When setting up your WordPress site for the first time, you may run across this warning in Google Search Console. “Indexing allowed? No: ‘no index’ detected in ‘X-Robots-Tag’ HTTP header”.
What this means is that there is a “no index” tag on each page of your website.
As you may have already guessed, the no-index tag tells search engines that they should not add the content of the webpage to their index.
As a result, the webpage will not appear in search results and won’t be easily discoverable by users searching the web.
This tag can be employed to keep sensitive or confidential information private and out of the public eye in search results.
How to Remove the “no Index” Tag From Your WordPress Site
If your site is currently plagued by a no-index tag, I have good news for you; the fix is easy!
Follow the steps below, and your site can be indexed in no time.
Step One: Log Into WordPress
Step Two: Go to Settings → Reading
Step Three: Scroll down the page to where it says “Search Engine Visibility”
Step Four: Uncheck the box next to “Discourage search engines from indexing this site”
Step Five: Hit the “Save Changes” button below
Thats it! You are done, and your site should be able to be indexed shortly.
Additionally, it should be noted that a “no index” tag in your sitemap is normal and beneficial. There is no reason to have your sitemap.xml file indexed in search engines as it provides no user value and eats up crawl budget.
If you want to double-check that the fix is working, simply copy and paste your site’s URL into the “Inspect any URL in…” box at the top of Google Search Console, seen below.
It may take up to 48 hours for the effects of your changes to be seen, so just be patient.
What is the X-robots-tag HTTP header?
As a webmaster, you have the power to control how your webpages are shown in search engine results through the use of the “X-Robots-Tag” HTTP header.
This header, sent in response to an HTTP request, allows you to specify certain actions that search engine crawlers should take when indexing your page.
For example, you can use the value “noindex” to prevent your page from being indexed, ensuring that sensitive or confidential information is not publicly visible in search results.
You can also use the value “nofollow” to prevent search engines from following links on your page, or the value “none” which is equivalent to “noindex, nofollow“.
With the “X-Robots-Tag” header, you have greater control over how your content is represented in search engine results.
When To Use a Noindex Tag?
You should use the “noindex” tag in the “X-Robots-Tag” HTTP header when you don’t want a specific page or set of pages to be included in search engine results. Here are some common scenarios when it may be appropriate to use the “noindex” tag:
- Duplicate content: If you have multiple pages with similar content on your website, you can use “noindex” on the duplicate pages to avoid confusion and potential penalties from search engines.
- Under construction pages: If you have pages that are not yet complete, you can use “noindex” until they are ready to be indexed and shown in search results.
- Login and subscription pages: Pages that require user login or subscription may contain sensitive information and should not be indexed.
- Testing pages: If you have pages that are used for testing purposes, you can use “noindex” to prevent them from being accidentally shown in search results.
It’s important to note that using “noindex” does not guarantee that the page will never be indexed or that it will be immediately removed from search results. It’s best to use it in combination with other measures to ensure that your pages are not indexed by search engines.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the “X-Robots-Tag” HTTP header is an important tool for webmasters to control how their webpages are displayed in search engine results.
The “noindex” value in this header tells search engines not to include the content of a webpage in their index, keeping sensitive or confidential information private.
Removing the “noindex” tag from your WordPress site is a simple process that can be done by logging into WordPress and changing the “Search Engine Visibility” setting. T
he “noindex” tag can be used in various scenarios, such as duplicate content, under construction pages, login and subscription pages, or testing pages.
However, it’s important to remember that using “noindex” alone does not guarantee complete protection and it’s best used in combination with other measures.
If you are new to the game, check out our post on the 11 things you should never do when optimizing your site!
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