Deindexing means a URL is removed from a search engine’s index and no longer shows in its results. It can be intended, for example for outdated pages, or accidental, for example through a forgotten noindex.
Ways to deindex a page
Google lists several options. One is to remove or update the content, so the URL returns a 404 or 410 status. Another is to protect the page with a password. A noindex rule in the robots meta tag or the X-Robots-Tag header also blocks the page from search results. That only works if Googlebot may crawl the page. If robots.txt blocks it, the rule is never read, and Google says not to use robots.txt for this.
The Removals tool in Search Console can hide a URL within about a day and also clears its snippet. The effect lasts about six months. After that the page can reappear if it is still reachable and indexable, so the tool is a first step and not a permanent fix.
| Method | Prevents crawling? | Keeps the URL out of Search? | What Google says | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
robots.txt Disallow | yes | no, the URL can be indexed without its content if other pages link to it | used mainly to avoid overloading the server with requests; not a mechanism for keeping a page out of Google | Limiting crawler load, excluding areas from being fetched |
noindex in the robots meta tag | no, Google has to be able to fetch the page | yes | only works if the page isn't blocked by robots.txt; Google then drops the page even if other sites link to it | HTML pages that stay reachable but shouldn't show up in search results |
noindex in the X-Robots-Tag HTTP header | no, Google has to be able to fetch the URL | yes | any robots meta tag rule can also be sent as a header; same prerequisite as the meta tag | Files without an HTML head, such as PDFs, images or videos |
rel="canonical" | no | not directly; a strong signal for which of several duplicate URLs becomes canonical | helps consolidate signals such as links into the preferred URL; don't use robots.txt or noindex for canonicalization | Duplicate and very similar pages, for example from parameters |
| Status code 410 (or 404) | no, but Google gradually fetches the URL less often | yes, a previously indexed URL is removed | treats 404 and 410 the same way | Page permanently removed with no replacement |
| Password protection (login) | yes, crawlers can't reach the content | yes | one of the ways Google lists for permanent removal; authorised users see the page, crawlers don't | Private or confidential content |
| Search Console: Removals | no, Google can keep crawling the URL | hides the URL from search results for about six months | temporary only; 404/410, password protection or noindex make it permanent | Urgent cases, until a permanent measure takes effect |
robots.txt and noindex cancel each other out. If a URL is blocked by robots.txt, Google never sees the noindex, and the URL can still appear in results. Google doesn't support noindex inside the robots.txt file itself. Sources: Google Search Central: Introduction to robots.txt (last updated 2025-12-10); Google Search Central: Block Search indexing with noindex (last updated 2025-12-10); Google Search Central: Robots meta tag, data-nosnippet, and X-Robots-Tag specifications (last updated 2026-03-24); Google Search Central: How to specify a canonical URL (last updated 2026-07-10); Google Crawling Infrastructure: How HTTP status codes affect Google's crawlers (last updated 2026-02-04); Google Search Central: Remove information from Google (last updated 2025-12-10); Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool. Last checked: .
Example
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
For PDFs and other files the same rule is sent as an HTTP header: X-Robots-Tag: noindex.
Sources
- Remove information from Google – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Temporarily remove your own content – Search Console Helpsupport.google.com
- Robots meta tag and X-Robots-Tag specifications – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
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