Critical issueMeta Tags
Page Blocked by Noindex: How to Fix It
A noindex directive in the robots meta tag or the X-Robots-Tag HTTP header tells search engines not to show the page in results.
Quick fix: Remove "noindex" from the robots meta tag or the X-Robots-Tag header if you want this page to appear in Google.
Why it matters for SEO
A noindex page cannot rank at all. It is useful for private, thank-you, or filter pages, but a disaster when left on important pages after a site launch.
How to fix it
- 1Search the page source for <meta name="robots" content="noindex">.
- 2Check server or CDN settings for an X-Robots-Tag: noindex header.
- 3In WordPress, check Settings > Reading > "Discourage search engines" and your SEO plugin settings for the page.
- 4Remove noindex, then request indexing in Google Search Console.
Example
Remove: <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">
Use: <meta name="robots" content="index, follow"> (or no robots tag at all)Free tools to fix it
Frequently asked questions
How long until a page appears after removing noindex?
Usually days to a few weeks. Requesting indexing in Search Console speeds it up.
Is noindex the same as robots.txt Disallow?
No. Disallow stops crawling, while noindex stops indexing. Google must be able to crawl a page to see its noindex tag.
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