URL inspection tool in Google Search Console shows "N/A" for sitemaps and a bizarre referring page

Question

I recently used the "URL Inspection Tool" on the new Google Search Console BETA version.

When I check the homepage of my website, it shows "N/A" on the "Index Coverage" card under "Discovery" in the sitemaps section. Right below that, it shows a bizarre link for the referring page section that doesn't exist on my site.

How can i fix this and change it to something else?

Solution

The "Referring Page" URL means that is where Googlebots got the first indication of your website, according to the last time it was indexed.

See this Google Webmasters Community (Search Console Help) answer: https://support.google.com/webmasters/thread/42053769?hl=en&msgid=42801750

Once you made the necessary fixes on your website, especially the sitemap, WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) (if WordPress), then have Search Console re-index your website, by going to "URL Inspection > request indexing" (text link).

Once re-indexed, use URL inspection tool to see any more errors it finds.

Backlinks (External Websites Linking to you)
If you dislike that link referral from another website and want that removed, you need to contact the admin for that website to delete that link. Otherwise that backlink can help for your SEO, if it is a reputable website.

Comments

[Jonathan Kumar]

I have added a screenshot, you see the link on the referring page, doesn't exist at all, i need to update it to the homepage of the site, is there any missing HTML tag, how do i get google to identify some other link in as the referring page. thanks.

[Stephen Ostermiller]

Do you have a sitemap that includes your home page? If not, I'd expect "N/A" (not available) to be expected.

[Stephen Ostermiller]

There should be lots of pages that refer to your home page. Google chooses one to show here. It isn't clear why they chose such a long, unpopular one that may not exist, but I don't think there is anything that needs to be fixed.

[Jonathan Kumar]

Yes that is true, as long as it shows as valid on the URL Inspection there's nothing to worry about, but my client requires that it shows the homepage link, i've identified that the issue is with the Yoast Sitemaps, the one for page-sitemap.xml doesn't include the homepage, idk why this is but i'm trying to fix it.

[Stephen Ostermiller]

The home page is never going to show a referring page of itself.