There may be times when you want to hide a page from search engines, such as when the page is under construction, contains sensitive information, or is meant for internal use only. Hiding a page from search engines prevents it from being indexed and appearing in search results. Using OzSpeed’s hPanel, you can easily control the visibility of your pages. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to hide a page from search engines.
Step 1: Access the Page Editor in hPanel #
To hide a page from search engines, start by opening the Page Editor in hPanel.
- Log in to hPanel at ozspeed.com.au.
- Go to Website Builder > Edit Site.
- Select the page you want to hide from search engines.
Tip: #
- Consider hiding only specific pages that don’t need to be publicly indexed, such as thank-you pages, test pages, or internal resources.
Step 2: Open SEO & Visibility Settings #
The option to hide a page from search engines is located in the SEO & Visibility Settings.
How to Access SEO Settings: #
- Click on the Settings Icon (gear icon) for the selected page.
- Navigate to the SEO & Visibility tab.
Tip: #
- Review the current SEO settings to ensure you’re not unintentionally hiding important pages.
Step 3: Disable Indexing for the Page #
You can prevent search engines from indexing the page by disabling the indexing option.
How to Disable Indexing: #
- Locate the option labeled Allow Search Engines to Index This Page.
- Toggle the switch Off to disable indexing.
- Click Save to apply the changes.
Tip: #
- Disabling indexing adds a noindex meta tag to the page, instructing search engines not to include it in their search results.
Step 4: Add a Noindex Directive in Robots.txt (Optional) #
If you want an additional layer of control, you can update your website’s robots.txt file to block search engines from indexing the page.
How to Update Robots.txt: #
- Go to Website Settings > SEO & Analytics in hPanel.
- Click on Edit Robots.txt.
- Add the following directive to block the page (replace “your-page-url” with the actual URL slug):javascriptCopy code
User-agent: * Disallow: /your-page-url/ - Click Save.
Tip: #
- Use the robots.txt file carefully, as incorrect settings can unintentionally block search engines from indexing your entire website.
Step 5: Test the Noindex Settings #
After disabling indexing, test your changes to ensure the page is not indexed by search engines.
How to Test: #
- Open Google Search Console and use the URL Inspection tool.
- Enter the URL of the page you’ve hidden.
- Check the Indexing Status. It should indicate that the page is set to “noindex.”
Tip: #
- It may take some time for search engines to update their index and reflect the changes.
Step 6: Clear Your Website Cache #
If you’ve made changes to the page settings or robots.txt file, clear your website cache to ensure the updates take effect.
How to Clear Cache: #
- Go to Website Settings > Performance in hPanel.
- Click Clear Cache.
- Refresh your website.
Tip: #
- Clear your browser cache as well to verify the latest version of the site.
Troubleshooting Tips #
- Page Still Appears in Search Results:
- It can take time for search engines to update their index. Use Google Search Console to request removal of the page.
- Check the page source code to ensure the noindex tag is correctly applied.
- Accidentally Hiding Important Pages:
- Double-check your SEO settings in hPanel to make sure you’re not unintentionally hiding key pages like the homepage or blog posts.
- Robots.txt Blocking Issues:
- Verify that your robots.txt file only disallows specific pages and not entire sections of your site.
Additional Tips: #
- Use Noindex Carefully: Only hide pages that don’t need to appear in search results. Important content should remain indexable for better visibility.
- Check for Internal Links: If other pages on your site link to the hidden page, consider updating those links to avoid leading users to non-indexed content.
- Monitor in Google Search Console: Regularly check your Coverage Report in Google Search Console to ensure the correct pages are indexed or excluded.
