What is De-indexing?

De-indexing means removing a page or website from search engine indexes, so it no longer appears in search results.

Understanding De-indexing

De-indexing is one of those SEO terms that often causes panic, but it’s actually quite straightforward once you break it down. In simple terms, de-indexing occurs when a search engine, like Google, decides that a page or site should no longer appear in its search results. This doesn’t mean your site is gone forever—it’s more like it’s temporarily sidelined until issues are resolved. Understanding why de-indexing happens and how to prevent it is crucial for maintaining a strong online presence.

How De-indexing Affects Different CMS Platforms

WordPress

WordPress sites can experience de-indexing due to plugin conflicts, incorrect robots.txt settings, or noindex tags accidentally applied to important pages. Ensuring proper plugin management, regular SEO audits, and checking index status helps prevent visibility loss.

Shopify

In Shopify, de-indexing often happens when duplicate product pages confuse search engines or meta settings are misconfigured. Correct canonical tags, clean URLs, and structured product data are key to avoiding these issues.

Wix

For Wix sites, improper SEO settings such as noindex tags, broken sitemap submissions, or blocked pages can cause de-indexing. Regularly reviewing the SEO panel and maintaining proper page indexing keeps your site visible.

Webflow

Webflow sites can face de-indexing due to misconfigured SEO settings, missing meta tags, or site structure problems. Monitoring crawl stats and submitting updated XML sitemaps ensures pages remain indexed.

Custom CMS

Custom-built sites are prone to de-indexing when there are crawling issues, missing meta tags, poor URL structures, or duplicate content. Frequent SEO audits and proper sitemap management help maintain search visibility.

De-indexing Across Different Industries

Ecommerce

Ecommerce sites can lose indexation when product pages go out of stock, duplicate content exists, or meta descriptions are missing. Maintaining unique product descriptions, using canonical tags, and updating inventory regularly keeps your pages searchable.

Local Businesses

Local business websites can be de-indexed if NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information is inconsistent or if content is too thin. Accurate local listings, consistent schema markup, and engaging content ensure pages stay indexed and rank well in local search results.

SaaS Companies

SaaS websites often see de-indexing on landing pages or blogs due to low-quality content, duplicate copy across campaigns, or improper canonicalization. Regular content audits and maintaining clear site architecture prevent indexing issues.

Blogs and News Sites

Blogs and news sites may have outdated or low-quality posts de-indexed by search engines to maintain trust. Regularly updating content, removing thin pages, and optimizing for user experience keeps content visible in search.

Do’s & Don’ts / Best Practices

Do’s:

• Regularly audit your site for noindex tags or robots.txt errors.

• Submit XML sitemaps to search engines to ensure proper indexing.

• Keep content original and high-quality to prevent algorithmic de-indexing.

• Monitor search console alerts to detect issues early.

Don’ts:

• Don’t ignore duplicate content issues.

• Avoid blocking important pages from crawling with robots.txt or meta tags.

• Don’t leave broken links or errors unresolved, as they can signal poor site quality.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Accidentally marking pages as noindex when updating templates.

2. Ignoring search console warnings about crawl errors or penalties.

3. Failing to manage redirects for removed or updated pages.

4. Overlooking the impact of thin or duplicated content on indexing.

FAQs

What is de-indexing in SEO?

De-indexing is the process of removing a webpage or website from a search engine’s index, making it no longer appear in search results.

Why would a page be de-indexed?

Pages may be de-indexed due to duplicate content, thin content, spammy or low-quality content, manual penalties, or deliberate removal requests via noindex tags.

How do you de-index a page manually?

You can add a noindex meta tag (<meta name="robots" content="noindex">) or use the URL removal tool in Google Search Console to remove pages from the index.

What’s the difference between de-indexing and blocking a page?

Blocking (via robots.txt) prevents crawlers from accessing a page, but it might still appear in search results. De-indexing removes it entirely from the index.

Can a de-indexed page be re-indexed?

Yes, if you remove the noindex tag or resolve the issues causing de-indexing, search engines can recrawl and re-index the page.