The WordPress noindex setting, explained
By Hamza Rivera, updated
Short answer: In WordPress, Settings, Reading has a box called Discourage search engines from indexing this site. When checked, WordPress adds a noindex, nofollow robots meta tag to the head of your pages. It asks search engines to skip the site and does not block access, so it is up to them to honor it. Untick it for a live site.
A site that is live but missing from Google is often carrying a setting that asks Google to stay away. In WordPress it is one checkbox, and it is commonly left on after a build.
If you suspect a setting or plugin is hiding your pages, our WordPress SEO services.
Where the setting is
Go to Settings, then Reading, and look for "Search engine visibility." The box reads "Discourage search engines from indexing this site." WordPress documentation says that ticking it asks search engines not to index the site.
What it does
Since WordPress 5.3, the box causes a robots meta tag with noindex and nofollow to be added to the head of your pages. Before that version it changed what robots.txt returned. It also stops pings to update services. WordPress is clear that neither approach blocks access to the site. It is up to search engines to honor the request.
How noindex works in Google
Google describes noindex as a meta tag in the page head, or an X-Robots-Tag response header, that asks it to leave the page out of search. Two details matter. First, Google has to crawl the page to see the tag, so the page must not be blocked in robots.txt. Second, a change only takes effect after Google recrawls the page, which Google says can take months for less important pages.
Why a page may still show after you add noindex
If a page still appears in results, Google probably has not recrawled it since the tag was added. You can ask Google to recrawl a page with the URL Inspection tool.
How to check your own site
Open Settings, Reading and confirm the box is clear. Then view the source of a page and search for "noindex." SEO plugins can set noindex on individual pages or whole post types too, so check those settings if the source shows the tag with the box unticked. Our post on why a WordPress site is not showing in Google walks through the full list.
Where to go from here
If you want someone to audit which pages are blocked and why, see our WordPress SEO services. Passieon is an independent agency and is not affiliated with Google.
Sources
- WordPress.org Documentation: Settings Reading screen, read November 10, 2026.
- Google Search Central: Block search indexing with noindex, read November 10, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the WordPress noindex setting?
In Settings, then Reading, under Search engine visibility. The box is labeled Discourage search engines from indexing this site.
What does the box actually add?
Since WordPress 5.3 it adds a robots meta tag with noindex and nofollow to the head of your pages.
Does it block visitors?
No. WordPress says it does not block access to the site. It is up to search engines to honor the request.
I unticked it. Why is my site still not in Google?
Google must recrawl the pages to see the change, which can take time. You can ask for a recrawl in the URL Inspection tool.
Can noindex be set by something other than this box?
Yes. A meta tag, an X-Robots-Tag header, or an SEO plugin setting on a page or post type can do it.
Can I use robots.txt and noindex together?
Not on the same page. If robots.txt blocks the page, Google cannot crawl it to see the noindex tag.
Want this done for your site? See what our WordPress SEO services page covers, or read the client results.
Read next
- How to submit a sitemap to Google, step by step Where the sitemap should live, what to put in it, and how to submit it in Search Console. Plus what Google says submitting does and does not do.
- Discovered, currently not indexed: what it means and what to do Google knows the URL exists but has not crawled it yet. Here is what Search Console says about this status, why it happens, and the checks worth making.
- WordPress permalinks and SEO: which structure to choose WordPress ships with plain permalinks by default. Here is what the options are, what WordPress says about them, and why changing them later takes care.