# Indexability

Category: [Crawling & Indexing](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/crawling-indexing/) › [Indexing & index status](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/crawling-indexing/indexing-index-status/)

**Indexability** describes whether a URL is technically allowed to be added to a search index. It depends on signals such as the HTTP status code, noindex rules and, in many SEO tools, the canonical. Whether a search engine then indexes the page is its own decision, and Google says it does not guarantee indexing.

## Which signals decide indexability?

Google's documentation does not use the term as a category, while SEO tools do. Tools treat a URL as indexable when nothing prevents indexing. Typical checks are:

- the URL returns a success status instead of an error or redirect
- no `noindex` in the robots meta tag or in the `X-Robots-Tag` header
- no canonical pointing to a different URL (tool practice, for example in Sitebulb)

`noindex` has a precondition. Google must be allowed to crawl the page, because it only reads the rule when it fetches the page. If robots.txt blocks the URL, the rule is never seen.

## How does it differ from crawlability?

Crawlability asks whether a crawler can reach and fetch a URL. Indexability asks whether the fetched URL may enter the index. A page can be crawlable and not indexable, for example with `noindex`.

## Example

```html
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
```

This tag makes the URL non-indexable for search engines that support the rule, such as Google.

## FAQ

**How do you stop Google from indexing a page?**
Use `noindex` in a meta tag or HTTP header and keep the URL crawlable so Google can read it.

*Diagram: From URL to search result.* Schematic path of a URL through Google Search. Google describes three stages: crawling (including discovery and rendering), indexing and serving search results. Indexing is not guaranteed.

## Related terms

- [Crawlability](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/crawlability/index.md)
- [noindex](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/noindex/index.md)
- [Canonical tag](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/canonical-tag/index.md)
- [robots.txt](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/robots-txt/index.md)
- [X-Robots-Tag](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/x-robots-tag/index.md)
- [Indexed pages](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/indexed-pages/index.md)

## Sources

- [Block Search indexing with noindex – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/block-indexing)
- [In-depth guide to how Google Search works – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/how-search-works)
- [Robots meta tag, data-nosnippet, and X-Robots-Tag specifications – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/robots-meta-tag)
- [Indexability hints – Sitebulb](https://sitebulb.com/hints/indexability/)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/indexability/