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La noindex tag is one of the most powerful — and the most misused — tools in technical SEO. AsWebflow SEO agency, Synqro regularly encounters sites where strategic pages are hidden by mistake, or on the contrary, useless pages that pollute Google's index. Understand what is Noindex, how it works and when to use it is essential to optimize the visibility of your site in search engines.
What is the noindex tag?
La noindex tag is an HTML tag of the meta robots type, placed in the section <head> of the source code of a page. Elle Indicates to search engines not to include this page in their index, and therefore not to show it in the search results.
In concrete terms, here is the basic syntax: <meta name="robots" content="noindex">
This directive is addressed directly to exploration robots (or crawlers) search engines like Google, Bing or yahoo. In fact, when a robot visits a page and detects this tag in the HTML code of the page, it saves the instruction and does not index the content of the page.
Key points to remember:
- The tag is placed in the section
<head>ofthe HTML code - It is read and respected by the majority of exploration robots
- It does not prevent the crawler from visiting the page, only from indexing it
- It can be combined with other metadata such as
Nofollow
Noindex vs disallow: two distinct approaches to blocking indexing
We often get confused Noindex and Disallow. These two directives are used to Prevent search engines to display some pages, but how they work is radically different.
The Disallow, used in the robots.txt file, blocks robots from accessing a URL. On the other hand, if Google cannot access the page, it cannot read the noindex tag that it contains. Therefore, a page blocked in robots.txt may paradoxically remain in the index if it has already been crawled or if external links point to it.
The rule is simple: for Block indexing of a page while allowing the robot to read it, use Noindex. To save the crawl budget, use disallow.
Noindex and nofollow: which combination should you choose?
La Meta robots tag accepts multiple values that can be combined. Among the most common are Noindex and Nofollow. These two directives have different effects.
Noindex: prevents the page from being indexedNofollow: ask robots not to follow the links present on this page
The combination noindex, nofollow is therefore the most restrictive. It indicates both not to index the page and not to transmit authority via outgoing links. It is a directive useful for login pages, member areas, or temporary pages.
On the other hand, Noindex, follow is an option that is often underestimated: it prevents indexing while allowing robots to follow the links and to transmit PageRank to other pages of the site. In other words, the page remains useful for the circulation of seo internal even if it does not appear in the SERPs.
When should you use the noindex tag in SEO?
This is where mastering the Noindex in SEO makes perfect sense. Not all pages on a site are intended to be indexed. Indeed, some pages have no interest in users in the search results, or can actively harm your SEO.
The most frequent use cases for using Noindex :
- The pages of internal research (filtered results, sorted by category)
- The pages of paging that partially duplicate content
- The pages of legal notices, CGU, privacy policy
- The login, shopping cart or customer area pages
- The pages of duplicate content or tests under development
- The files PDF accessible online with no SEO value
- The pages to low quality created automatically (tags, empty archives)
Therefore, apply Noindex on these pages allows you to focus the authority of the site on the pages that really deserve to be indexed.
Noindex to prevent duplicate content
The Duplicate content is one of the most common problems in technical SEO. When multiple pages present a duplicate content — whether they are URL variations, pages of canonical incorrectly configured or paging — Google may have trouble identifying the reference version.
In this context, Noindex maybe a complementary solution to the canonical tag. Concretely, if a page exists for technical reasons but should not be indexed, apply Noindex is more reliable than relying solely on the canonical tag, which Google can sometimes ignore.
Note that noindex does not solve all the problems of duplicate the content. A comprehensive strategy includes:
- The canonical tag to indicate the main version
- The Noindex for variants with no editorial value
- The Disallow to limit the crawling of purely technical pages
- A clear site architecture, especially in a CMS like Webflow
Les webmasters who combine these approaches get a indexing pages much cleaner and more consistent.
How do I implement noindex in Webflow?
Webflow makes it easy to implement the Noindex without directly touching the Source code. The platform natively integrates SEO management options at the level of each page, which is a considerable advantage for webmasters who are not developers.
In Webflow, for use the tag noindex on a specific page:
- Go to the settings of the page concerned
- Access the “SEO Settings” tab
- Check the option “Exclude this page from search results”
- Publish changes
Webflow automatically generates the tag <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> In theheader of the page. This functionality can also be applied via the CMS fields for multiple pages all at once, especially if you manage dynamic content collections.
It is also possible toindex a page or to go back at any time. This is one of the advantages of Webflow for optimizing the management of technical referencing without specific development.
Mistakes to avoid with noindex
mastering Noindex It also means knowing what not to do. Some errors may penalize the entire site silently.
Common errors observed:
- Apply Noindex on strategic pages by accident (home page, service pages)
- Combine Noindex with Disallow in robots.txt, which prevents the robot from reading the directive
- Forget to remove Noindex after an online release (pages left in development mode)
- Use Noindex to Block content protected by copyrights instead of real access protection
- Confusing Noindex and page deletion: the page remains accessible to users, it is simply not referenced in the SERPs
Therefore, a regular audit of theURL structure and robot tags of the site is essential. Les exploration robots do not report an error when they encounter a Noindex : it is up to the webmaster to check that each directive is intentional.
FAQS
What is the noindex tag and what is it used for?
La noindex tag is an HTML directive placed in the section <head> Of a Web page. It is used to Indicate to search engines To not index the page, that is to say not to show it in The search results. Concretely, the robot of exploration can always visit and consult the content of the page, but it won't keep track of it in its index. This Meta robots tag is particularly useful for hiding technical pages, duplicates, or content from low quality without having to remove them from the site.
Does Noindex prevent a page from being crawled?
No The Noindex does not prevent theIndex a page in the sense of the crawl: the exploration robots continue to visit the page and read its HTML code. What it prevents is theprevent indexing in the search engine database. To block the crawl itself, you must use the directive Disallow In the robots.txt file. Be careful though: if a page is blocked in robots.txt, the robot can no longer read the tag Noindex that it contains, which can create unexpected behaviors in The SERPs.
Can we use noindex on a Webflow site?
Yes, and it is even one of the strengths of Webflow. The platform allows you to apply Noindex directly from the interface, without changing the Source code manually. For each page or element of a CMS collection, it is possible to activate the option to exclude search engines in a few clicks. Les other metadata SEOs are also manageable from this space. At Synqro, we systematically configure these settings each time we go online to ensure a indexing pages consistent and controlled. If you want a technical SEO audit of your site, contact our SEO team.
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