Meta robots tags are tiny snippets of HTML code that give search engines instructions on how to handle specific pages on your website. These tags help control whether a page should be included in search results and whether search engines should follow the links on that page.
Why Meta Robots Tags Matter
Imagine having a store with certain sections you don’t want customers to see. That’s what robots tags do for your website. They tell search engine bots which “rooms” (pages) are open to explore and which ones are not.
Where Robots Meta Tags Are Placed
These tags are placed in the <head> section of your HTML code. Here’s a simple example:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">
This line tells search engines: “Don’t index this page, and don’t follow any links on it.”
Understanding “Index” and “Noindex”
Let’s break these down one by one.
What Does “Index” Mean?
If you allow a page to be “indexed,” you’re giving search engines the green light to store that page in their database and show it in search results.
Example:
<meta name="robots" content="index">
✅ Result: Page is visible in Google Search.
What Does “Noindex” Mean?
“Noindex” tells search engines not to include a page in their index. Even if it’s publicly accessible, it won’t appear in search results.
Example:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
🚫 Result: Page will be crawled but not shown in search listings.
When to Use Index
- Blog posts
- Landing pages you want to rank
- Product pages
When to Use Noindex
- Thank you pages
- Login pages
- Admin areas
- Duplicate content or thin content pages
Understanding “Follow” and “Nofollow”
Now let’s tackle the second part of the tag: telling search engines what to do with the links.
What Does “Follow” Mean?
“Follow” allows search engines to crawl the links on a page and pass link equity (also known as link juice) to the pages being linked to.
Example:
<meta name="robots" content="follow">
🌐 Result: Links on the page are followed and valued.
What Does “Nofollow” Mean?
“Nofollow” tells search engines: “You can see these links, but don’t follow them or pass any SEO value.”
Example:
<meta name="robots" content="nofollow">
🙅♂️ Result: Links on the page won’t help the linked pages rank.
When to Use Follow
- On trusted, high-quality pages
- When you want to boost other pages through internal links
When to Use Nofollow
- User-generated content (comments, forums)
- Paid or sponsored links
- Untrusted outbound links
How Do These Tags Work Together?
Here’s where things get interesting: you can combine these tags to give different instructions.
Common Combinations and Their Effects
| Meta Tag Combination | What It Does |
|---|---|
index, follow | Index the page and follow links |
index, nofollow | Index the page, but don’t follow links |
noindex, follow | Don’t index the page, but follow links |
noindex, nofollow | Don’t index the page and don’t follow links |
Examples with HTML Snippets
Index + Follow:
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow">
Noindex + Nofollow:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">
Impact on SEO: Index vs Noindex, Follow vs NofollowHow Search Engines Handle These Tags
Search engines like Google obey these tags most of the time. But here’s a twist: just because you say “noindex” doesn’t mean Google won’t crawl the page—it simply won’t show it in search results.
Indexing vs Crawling: The Real Difference
- Crawling: Bot visits the page
- Indexing: Page is stored and ranked
So, a “noindex” page can still be crawled unless you block it with a robots.txt file too.
Use Cases: When to Use Which Tag and Why
Let’s get into some real-world scenarios:
Tagging Category Pages, Archives, and Thank You Pages
- Noindex, follow is ideal for thank-you pages and email confirmation pages.
- Noindex, nofollow may be used on admin or internal-use-only pages.
- Index, nofollow can be used when you want to rank a page but not share authority with its links.
Dealing with Duplicate Content
If you have duplicate content across categories or tags, use noindex to prevent them from competing in search.
Best Practices for Meta Robots Tags
Dos and Don’ts for SEO Beginners
✅ Do:
- Use noindex on low-value pages
- Keep index on valuable content
- Use nofollow for untrusted or sponsored links
🚫 Don’t:
- Noindex high-value pages by mistake
- Forget to remove noindex once a page is ready to rank
- Confuse “nofollow” with “robots.txt disallow”
Tools to Check and Manage Robots Tags
- Screaming Frog – SEO audit tool
- Ahrefs / SEMrush – Page crawl status reports
- Google Search Console – URL inspection to check index status
Common Misconceptions About Robots Tags
“Noindex” Doesn’t Mean “No Crawl”
People often think “noindex” stops Google from seeing the page altogether. It doesn’t. The page can still be crawled, unless blocked via robots.txt.
Nofollow Doesn’t Always Stop Crawling
Even if you set links to “nofollow,” bots might still crawl them—especially if those links are found elsewhere on the web.
Conclusion:
Understanding the difference between index, noindex, follow, and nofollow tags gives you powerful control over your website’s visibility and flow of SEO value.
Think of these tags as road signs for Google’s bots—clear signs help them understand what roads to take and which ones to avoid. Used wisely, these tiny tags can have a big impact on your site’s performance in search results.
FAQs About Index, Noindex, Follow, and Nofollow Tags
1. Can a Page Be Indexed but Not Followed?
Yes. Use index, nofollow to allow the page to show in results but prevent link equity from being passed.
2. Do Nofollow Links Pass Any SEO Value?
Directly, no. But they can still lead to traffic, brand exposure, and even backlinks from users who discover your content.
3. Should I Use Noindex on Low-Quality Pages?
Absolutely. Use noindex on pages that don’t provide value or that duplicate other content.
4. What’s the Difference Between Meta Tags and Robots.txt?
Meta tags guide behavior per page. Robots.txt controls crawling access at the site or directory level.
5. How to Check If a Page Is Noindexed or Nofollowed?
Use Google Search Console’s URL inspection tool or SEO browser extensions like MozBar or Detailed SEO.