Help:Controlling search engine indexing

<languages/> Template:PD Help Page <translate> There are a variety of ways in which MediaWiki allows users to attempt to control search engine indexing, commonly termed "noindexing", as the default position is that pages are indexed.</translate> <translate> Most of the methods rely on using the noindex HTML meta tag, which tells search engines not to index certain pages.</translate> <translate> Respecting the tag, or the [[<tvar|1>Special:MyLanguage/Manual:robots.txt</>|robots.txt]] file, especially in terms of removing already indexed content, is up to the individual search engine, and in theory they may be ignored entirely.</translate>

<translate> The control methods are:

1. Controlling an entire [[<tvar|ns>Special:MyLanguage/namespace</>|namespace]], via MediaWiki software settings</translate>

<translate>

1. Controlling classes of pages, via <tvar|robots>MediaWiki:Robots.txt</></translate>

<translate>

1. Controlling individual pages by adding the <tvar|code>__NOINDEX__</> [[<tvar|magic>Special:MyLanguage/Help:magic word</>|magic word]] into them, either directly or using a template made to contain it.</translate>

<translate>

1. Controlling pages by adding the <tvar|code>__NOINDEX__</> magic word into standard templates used in certain situations.

Software settings and robots.txt

Software settings

Entire namespaces can be noindexed via <tvar|1>Template:Ll</>. </translate>

<translate> At the same time, <tvar|code>__NOINDEX__</> can be disabled in certain namespaces.</translate> <translate> This is controlled by the MediaWiki software setting <tvar|ExemptFromUserRobotsControl>Template:Ll</>, which defaults to <tvar|ContentNamespaces>Template:Ll</>.</translate>

<translate> <tvar|1>Template:Ll</> can be used to specify different policies for individual pages.

Robots.txt noindexing

System message <tvar|Robots>MediaWiki:Robots.txt</> can be used to noindex pages. Unlike the software settings, it can be directly edited.

NOINDEX magic word

Individual pages

</translate> <translate> Individual pages can be noindexed by adding the <tvar|code>__NOINDEX__</> [[<tvar|magic>Special:MyLanguage/Help:Magic words</>|magic word]] into that page.</translate> <translate> This can be done either directly or using a template designed to contain the magic word (eg <tvar|NOINDEX>{{NOINDEX}}</>); this can make use of the keyword easier to track.</translate>

<translate> Pages with the keyword are tracked by MediaWiki, and automatically categorized in a tracking category. The category name is determined by <tvar|1>MediaWiki:Noindex-category</>.

Standard template noindexing

Standard templates can include the <tvar|code>__NOINDEX__</> keyword, thereby noindexing pages to which the templates are applied. A template used to flag a particularly sensitive type of page can then automatically noindex it.

INDEX magic word

Individual pages

</translate> <translate> Individual pages can override namespace noindexing by adding the <tvar|code>__INDEX__</> [[<tvar|magic>Special:MyLanguage/Help:magic word</>|magic word]] into that page.</translate> <translate> Pages with the keyword are tracked by MediaWiki, and automatically categorized in a tracking category.</translate> <translate> The category name is determined by <tvar|Index>MediaWiki:Index-category</>.</translate> <translate> However, INDEX does not override noindexing via <tvar|Robots>MediaWiki:Robots.txt</>.</translate> <translate> It does override <tvar|ArticleRobotsPolicies>Template:Ll</>.</translate>

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Current issues

</translate>

• phab:T24251 – <translate> Magic word to remove page from internal MediaWiki search results</translate>

[[Category:Help{{#translation:}}|Controlling search engine indexing]] [[Category:Search{{#translation:}}|Controlling search engine indexing]]