What is Noindex Tag?
The noindex tag is a meta robots directive placed in HTML that instructs search engines not to include the page in their search index or display it in results.
Ecommerce SEO Glossary > On-Page SEO > Noindex Tag
What You Need to Know about Noindex Tag
Strategic Index Control
Use noindex to prevent low-value, duplicate, or sensitive pages from appearing in search results while maintaining crawlability.
Implementation Syntax
Add in the page’s
section for proper search engine recognition.Crawling Still Permitted
Unlike robots.txt blocking, noindex allows crawlers to access pages and follow links without adding content to indexes.
Thin Content Management
Apply noindex to tag pages, search result pages, and filtered category variations that create indexation bloat.
Staging Site Protection
Prevent development and testing environments from accidentally appearing in search results during site launches or updates.
Reversible Directive
Remove noindex tags to allow indexing again, though reindexing speed depends on crawl frequency and site authority.
Frequently Asked Questions about Noindex Tag
1. What pages should have noindex tags?
Thank you pages, admin areas, duplicate content versions, filtered ecommerce pages, and internal search results benefit from noindex.
2. How long until noindexed pages disappear from search?
Typically 1-4 weeks after crawlers detect the tag, depending on crawl frequency and page importance.
3. Can I combine noindex with other directives?
Yes, use combinations like “noindex, follow” or “noindex, nofollow” to control both indexing and link following.
4. Does noindex hurt overall site rankings?
No, strategically removing low-quality pages from indexes often improves overall site quality signals and rankings.
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