# noindex

Category: [Crawling & Indexing](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/crawling-indexing/) › [robots.txt & robots directives](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/crawling-indexing/robots-txt-directives/) · Also known as: noindex tag, meta robots noindex

**noindex** is a rule that tells search engines not to show a page or file in their search results. It is set either as a robots meta tag in the HTML `<head>` or as an `X-Robots-Tag` HTTP response header. When Googlebot finds the rule on its next crawl, Google drops the page from its results entirely.

## How does noindex work?

Without any rule, a page may be indexed. Adding noindex changes that, but only if the crawler can actually fetch the page. Google's documentation says that for noindex to be effective, the page or resource "must not be blocked by a robots.txt file." If robots.txt blocks the URL, Googlebot never sees the rule, and the URL can keep appearing in results when other pages link to it.

The meta tag and the HTTP header have the same effect. The header is the only option for files without an HTML head, such as PDFs or images.

Removal is not instant. Google needs to recrawl the page, and depending on how important the page is, Google says that can take months. A recrawl can be requested with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. The page indexing report lists every URL excluded by a noindex tag.

Google also points out that other search engines may interpret noindex differently, so a page can still appear elsewhere.

## Example

Meta tag for all search engines:

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

Meta tag for Google only:

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

HTTP header for a PDF:

```http
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/pdf
X-Robots-Tag: noindex
```

Typical candidates are internal search result pages, order confirmations, login areas and print versions.

## Common mistakes

- **noindex plus a robots.txt block.** The block prevents Google from reading the noindex.
- **noindex left in a template.** A staging template goes live during a relaunch, and entire page types drop out of the index.
- **Removing noindex with JavaScript.** If the original HTML contains noindex, Google may skip rendering and JavaScript execution, according to its JavaScript SEO documentation. A script that removes the rule later will not help.
- **noindex in robots.txt.** Google stopped supporting this unofficial rule on September 1, 2019.

## FAQ

**Does Google crawl noindex pages?**
Yes. Google has to crawl a page to see the rule, so the rule only works if robots.txt allows crawling.

**What is the difference between noindex and nofollow?**
noindex applies to the page and keeps it out of the index. nofollow applies to the links on the page. Both can be combined: `content="noindex, nofollow"`.

**How can I check if a page has noindex?**
Look for a robots meta tag in the page source and for an `X-Robots-Tag` in the HTTP response headers. The URL Inspection tool in Search Console shows whether Google detected the rule.

## At a glance

- **Type:** robots rule as an HTML meta tag or X-Robots-Tag HTTP header
- **Affects:** indexing (page does not appear in search results)
- **Requirement:** page must not be blocked by robots.txt
- **In robots.txt:** no longer supported by Google since Sep 1, 2019
- **Docs:** [Google: Block Search indexing with noindex](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/block-indexing)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Controlling crawling and indexing: the options compared

| 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 |

Sources: [Google Search Central: Introduction to robots.txt (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/robots/intro); [Google Search Central: Block Search indexing with noindex (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/block-indexing); [Google Search Central: Robots meta tag, data-nosnippet, and X-Robots-Tag specifications (last updated 2026-03-24)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/robots-meta-tag); [Google Search Central: How to specify a canonical URL (last updated 2026-07-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/consolidate-duplicate-urls); [Google Crawling Infrastructure: How HTTP status codes affect Google's crawlers (last updated 2026-02-04)](https://developers.google.com/crawling/docs/troubleshooting/http-status-codes); [Google Search Central: Remove information from Google (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/remove-information); [Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9689846). Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Not to be confused with

- [Disallow directive](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/disallow-directive/index.md): blocks crawling of a path in robots.txt. A blocked URL can still be indexed without its content if other pages link to it.

## Related terms

- [Meta robots tag](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/meta-robots-tag/index.md)
- [X-Robots-Tag](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/x-robots-tag/index.md)
- [robots.txt](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/robots-txt/index.md)
- [Indexing](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/indexing/index.md)

## Sources

- [Block Search indexing with noindex – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/block-indexing)
- [Robots meta tag, data-nosnippet, and X-Robots-Tag specifications – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/robots-meta-tag)
- [Understand JavaScript SEO basics – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/javascript/javascript-seo-basics)
- [A note on unsupported rules in robots.txt – Google Search Central Blog, 2019](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2019/07/a-note-on-unsupported-rules-in-robotstxt)
- [Page indexing report – Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7440203?hl=en)

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