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Game not appearing in search / index after 7 days (Ticket #322787)

A topic by Yehshua Corps created 13 days ago Views: 215 Replies: 14
Viewing posts 1 to 2

Hello,

My game has been Public for more than 7 days, but it still does not appear in itch.io search results or browsing pages.

Project link:

👉 https://yehshua.itch.io/una-aventura-con-betzabe-v1

People can only find it through direct links (Facebook, Patreon, etc.), but not through the search system (title, tags, or my username).

The game is:

✓ Complete and fully finished (final version)

✓ Visibility set to Public

✓ NSFW navigation enabled

✓ Includes demo and full paid version

I already contacted support and received confirmation.  

Ticket ID: **322787**

Could a moderator please check if my page is correctly indexed in the search system, or if I need to adjust something on my side?

Thank you very much 🙏

Moderator(+1)

As explained in the rules of this category, the people you're addressing are unlikely to see your post. As explained in numerous other topics, like this recent one, paid adult games can't be indexed at this time. I'll let our admins know about your ticket, but your game has already been deindexed.

Hi, good morning. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond.

Just to make sure I understood correctly:
Adult games that are paid cannot be indexed in the search system.
However, if I upload a free version, even if it’s still adult and properly tagged as NSFW, then it can be indexed.
That’s what I understand from your explanation.

In that case, I will create a new project with a free demo of my game so that version can be indexed and bring traffic, while the full version remains available as paid content.

Thanks again for your time — I’ll stay attentive in case you want to reply.

Read this:
https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content

Moderator (1 edit)

I didn't say anything about free adult games, making a separate game page for the free demo is generally not recommended, and at least one creator who did this complained about continued indexing issues with both projects.

Edit: oh, and your game has been explicitly deindexed by itch.io staff, so using that method could be seen as circumventing the restriction.

Thanks for the clarification.

Just to confirm before I make changes:

✅ I should keep the same project page,
✅ remove the paid files so only the free demo remains, and
✅ set the project to "No payments / Free" in the Pricing section,

so that the page can be eligible for indexing again, right?

I want to make sure I follow the correct process and avoid any issues or misunderstandings.

Thanks again for your time.

Moderator

I think so, but I'm not familiar with the reindexing process for adult games. Please look at the topic Hechelion linked, and if in doubt follow up with support.

Hello, how are you? I hope you’re having a wonderful day.

I wanted to explain my situation: a few days ago I published the final version of my game as a paid product. However, since it contains adult content, and as you explained to me here, and as stated in the guide published in this link: https://itch.io/t/5149036/reindexing-adult-nsfw-content

, paid adult games cannot be indexed.

For that reason, I followed all the steps and made the game completely free to allow indexing.

It has now been 3 days since I made this change, but the game still does not appear in searches or in any category. I also sent an email to the same ticket (322787), but I haven’t received a response.

Could you please help me check whether the indexing process is still pending, or if there is anything else I need to do?

Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

Moderator

Sure, I'll let our admins know, but it was the weekend. As explained in countless topics, itch.io staff doesn't work weekends. Three days is a very short time anyway.

Thank you very much for your quick reply.

I completely understand — I didn’t realize the weekend could delay the process, so that clarifies a lot.

I’ll wait patiently for the indexing to be reviewed by the admins.
If there’s anything else required from my side, please let me know and I’ll be happy to take care of it.

Thanks again for your assistance and for taking the time to respond! 🙏

“Hello, it’s me again. Seven days have passed and my project is still not indexed, even though I already followed all the rules by setting it to free according to the official guide.
At first I had it set as paid, waited 7 days and it wasn’t indexed. Then I read the guide, switched everything to free and made sure everything was in order, but after another 7 days it is still not indexed.
Could you please help me with this? My ticket number is (322787). I hope I’m not bothering you, but I would really appreciate some assistance, especially because I’m about to finish another project to publish soon, and my first project is still not indexed.”

Moderator

...I've already let our admins know when I said I would. Pestering them again is unlikely to help. And as explained in the unofficial FAQ, one week isn't unusual, or even very long.

Hello again, and thank you very much for your help. I really appreciate that you informed the admins — that already helps a lot.

I just wanted to let you know, very politely, that I have already completed all the steps from the guide and promoted my game on external platforms (Twitter/X, Facebook, Reddit, etc.) as recommended.

In total, it has now been about 15 days since I first published the project:

  • 7 days during the paid version (before I knew the adult-index rules), and

  • another 7+ days after switching it to free following the official guide.

I’m not trying to bother anyone — I just wanted to confirm that everything is correct on my side.
Thank you again for your time and for taking the moment to notify the admins.
I really appreciate your help.