{"id":8553,"date":"2026-05-25T10:42:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T08:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=8553"},"modified":"2026-06-15T14:10:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T12:10:41","slug":"noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"Noindex vs. Nofollow: Understanding Meta Robots Tags for SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <code>noindex<\/code> and <code>nofollow<\/code> tags help control how search engines interact with your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although they are often mentioned together, they serve different purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-983000395\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <code>noindex<\/code> tag controls whether a page can appear in search results. The <code>nofollow<\/code> attribute controls whether search engines should follow links on a page or transfer ranking signals through them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding the difference helps prevent indexing issues and ensures that search engines focus on your most important content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/#What_the_noindex_tag_does\" >What the noindex tag does<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/#What_the_nofollow_attribute_does\" >What the nofollow attribute does<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/#Noindex_and_nofollow_key_differences\" >Noindex and nofollow: key differences<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/#Can_you_use_both_together\" >Can you use both together?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/#Common_implementation_mistakes\" >Common implementation mistakes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/#How_to_decide_which_directive_to_use\" >How to decide which directive to use<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/noindex-vs-nofollow-understanding-meta-robots-tags-for-seo\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_noindex_tag_does\"><\/span>What the noindex tag does<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <code>noindex<\/code> tag tells search engines not to include a page in their search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When search engines process a page containing this directive, the page can still be crawled, but it should not appear in search listings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tag is typically added in the page&#8217;s <code>&lt;head&gt;<\/code> section:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&lt;meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex\"&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common use cases include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>order confirmation pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>shopping cart and checkout pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>internal search result pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>staging environments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>duplicate content pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>thank-you pages after form submissions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using <code>noindex<\/code> helps keep low-value or private content out of search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_nofollow_attribute_does\"><\/span>What the nofollow attribute does<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <code>nofollow<\/code> attribute tells search engines not to follow a specific link or pass ranking signals through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is added directly to a link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&lt;a href=\"https:\/\/example.com\" rel=\"nofollow\"&gt;Example link&lt;\/a&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike <code>noindex<\/code>, <code>nofollow<\/code> does not prevent the current page from appearing in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, it affects how search engines interpret links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common use cases include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>sponsored links<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>affiliate links<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>user-generated content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>untrusted external websites<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>links placed in comments or forums<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Search engines may treat <code>nofollow<\/code> as a hint rather than a strict directive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Noindex_and_nofollow_key_differences\"><\/span>Noindex and nofollow: key differences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Feature<\/th><th>noindex<\/th><th>nofollow<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Affects page visibility in search results<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Affects how links are processed<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Applied to pages<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Applied to links<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Prevents indexing<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Prevents link authority transfer<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The practical difference is simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use <code>noindex<\/code> when you do not want a page to appear in search results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use <code>nofollow<\/code> when you do not want search engines to follow or evaluate specific links.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_use_both_together\"><\/span>Can you use both together?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can combine both directives when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&lt;meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex,nofollow\"&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This tells search engines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>do not include the page in search results<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>do not follow links found on the page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This approach is often used for temporary pages, private content, or internal resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, using <code>noindex<\/code> and <code>nofollow<\/code> together is not always necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choose directives based on the purpose of the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_implementation_mistakes\"><\/span>Common implementation mistakes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Incorrect use of these directives can affect search visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common mistakes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>applying <code>noindex<\/code> to important product or category pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>using <code>nofollow<\/code> on internal navigation links<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>blocking pages in <code>robots.txt<\/code> while also expecting search engines to process <code>noindex<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>forgetting to remove <code>noindex<\/code> after launching a new website<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>applying directives site-wide by mistake<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regular SEO audits can help identify these issues before they affect traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The article What impact do tags, meta descriptions, and image alt text have on SEO? explains how search engines use metadata to understand your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_decide_which_directive_to_use\"><\/span>How to decide which directive to use<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask yourself two questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Should this page appear in search results?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Should search engines follow the links on this page?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your answers determine the appropriate directive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Situation<\/th><th>Recommended action<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Thank-you page after a form submission<\/td><td><code>noindex<\/code><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sponsored external link<\/td><td><code>nofollow<\/code><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Internal search results page<\/td><td><code>noindex<\/code><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Affiliate link<\/td><td><code>nofollow<\/code><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Checkout page<\/td><td><code>noindex<\/code><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>User-generated links<\/td><td><code>nofollow<\/code><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember that search engines prioritize valuable, unique content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Controlling indexing helps focus search visibility on the pages that matter most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For guidance on building pages that attract and convert visitors, see How to turn your company website into a lead-generating machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are optimizing an online store, the article PrestaShop SEO: how to improve your store&#8217;s visibility in search results covers additional technical SEO considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding how search engines evaluate metadata, links, and content structure can also help improve your results. See Rank Math for WordPress: an overview of its SEO features for practical examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <code>noindex<\/code> tag controls whether a page can appear in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <code>nofollow<\/code> attribute controls whether search engines should follow specific links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although they are related, they solve different problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using them correctly helps search engines understand your website structure and focus on the content you want users to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[42],"manual_kb_tag":[1365,3052,3724,4998,7204,7209,7210,7211,7212,7213],"class_list":["post-8553","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-miscellaneous","manual_kb_tag-search-engine-optimization","manual_kb_tag-meta-tags","manual_kb_tag-noindex-tag","manual_kb_tag-search-engine-indexing","manual_kb_tag-meta-robots","manual_kb_tag-nofollow-attribute","manual_kb_tag-page-indexing","manual_kb_tag-link-authority","manual_kb_tag-link-equity","manual_kb_tag-nofollow-links"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/8553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/8553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8554,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/8553\/revisions\/8554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=8553"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=8553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}