- Free, no sign-up
- Meta, header and robots.txt
- Up to 10 URLs at once
Free Noindex Checker
Find out why Google is not showing a page. Check up to 10 URLs for noindex in the meta tag, the X-Robots-Tag header and robots.txt.
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Checks noindex, nofollow and other robots directives in the meta tag, HTTP header and robots.txt.
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The basics
What is a noindex tag?
Noindex is an instruction that tells search engines not to include a page in their index. In plain words, it tells Google: "do not show this one in search results."
It can sit in the page's HTML as a meta tag, <meta name="robots" content="noindex">, or be sent by the server as an HTTP header, X-Robots-Tag: noindex. Both do the same job. Google still crawls the page, sees the instruction and leaves the page out of its results.
That is handy for pages you hide on purpose, such as duplicates or test pages. But noindex is just as often added by accident, and that is where the damage happens: an important page quietly drops out of search, traffic falls and nobody knows why.
Why it matters
Why you should check for noindex
A noindex check belongs in every SEO audit, whether you run a personal blog, an online store or a client's site.
A forgotten noindex can wreck rankings without a single error message. It usually happens after a redesign, a migration or a plugin update that went wrong. Search Console reports it eventually, but often days or weeks after traffic has already dropped.
This tool checks up to 10 URLs at once, so you do not have to open "view source" one page at a time, and it also reads the headers and robots.txt that view source never shows you.
Tip: on a larger site, start with your highest-value pages: the homepage, main product or service pages and your top landing pages. Those are the ones that cost you most if they vanish.
How to use it
Check if a page can be indexed in three steps
Paste your URLs
One per line, up to 10 at a time. Leave out https:// if you like, we add it for you.
Click Check Indexability
We load each page live and read its HTML, its HTTP headers and the site's robots.txt.
Read the cards
Each URL gets a card that says Indexable or not, and names exactly where the block comes from.
Built forSite ownersSEO specialistsDevelopers after a launchAgenciesContent editors
What it checks
Three places a page can say "do not index"
A noindex can hide in the page, in the server response or in robots.txt. Most quick checks look at only one. This one reads all three.
Meta robots tag
The robots and googlebot meta tags in the page head, with the exact value we found.
X-Robots-Tag header
The HTTP header your server sends. It is invisible in the page source, so it is easy to miss.
Robots.txt block
Whether robots.txt stops Googlebot from crawling the URL at all, which also hides any noindex on it.
Nofollow and other directives
Nofollow, noarchive, nosnippet, noimageindex, max-snippet and similar rules, listed per page.
HTTP status
The status code after redirects. A page that returns an error is flagged instead of guessed at.
10 URLs per check
Test a whole section of your site, or a list of key pages, in one go with a count at the top.
Reading the results
What your results mean, and how to fix them
Every card starts with a verdict. Here is what each one means and where to look.
Indexable
Nothing tells Google to keep the page out. If it still does not show up, look at content quality, internal links and the Pages report in Search Console.
Noindex (meta tag)
The page itself asks not to be indexed. In WordPress, check the SEO plugin box for that post and Settings → Reading → "Discourage search engines". Remove the tag, then request indexing.
Noindex (HTTP header)
Your server adds the block. Look in .htaccess, the Nginx config, your CDN rules or a security plugin for an X-Robots-Tag line.
Blocked by robots.txt
Google may not crawl the page, so it cannot see any tag on it. To remove a page from Google, allow crawling and use noindex. To index it, delete the Disallow rule.
Good to know
When noindex is right, and when it hurts
Noindex is a useful tool. The trouble starts when it lands on pages you want found.
When noindex is the problem
If blog posts or category pages have vanished from Google, check for noindex first. It is most often added by:
- An SEO plugin such as Yoast or Rank Math set up wrongly, for example a whole post type or taxonomy set to "noindex".
- CMS settings changed during a redesign, such as WordPress's "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" box.
- Developers testing on a staging site and forgetting to remove the block when the site goes live.
- A writer or editor flipping the wrong switch in the post editor.
- A server, CDN or security rule that adds an X-Robots-Tag header to more pages than intended.
When noindex is actually good
Some pages genuinely belong out of search results:
- Thank-you pages after a form submission or purchase.
- Login, account, cart and checkout pages.
- Internal search results pages.
- Thin, low-quality or duplicate pages, such as filtered or sorted product lists.
Stay safe
Keep noindex under control
Three habits that stop an accidental noindex from costing you traffic.
Remove it after launch
Staging sites are usually set to noindex. When the site moves to production, the setting often comes with it. Check key pages on launch day.
Recheck after updates
Theme changes, plugin updates and CMS migrations can switch noindex on without anyone noticing. A two-minute check saves weeks of lost traffic.
Make it a decision
Either way, noindex should be a choice, not an oversight. With more people finding content through AI-powered search as well as Google, catching an accidental noindex early keeps your pages visible where it counts.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does this tool crawl the page or just look at the code?
It fetches the live page from our server, follows redirects, and reads the final HTML and HTTP response headers. It also fetches the site's robots.txt once per domain.
Does it check robots.txt?
Yes. It tests each URL against the robots.txt rules for Googlebot and shows Allowed or Disallowed. This matters because if Googlebot is not allowed to crawl a page, it never sees a noindex tag on it either. For a deeper look at your rules, use our Robots.txt Tester.
Does it show nofollow too?
Yes. Each card shows Follow or Nofollow, plus any other directive we find, such as noarchive, nosnippet, noimageindex or max-snippet.
What is the difference between noindex and a robots.txt block?
Noindex lets Google crawl the page but keeps it out of results. A robots.txt block stops crawling, yet the URL can still appear in results if other sites link to it. To remove a page from Google, use noindex and leave it crawlable.
Can I check hundreds of URLs at once?
No. Each check covers up to 10 URLs so results come back fast. For a full site audit, use a desktop crawler such as Screaming Frog or Sitebulb, or the Pages report in Google Search Console.
Why does the tool show an error for my page?
The page returned an error status (4xx or 5xx), timed out, or could not be reached. Pages behind a login or a firewall that blocks unknown visitors also fail here.
Is it free, and do you store my URLs?
It is free with no sign-up. We keep a result for a few minutes so a repeat check is instant, then it is gone.
Keep going
More free SEO tools
Noindex is one reason a page goes missing. These checks cover the others.
- Robots.txt Tester: see exactly which rule allows or blocks a URL.
- Canonical Tag Checker: make sure the page does not point Google to a different URL.
- HTTP Status Checker: find redirects, 404s and server errors.
- SSL Checker: confirm the HTTPS certificate is valid and not about to expire.
- Meta Tag Analyzer: review the title, description and social tags.
- Schema Markup Validator: check your structured data for errors.
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Catch it before it costs you traffic
One overlooked noindex can undo months of SEO work. Paste up to 10 URLs and check them in seconds, free.