Mastering Web Design: Utilizing META Tags to Block Search Engine Indexing

Jan 2
22:25

2024

Shelley Lowery

Shelley Lowery

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In the realm of web design, META tags serve as crucial tools that provide detailed instructions about a webpage to search engines and browsers. However, there may be instances where you would prefer to keep certain webpages hidden from search engine indexing. This article will guide you on how to use META tags to achieve this.

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Understanding META Tags

META tags are HTML elements that provide information about a webpage. They are placed within the <head> and </head> tags of your HTML code. These tags are not visible to users visiting your webpage but are used by search engines to understand the content and purpose of your webpage.

Using META Tags to Prevent Search Engine Indexing

There are times when you might want to prevent search engines from indexing a particular webpage. This could be for various reasons such as the page containing sensitive information or it being a work in progress. To help with this,Mastering Web Design: Utilizing META Tags to Block Search Engine Indexing Articles you can add one of the following codes between the <head> and </head> tags of your HTML.

<META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX,NOFOLLOW">

This tag instructs the search engine bots not to index the page and also not to follow any links within the page.

<META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX,FOLLOW">

This tag, on the other hand, tells the search engine bots not to index the page, but they are allowed to follow any links within the page.

By understanding and implementing these META tags, you can have better control over how search engines interact with your webpages. For more detailed information on META tags and their usage, you can refer to the official documentation provided by Mozilla.

Remember, while these tags can be helpful, they should be used responsibly. Misuse can lead to your website being poorly indexed or even penalized by search engines. For more information on best practices for search engine optimization, check out Google's SEO Starter Guide.