Key takeaways
- Noindex pages that are useful to visitors but add no value in search results: thin archives, internal search, thank-you pages, account and cart pages.
- Keep valuable pages indexable — don’t noindex paginated archives or category hubs that lead to your content.
- Never combine noindex with a robots.txt block for the same URL.
Every WordPress site generates pages you never deliberately created: author archives, date archives, tag pages, attachment pages, search results. Some deserve to rank; many don’t. Here’s a page-by-page decision guide.
Decision table#
| Page type | Default recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Posts and pages | Index | Your main content |
| Category archives | Index (if substantial) | Topic hubs |
| Tag archives | Noindex unless substantial | Often thin and duplicative |
| Author archives (single author) | Noindex | Duplicates the blog index |
| Date archives | Noindex | No search value |
| Internal search results | Noindex | Infinite, thin, Google advises against indexing them |
| Attachment pages | Redirect or noindex | Thin |
| Thank-you / confirmation | Noindex | Should only be reached after an action |
| Cart, checkout, my account | Noindex | Personal, no search value |
| Login and registration | Noindex | No search value |
| Paid campaign landing pages | Usually noindex | Often duplicate organic pages |
| Privacy policy, terms | Index (or noindex) | Low value but harmless; trust signal |
| Paginated archives (page 2, 3…) | Index | Paths to older content |
This theme applies sensible defaults automatically: it noindexes search results, date and author archives, attachments and tags with fewer than two posts, and lets you noindex any post or page from the SEO panel.
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How to noindex in WordPress#
- Per page: SEO plugin settings box, or this theme’s “Hide from search engines” checkbox.
- Per archive type: SEO plugin “Search Appearance” / “Titles & Meta” settings.
- In code: the
wp_robotsfilter:
add_filter( 'wp_robots', function ( $robots ) {
if ( is_page( 'thank-you' ) ) {
$robots['noindex'] = true;
$robots['follow'] = true;
}
return $robots;
} );Mistakes to avoid#
- Don’t block noindexed pages in robots.txt — Google must crawl them to see the noindex.
- Don’t leave noindexed pages in your sitemap.
- Don’t noindex the blog page or page 2+ of archives if they’re the only path to older posts.
- Re-check after launching from staging — sitewide noindex is a common accident.
Verify#
Use URL Inspection in Search Console (“Indexing allowed?”) and View Source to check the robots meta tag. The Pages report shows “Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag” — review it to confirm every URL there is intentional.
Concepts: noindex, index bloat.
Noindex FAQ#
Do noindexed pages still pass link value?#
Links on noindexed pages can be followed, though Google may treat long-term noindexed pages like nofollow over time. Don’t rely on noindexed pages for important internal links.
How long until a noindexed page disappears?#
After Google recrawls it — days to weeks. Use the Removals tool for urgent cases.
Should I noindex my contact page?#
No. People search for businesses’ contact details; keep it indexable.