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noindex

noindex is a rule in a page's code or HTTP header that tells Google and other search engines that support it to keep the page out of search results.

How it works

It goes in a <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> tag in the page head or in an X-Robots-Tag: noindex HTTP header. The header also works for PDFs and images. When Googlebot crawls the page and finds the rule, Google drops the page from results, even if other sites link to it. Other search engines may read the rule differently.

The rule works only on a page Google can fetch. A page blocked in robots.txt is never crawled, so Google never sees its noindex, and its address can still appear in results. Google treats noindex as a normal reason for a page to stay out of indexing, not as an error. Our guide to faceted navigation SEO covers which filter and sort pages to keep out.

Where you see it

  • Search Console, Page indexing report: noindex pages are listed as “URL marked ‘noindex’”.
  • Search Console, URL Inspection: “Indexing allowed?” shows whether noindex blocks the page.

Example

Example store, not client data.

The tableware shop has 40 categories with three sort orders each, every one at its own address: 40 × 3 = 120 pages. The shop adds noindex to all 120. Googlebot keeps requesting them to read the rule, and the Page indexing report lists them as “URL marked ‘noindex’”. The 40 unsorted category pages stay indexed.

Not to be confused with

  • Canonical URL — the main address among duplicates. Google recommends it, not noindex, for choosing between duplicates within a site, because noindex removes the page from Search altogether.

Right and wrong readings

  • Wrong: “We added noindex today, so the page is gone tomorrow.” Right: Google sees the rule only after a recrawl, which can take months for a less important page.
  • Wrong: “Indexed pages dropped after the redesign with no errors, so Google demoted us.” Right: Google names robots.txt, noindex or a required login as possible causes of such a drop. A noindex left in a template removes every page built on it from Search.

Sources