Noindex Tag

A noindex tag is an instruction that tells search engines not to include a page in their search results. Unlike Robots.txt, which controls crawling, noindex controls Indexing: Google can visit the page, but it will drop it from the index.

Written by Paul Hoda, SEO consultant since 2005. Last updated 8 November 2026.

How to add a noindex tag

There are two ways:

  • Meta robots tag in the page’s head: meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”.
  • X-Robots-Tag HTTP header: useful for PDFs, images and other non-HTML files, set at server level.

On WordPress, SEO plugins such as Rank Math let you tick a noindex option per page, post, category or archive type without touching code.

You can combine noindex with other directives. “noindex, follow” keeps the page out of results but lets Google follow its links. Over time, Google may crawl long-term noindexed pages less often, so do not rely on them for passing link value.

When to noindex a page

Noindex pages that have a purpose for users but add nothing to search results:

  • Thank-you and confirmation pages.
  • Internal search results pages.
  • Login, account and checkout pages.
  • Thin tag, author or date archives.
  • Filtered or sorted versions of category pages that create endless combinations.
  • Staging and test pages that must stay accessible.
  • Old, low-value pages you want to keep for users but not in search (see Content Pruning).

When not to use noindex

  • To fix duplicate content you want consolidated: use a Canonical Tag or 301 Redirect instead, so ranking signals are passed to the main page.
  • Together with a robots.txt block: if robots.txt stops Google crawling the page, it cannot see the noindex, and the URL may stay indexed.
  • On pages you want to rank, obviously, yet this is one of the most common accidents in SEO.

Common noindex mistakes

  1. Leaving “Discourage search engines” switched on in WordPress after launch, which noindexes the whole site.
  2. Theme or plugin conflicts adding noindex to category or product pages.
  3. Noindex on paginated pages, which can stop Google discovering items on later pages.
  4. Noindex copied from a staging site during a Website Migration.
  5. Noindex in the HTML but index in the HTTP header, or the other way round, sending mixed signals.

How to find noindexed pages

  • In Google Search Console, the Pages report lists URLs Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag. Check that every important page is absent from this list.
  • Crawl your site with an SEO crawler and filter by indexability.
  • Use the URL Inspection tool on key pages after any site change.

How long noindex takes to work

Google needs to recrawl a page to see the tag, so removal can take days or weeks. For urgent cases, use the Removals tool in Search Console as a temporary measure, while the noindex handles the permanent removal. To bring a page back, remove the tag and request indexing; it will reappear once Google recrawls and re-evaluates it.

Further reading: Google on blocking indexing with noindex.

Key Takeaways

  • Noindex keeps a page out of search results but lets Google crawl it.
  • Use it for thank-you, search, login and thin archive pages.
  • Do not block noindexed pages in robots.txt, or Google cannot see the tag.
  • Check for accidental noindex after launches and plugin changes.
  • Use canonicals or redirects when you want to consolidate signals.

Related Terms

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