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Projects not indexing in search (One stuck since 2024 + unanswered support tickets)

A topic by Choco Ted created 19 days ago Views: 340 Replies: 15

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Choco Ted19 days ago(+1)

Hi itch.io team,

I'm hoping to get some manual help with my account. My projects are currently not showing up in search, and unfortunately, I haven't received a response to my support emails regarding this issue.

Here are the two projects affected:

Cozy Isometric Pixel Art Asset Pack: https://choco-ted.itch.io/cozy-isometric-pixel-art-asset-pack-32x32-exterior-game-assets-for-godot-unity
- Issue: I uploaded this back in 2024. It has been live for over a year but has never been indexed and does not show up in any itch.io searches.
Ultimate Asset Placer (Godot Plugin): https://choco-ted.itch.io/ultimate-asset-placer-godot-45-gd-script
- Issue: I uploaded this a few days ago. I understand there is a standard review queue for new projects, but given that my 2024 project is still stuck, I wanted to ask if you could check if my account has been accidentally flagged by the spam filter.

Both project pages are set to Public, have downloadable files, and include cover images. Could an admin please take a quick look and help index these?

Thanks so much for your time and help!

leafoPinned ReplyAdmin19 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Your account has been reviewed and should no longer show a warning to users. Sorry for the inconvenience.

If one of your pages gets flagged for some reason, then it’s possible it can cascade to other pages on your account, which would explain if a page that previously had no issues starts showing a warning. A human staff member will have to review your account to clear any restrictions on your account.

Niven Hedinger18 days ago

Hello.
I know I am off topic here, but I am really, very, very desperate and if you could help it would mean a world to me!
Its been over 2 years since my games on itch.io has been quarantined, then added to the most recent, then not being indexed, etc. I tried everything and by that I mean EVERYTHING, I've read through the rules 100 times and I've been following the guidelines since 2019. I've had the most comfort and appreciation for giving me the opportunity to post games here and I've had A LOT OF SUCCESS doing it, but, like I said 2 years ago things have changed drastically and every single person looks at my page with suspicion, meanwhile I have a track record of thousands of thousands of downloads and half millions views accumulated over the years.
Long story short - I am willing to pay money, legit money, whatever amount, just please, I beg you for the sake of everything, I beg you dearly, pleaser remove whatever flagged program or instance is on my page, on my games, please.
I am willing to also additionally pay money for a "subscription" sort of deal to not deal with these issues ever again and have my games published without them being flagged.
Thanks in advance! Huge, huge respects and regards.
Niven.

Ratsnake Games19 days ago

If I understand the indexing FAQ correctly, projects may be rejected from indexing due to low quality metadata.

You have a typo in the title of your 2024 game and while i have no idea if that's the reason for the deindexing - it probably isn't - you probably should fix that. (It will make your product more attractive either way.)

Choco Ted19 days ago

I totally missed that typo error. Thank you so much for informing. But i don't think that the typo error is the reason my asset pack is not appearing in the search results. I already added all the tags and the description etc so it should detect what my actual asset is all about. But by searching isometric pixelart there is nowhere my project to be found

No Time To PlayModerator19 days ago (1 edit)

I'm not sure where you're reading that. You published Ultimate Asset Placer four days ago! As explained in this section, it can easily take that long. And your isometric assets have been flagged for additional checks by itch.io staff, possibly following the latest updates.

Choco Ted19 days ago

Thank you for responding. I am more concerned about my all projects. I don't know why but when someone try to download my new "Ultimate Asset Placer" they get a suspicious account warning and the same thing happened with my isometric assets as well. I don't know why itch just flagged by account as suspicious or what is happening. I put a ton of effort creating all the assets and plugins and if itch just tell the buyers that my file is suspicious it can break the trust of the buyers. I want a manual review in my account and want to ask if I have done something wrong so I can fix it. I already created multiple tickets in email but not even a single response. I request you to please help me i don't know much about itch.io stuff so I need genuine help.

Ratsnake Games19 days ago

itch.io will manually review this, it'll just probably take forever because they are a deeply unserious company who refuse to hire an appropriate number of support employees.

In the meantime, I'd recommend you set up a personal website, if you haven't already, and distribute youe stuff through there, in addition to your itch.io account.

No Time To PlayModerator19 days ago(+1)

I just told you why. It's an automated system. And the rules of this category tell you what to do if support doesn't answer after a while.

Niven Hedinger17 days ago (1 edit)

Please, please, please help me! I beg you!
Its been over 2 years since my games on itch.io has been quarantined, then added to the most recent, then not being indexed, etc. I tried everything and by that I mean EVERYTHING, I've read through the rules 100 times and I've been following the guidelines since 2019. I've had the most comfort and appreciation for giving me the opportunity to post games here and I've had A LOT OF SUCCESS doing it, but, like I said 2 years ago things have changed drastically and every single person looks at my page with suspicion, meanwhile I have a track record of thousands of thousands of downloads and half millions views accumulated over the years.
I wrote this yesterday and I'm writing it again - I will pay money, please!! just please, I beg you for the sake of everything, I beg you dearly, please remove whatever flagged program or instance is on my page, on my account in general, just please.
I am willing to additionally pay money for a "subscription" sort of deal to not deal with these issues ever again and have my games published without them being flagged, I can pay monthly!!
Huge, huge respects and regards and thanks in advance! Please help!
Niven.

No Time To PlayModerator17 days ago

I don't think itch.io admins take money from people for indexing, and telling me wouldn't help in any event. Most of your games are indexed anyway. The rest are flagged for additional review by itch.io staff, so again, telling me doesn't help. Please follow up with leafo since you also tagged him, or better yet, contact support.

Niven Hedinger17 days ago

This is a person, who lost all hope, this is the person talking to you, the reason why am willing to do anything, even something as crazy and stupid as offer money.

You can't understand the feeling of just being thrown away. You are telling me to contact support when I have thousands of thousands of thousands of letters written to them and the point isn't about the projects I've made, but the page and the account. Nobody in here, not you, not moderators, absolutely no one can answer my question - why is my page quarantined and why can't they lift the quarantine? If I did something wrong - ban me, that way I would know and at least be taken out of misery. Every single project I published, since 2024 has been - quarantined, not indexed and hidden. You say - "most of your games are indexed anyway" - yes, after months and months and months of misery. Everyone knows how the marketing of the games and most recent uploads work - 90% of downloads are from random people, it's pure statistics! I don't have a huge following and even if I did it would be small compare to the vast general players, who never see my games when they are published and if they stumble across it, they say - "itch.io has flagged your page, so you must be bad person", do you know how it feels? Being humiliated like that?

I don't know why am I writing this, really no point at all, I am sure you won't even read it or care afterwards. It's sad that communities have changed and became apathetic, because I remember back in the day, even before Covid, this was a thriving community. I still hope my account gets indexed and if not, I guess that would be it, it hasn't stopped me from publishing games and at least those 30-100 people can play the games. It's unfair.

Thanks anyways and sorry for bothering.

No Time To PlayModerator17 days ago

The reasons why some game pages are flagged for additional review are explained in many topics, because people ask all the time despite the existing documentation. And I'm pointing you at the support e-mail because that's the only official way to get support. As for marketing: you're expected to do your own. This is also amply documented.

Last but not least: please don't try to guilt-trip me. Read the rules of this category and follow the instructions.

Niven Hedinger17 days ago

Look, thanks for replying to me. I'm not trying to guilt trip anyone and there are many topics about it I know, I know. It's just very unfair that the situation affects many developers, that's all. And as for the marketing - you clearly misunderstood me, I am not saying I expect the marketing to just do it's job, I regularly used to post on my channel as well as be in touch with many amazing artists. What I'm saying is, not having your game shown in the most recent tab is a huge huge disadvantage.

In the end, thanks again and I won't spam comment here. Alright.

redonihunter17 days ago(+3)

when I have thousands of thousands of thousands of letters written to them

Pestering them this often will not make them work faster, but it will risk that your mails get onto a literal spam folder automatically. There are many ddos attacks on Itch.

no one can answer my question - why is my page quarantined

Such questions usually will not be answered intentionally. It's secret why games go into quarantine. Maybe it has to do with the IP adresses you connected from. Maybe with the time of day you updated projects. Maybe a file triggered on a scanner a false positive. Some game engines are notorios for that. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. The list is long. It even includes that your account might have gotten hacked withour your knowledge. I have seen such things in the message board where this was told, after the hack finally was noticed by the account owner.

I don't have a huge following

With about 2000 followers, you are among the top 2% of Itch developers in my crude estimate.

I still hope my account gets indexed

There are accounts that are restricted from indexing. Your account is indexed. https://itch.io/search?q=Niven+Hedinger

If you hope for a permanent quarantine protection, this is unlikely to happen. They just cannot do that for security reasons. What if your account does get hacked, after such a protection and your files get exchanged for malware and are spread to your 2k followers on your 40+ games.

And my guess would be, that whatever you do, it constantly looks suspicious to the system. Like having your payout adress in one country and updating your files from another country. Please do not post details here. It would not help, as this is community support and not support. And the message board rules want that you make your own topic about this, among other things. But again: this is community support and not support.

Niven Hedinger17 days ago

Truth be told, the only legit, heartfelt answer I got, thank you. It seems like I "bother" these people, when the truth is that if I knew how to fix the solution or if I knew what was going on I wouldn't write to them many times. I am not spamming with support, I just wanted to show as an expression that I did indeed write support and they mostly don't help. The thing is, it's difficult to get used to the fact that my games were always showing on the most recent tab and then one day - it's all gone for no reason and I haven't changed the ways I uploaded the game nor have I changed the only game engine I use - Copper Cube 6. Either way, I understand the situation, but that doesn't help the fact that my games are unfairly hidden, that's all.

Best to you and yeah.

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