links from page to page), or through Google Search Console data.

When a page appears exclusively in Google Search Console data, with no sitemap entry and no internal links from other pages, Zignalify flags it as an orphan. This means Google knows about the page, but your own site structure doesn't reference it.

We also filter out pages returning error status codes (4xx or 5xx), as these are handled by separate rules. The orphan page check focuses specifically on accessible pages that lack proper integration.

Step-by-Step Fix

Problem: A page exists at /old-promo-page that Google has indexed, but it's not in your sitemap and no internal links point to it.

Decision Framework:

First, evaluate whether the orphan page should exist at all:

  1. Is the content still relevant? If yes, integrate it properly.
  2. Is it outdated or duplicate? If yes, redirect or remove it.
  3. Was it a test or temporary page? If yes, delete it.

WordPress

To add internal links:

  1. Identify 2-3 relevant pages that should link to the orphan content.
  2. Edit those pages and add contextual anchor links.
  3. Consider adding the page to a relevant category or menu.

To add to sitemap:

  1. If using Yoast SEO, ensure the page isn't set to "noindex."
  2. Go to SEO > Search Appearance > Content Types and verify the content type is included.
  3. Regenerate your sitemap via SEO > General > Features > XML Sitemaps.

To remove:

  1. Delete the page or set it to "Draft" status.
  2. Create a 301 redirect to a relevant alternative page using a plugin like Redirection.

Shopify

To add internal links:

  1. Edit related collection pages or blog posts to include links to the orphan page.
  2. Add the page to your navigation via Online Store > Navigation.

To remove:

  1. Navigate to Online Store > Pages and delete the page.
  2. Set up a URL redirect via Online Store > Navigation > URL Redirects.

Next.js / React

To add internal links:

// In a related page component, add a Link to the orphan page
import Link from 'next/link';

<Link href="/previously-orphan-page">
  Related Content
</Link>

To add to sitemap:

Ensure your sitemap generator includes the page. For next-sitemap:

// next-sitemap.config.js
module.exports = {
  siteUrl: 'https://yourdomain.com',
  generateRobotsTxt: true,
  // Ensure no exclusions are blocking the page
  exclude: ['/admin/*', '/private/*'],
}

To redirect:

// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  async redirects() {
    return [
      {
        source: '/old-orphan-page',
        destination: '/relevant-new-page',
        permanent: true,
      },
    ]
  },
}

Best Practices

  • Audit regularly: Run monthly checks to catch orphan pages before they accumulate.
  • Use breadcrumbs: Implement breadcrumb navigation to ensure every page has at least one internal link path.
  • Link contextually: Add inline links within your content body, not just navigation menus.
  • Document temporary pages: Keep a log of test or campaign pages so they can be properly handled after use.
  • Set up redirects proactively: When removing content, always redirect to relevant alternatives rather than letting URLs 404.
  • Review GSC coverage reports: Google Search Console's Index Coverage report helps identify pages Google found that you may have forgotten about.

FAQs

Why does Google know about a page that my site doesn't link to?

Google discovers pages through multiple channels beyond your internal links. External websites may link to old content, users may have shared URLs on social media, or Google may have cached the page from a previous crawl when it was properly linked. Once Google knows about a URL, it continues checking it periodically.

Should I delete all orphan pages?

Not necessarily. Evaluate each orphan page individually. If the content is valuable and relevant, integrate it into your site structure with proper internal links and sitemap inclusion. Only delete pages that are truly outdated, duplicate, or serve no purpose. Always implement 301 redirects when removing content to preserve any existing link equity.

How many internal links should a page have?

There's no magic number, but every page should have at least 2-3 contextual internal links pointing to it. More important pages (like cornerstone content or product pages) should have more internal links. The key is ensuring links are relevant and natural, not forced. Focus on creating logical pathways that help users navigate between related content.