In certain situations, such as during the development or revision of a WordPress website, site creators (webmasters) want to prevent search engines like Google, Bing, and co from indexing certain content. This is where the „noindex“ attribute in the header comes into play. It can be applied to individual posts, pages, products, etc., or even to the entire WordPress installation. This also applies to WooCommerce shops. Instructions on how to do this follow below with different options.
WordPress noindex – Hide entire page or individual posts from search engines (also WooCommerce)
„Noindex“ is an attribute that allows webmasters to exclude certain pages or posts of their website from being indexed by search engines. It is used to prevent preliminary, confidential, or irrelevant content from appearing in search results. The correct application of „noindex“ is crucial to control the visibility and integrity of a website in search engines and to ensure that only relevant and desired content is indexed and presented to users.
- Reason for setting noindex: The main goal of the „noindex“ attribute is to ensure that the marked content does not appear in the Google index. It is particularly useful when a page is not yet finished or when you do not want preliminary or confidential content to appear in search results.
- Difference between noindex for individual posts and entire website: There is a clear difference between setting „noindex“ for an individual post or page and excluding the entire website from Google indexing. While the former hides specific content, the latter prevents the entire website from appearing in search results.
- Conversely: Allow WordPress indexing / Index WordPress page / Edit robots.txt
Instructions & Tips: How to hide a page from Google (do not index individual page)
To hide (exclude) a page, post, or product from search engines like Google, Bing, Yandex, etc., the „noindex“ attribute must be added to the source code of the page or post.
2. Using the meta tag in the source code
The specific code that needs to be added is: <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”>. This code can be inserted either in the head section of the entire website or in the HTML source code of individual posts or pages.
3. WordPress settings for noindex
WordPress offers native settings to prevent search engines from indexing the website, without the need for additional plugins.
– Blocking the entire website
To set the entire WordPress website, including all subpages, to „noindex“, you can go to „Settings“ > „Reading“ in the admin area and activate the option „Discourage search engines from indexing this site“.
– Setting individual posts or pages to noindex
For individual posts or pages, it is recommended to use an SEO plugin like „All in One SEO“ or „Yoast“ to easily set the „noindex“ status.
4. Using SEO Plugins for noindex
SEO plugins offer a user-friendly interface to set the "noindex" attribute for posts or pages.
– All in One SEO (AIOSEO) Settings
In AIOSEO, you can go to the relevant post, scroll down to the AIOSEO section, click on „Advanced“, and then select „noindex“.
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– Favorite: Yoast SEO Settings
When using Yoast, go to the desired page or post, scroll down to the Yoast settings, click on „Advanced“, and then select „No“ for the option „Allow search engines to show this page in search results?“.
Alternative WordPress SEO plugins: SEOPress* or RankMath*
5. Manually setting noindex
For advanced users who do not wish to use an SEO plugin, there is the option to manually set „noindex“.
– Inserting code into header.php
By inserting the <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> code into the header.php file of the WordPress installation, the entire website is set to „noindex“. For specific pages or posts, an additional if condition must be added.
6. Further options for noindex
There are also other methods to exclude content from indexing, especially if the website has not yet been indexed by Google.
– Password protection for WordPress page
Adding password protection to a WordPress page prevents the Googlebot from accessing the content.
– Preventing crawling in robots.txt
Previously, it was common to exclude pages from crawling in robots.txt. However, since September 2019, Google no longer observes "noindex" directives stored in robots.txt.
– Removing a page from the Google Index
If a page or post has already been indexed by Google and you want it to no longer appear in search results, you can use the „noindex“ option and additionally use Google Search Console to remove the page from the index more quickly.
7. Important notes and tips
It is important to note that if you set the entire website to „noindex“, you should not forget to revert this setting once the website is ready for the public. Otherwise, the website will not appear in search results and you will no longer attract visitors via the search engine without paid ads (SEA).
The Google Search Console is very important to set up (link) and monitor here.
8. Plugin details of "noindex SEO"
The „noindex SEO“ plugin by Javier Casares allows you to add the „noindex“ attribute to various parts of a WordPress website. It offers options to block indexing for main pages, posts, pages, taxonomies, date archives, author pages, and more.
Here is the plugin:
FAQ on "noindex" in WordPress:
1. What does "noindex" mean in WordPress?
„Noindex“ is an attribute that allows webmasters to exclude certain pages or posts of their WordPress website from being indexed by search engines.
2. Why should I use "noindex"?
"Noindex" is useful if you do not want certain content to appear in search results, e.g., temporary, confidential, or irrelevant pages.
3. How do I set my entire WordPress website to "noindex"?
In the WordPress admin area, go to „Settings“ > „Reading“ and enable the option „Discourage search engines from indexing this site“.
4. Can I set "noindex" for individual posts or pages?
Yes, with SEO plugins like „All in One SEO“ or „Yoast“, you can easily set „noindex“ for specific posts or pages.
5. What happens if I set my entire website to "noindex" and forget to undo it?
Your website will not appear in search results, which can lead to a decrease in organic traffic. It is important to undo the „noindex“ setting as soon as your website is ready for the public.
Top 5 Tips for WordPress SEO:
- High-Quality Content:
Ensure that your content is unique, relevant, and valuable to your target audience. Good content is rewarded by search engines and naturally attracts backlinks. - Optimize Your Meta Tags:
Make sure every post and page has an optimized meta title and meta description. This improves the click-through rate from search results. - Mobile Optimization:
As more and more people access websites via mobile devices, it is important that your WordPress website is mobile-friendly. This also affects your ranking in search results. - Fast Loading Times:
Optimize your website for fast loading times. Use caching plugins, optimize images, and minimize scripts. Google considers your website’s speed as a ranking factor. - Internal Linking:
Link relevant posts and pages within your website. This helps search engines understand the context and relevance of your content and improves user experience.
Plugin tip for probably the best WordPress internal link building plugin*
Florian Ibe
CEO & Marketing Consultant
Your contact person: Florian Ibe
A great summary is also the SEO Traffic Guide*
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Final Conclusion on WordPress noindex
The correct use of the „noindex“ attribute in WordPress is crucial for controlling your website’s visibility in search engines. However, it is only one aspect of SEO. A comprehensive SEO strategy that considers content quality, technical optimization, mobile responsiveness, and other factors is key to success in search results.
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