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Unindexed App & Lack of Communication Regarding Indexing Process

A topic by Simpl_pseudocode created 4 days ago Views: 137 Replies: 6

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I didn't intend to open a dedicated thread, but since the admin felt it necessary to close the one I was participating in, without actually addressing the points raised (which I believe would have been appropriate, without trying to preach to anyone) regarding the poor communication between developers and the staff itself, I will go along with the current trend and ask my question here.

Why hasn't my app been indexed yet? It is completely safe, free, and suitable for everyone (in fact, it's mainly aimed at young students), with no caveats or red flags. This is despite the fact that I've double-checked multiple times and am certain I followed all the publicly available instructions. Meanwhile, newly registered accounts like mine have had their games indexed in a very short time.

As I mentioned in the other thread, the issue isn't even the wait itself, but the uncertainty surrounding the outcome and the lack of clear updates on the process. I would appreciate a clear response on this matter, and at this point, I assume many others would too.

I want to emphasize that this is not meant to be arguing for the sake of it, but rather constructive criticism. Simply reading through this section clearly shows that there is a major issue here, one that shouldn't be ignored any longer but addressed, at the very least by starting an open and direct dialogue about it.

Thank you for your attention.

Ticket: 408086

App: https://simpl-pseudocode.itch.io/simpl

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hechelion4 days ago (1 edit)

The problem is that the forum rules are clear.

No discussion of account restrictions, bans, etc. If our moderator team has put a limitation on your account then it's a private matter and not up for discussion on our public community. Contact support if you need to discuss the limitation or make an appeal.

Furthermore, this forum is answered by the community, not the staff, and the staff are the only ones who can give you an explanation.

When you post here you are asking the community to help you, this is not a direct line of communication to site admins (that is support).

I understand that the lack of communication and not knowing exactly why you aren't indexed is frustrating, but the forum rules are quite clear on this matter; the only valid course of action is to contact support or try your luck on the Discord server.

I’m looking at your project, and it was published nine days ago. I know the rules mention a few business days, but lately, wait times for staff to review a page for indexing have ranged from two weeks to two months in many cases I’ve read about. Most likely, your project simply hasn't been reviewed yet and is sitting on the waiting list for manual review by a staff member.

As for why it was de-indexed in the first place: from what we know, there is a secret algorithm that evaluates every project. If that algorithm flags your account or project as suspicious, it de-indexes them and places them on a waiting list for manual review by a staff member, and that is likely the stage your project is currently in.

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Simpl_pseudocode4 days ago (2 edits)

Just to clarify, my account isn't limited or banned, nor was my app ever de-indexed. This is simply my very first release, and it hasn't been indexed at all yet.

I completely understand that this forum is mostly run by the community and that support is the official channel. However, the reason many end up posting here is that emails sent to support often go unanswered, so the forum ends up being the only place to get any visibility.

While I didn't originally intend to create a standalone thread, this post is meant to be a direct check on my project's current status, just like many other similar requests in this section.

In any case, to give some context to my points, the (now closed) thread I was participating in is this one: /t/6950376/game-not-indexed-for-50-days-email-ticket-401859-ignor...

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hechelion4 days ago

For what it's worth, I visit the forum and try to help out where I can; I also frequent the Discord server, and from what I've gathered, the process works like this:

When you upload a game or update an existing project, Itch runs an algorithm to evaluate it. If the algorithm flags something suspicious, your project gets de-indexed and placed in a queue for manual review by a staff member.

To counter bad actors, the details of that algorithm are kept secret.

If there’s actually nothing wrong with your account or game (a false positive), they are usually re-indexed once the manual review takes place. The major issue is that Itch’s staff seems very small relative to the workload; turnaround times that used to be a matter of hours or days can now stretch into weeks or even months (especially during high-traffic periods like Halloween or Christmas).

The biggest problem is that, as a developer, you receive no information about this process (at least in most cases I’ve seen). You don't know if your game is simply waiting in line, if it was overlooked due to an error, or if there was a specific reason the staff decided against indexing it. This has been discussed many times, but there doesn't seem to be any intention to change the system. Ultimately, you have to accept that this is simply how Itch operates. Occasionally, someone shows up demanding an explanation; on the rare occasions an admin has provided a public explanation, it turned out the developer had acted in bad faith—such as spamming their project across multiple game jams, using copyrighted content, and so on.

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Simpl_pseudocode4 days ago (1 edit)

In Italy we have a saying: "Thinking the worst is a sin, but you're usually right." It's hard not to wonder if those rare public admin responses in cases of clear bad faith are chosen specifically to show that the fault lies with the developers rather than with an inefficient system.

As far as I'm concerned, I know 100% that I acted in complete good faith and that my project is totally transparent. So, let's wait and see how things develop.

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No Time To PlayModerator3 days ago

I’ll let our admins know about your ticket, but as discussed in countless topics, itch.io staff usually doesn’t say much unless they need more details from you or similar.

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Simpl_pseudocode3 days ago

Thank you, I figured you would, even though I know it will likely accomplish little to nothing (through no fault of yours, of course).

Truth be told, that wasn't even the main point of this thread. My goal was to voice my frustration over the very fact that, as you mentioned, the staff 'doesn’t say much' when, in my view, they should be communicating far more instead of letting developers' concerns drop or taking weeks or months to address tickets.

Even if a mistake was made during the app's publication, there should be a clear, transparent, and swift process to identify the issue so it can be fixed. For example, developer-only diagnostic tools or even a simple notification showing your position in the moderation queue along with an estimated wait time. Instead, there is complete silence: you submit your release and just hope someone gets around to it eventually.

It pains me to say this, but it’s completely unprofessional. It might be acceptable on an amateur hobby site, but not on a platform like itch.io. And I say this as an entrepreneur who manages similar operational dynamics on a daily basis.

There’s no need to reply; I know full well you can't tell me anything beyond what you've already shared, and I'm not expecting answers from you that you couldn't provide even if you wanted to. I understand your position.

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