Meta Robots
Checks for unintentional noindex or nofollow meta-robots directives.
What this check measures
We read `<meta name="robots">` and the X-Robots-Tag HTTP header. Flag `noindex`, `nofollow`, `none`, or `noarchive` on indexable pages.
Why it matters
A `noindex` on your homepage means you vanish from Google entirely. It happens more often than it should — copy-pasted from staging, left from a template, or set by a plugin. Losing indexation loses traffic overnight.
How our audit detects it
Parse both meta-robots tag and X-Robots-Tag header. Flag any noindex/nofollow/none/noarchive value on pages that should be indexable.
Typical findings
- error_outlineHomepage has `<meta name="robots" content="noindex">` left over from staging.
- error_outlineRobots meta copies production value but reads `noindex, nofollow` in dev-leaked config.
- error_outlineX-Robots-Tag header set by a misconfigured Nginx rule on all responses.
How to fix
Remove noindex/nofollow from all public pages. Use noindex deliberately on login, admin, and utility URLs. Verify in Google Search Console → Pages report — any page marked "Excluded by noindex" should be intentional.
Frequently asked questions
When should I use noindex?expand_more
Does noindex remove the page from Google immediately?expand_more
Want this checked on your site?
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