---
title: "Investigate a page traffic drop"
description: "Check a page's clicks, queries, Report Sections, and dated Indexing Evidence."
canonical_url: "https://gscdump.com/gscdump-cli/guides/investigate-traffic/traffic-drop"
last_updated: "2026-10-03T07:15:31.585Z"
---

# Investigate a page traffic drop

Start with the page and two matching windows. A drop in clicks alone does not identify its cause.

## Confirm the drop

Use a page from [weekly triage](/gscdump-cli/guides/investigate-traffic/weekly-triage). Replace the dates below with equal, complete windows from its Report.

::pre{tabindex="0"}
```bash
gscdump query --site example.com --type web --page /blog/post \
  --start 2026-08-01 --end 2026-08-14 --dimensions date,page --format table
gscdump query --site example.com --type web --page /blog/post \
  --start 2026-08-15 --end 2026-08-28 --dimensions date,page --format table
```
::

Check whether clicks, impressions, or both moved. Read `meta.source` in JSON output when comparing saved and live runs. The [query reference](/gscdump-cli/api/query) explains source routing.

## Run page triage

::pre{tabindex="0"}
```bash
gscdump report triage --site example.com --target /blog/post \
  --target-kind page --period 90d --json
```
::

The triage Report checks change points, query movement, and position volatility. These Analyzers need a Store. If coverage is incomplete, the CLI prints a sync command. Check Section coverage before reading an empty result. See [Reports](/gscdump-cli/api/reports).

## Check query changes

::pre{tabindex="0"}
```bash
gscdump query --site example.com --type web --page /blog/post \
  --start 2026-08-15 --end 2026-08-28 \
  --dimensions page,query --limit 100 --format csv --output current-queries.csv
```
::

Repeat for the prior window. Check queries that lost impressions, lost position, or moved to another page. Google can omit some query detail. If two pages share queries, use [page overlap](/gscdump-cli/guides/check-visibility/page-overlap) before deciding which page to edit.

## Check Indexing Evidence

If the page disappears from search, [inspect the URL](/gscdump-cli/guides/check-visibility/indexing-evidence). Compare the observation date with the traffic window. A crawl or indexing observation does not explain every click change.

## Choose the next check

Falling impressions with stable CTR suggest a visibility or demand question. Stable impressions with falling CTR suggest a search result review. A position change suggests ranking movement. Record the observed signal and a testable next step. Do not label a cause from one metric.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.