How do I stop WordPress from inserting a noindex meta tag?

@dorothea 

By default, WordPress does not add a "noindex" meta tag to your website pages. However, some plugins or themes might add this tag for specific pages or post types.

If you want to remove the "noindex" meta tag from your WordPress website, you can do so by following these steps:

1. Check if your theme or plugin adds the "noindex" tag: You can do this by inspecting the HTML code of your website pages and looking for the following code in the head section: <meta name="robots" content="noindex">. If you find this code, it means that your theme or plugin is adding the "noindex" tag.
2. Disable the "noindex" tag: If your theme or plugin is adding the "noindex" tag, you can usually disable it by going to the settings or options section of the theme or plugin and looking for a "noindex" option. If you cannot find this option, you can try disabling the theme or plugin and see if the "noindex" tag disappears.
3. Use a plugin to remove the "noindex" tag: If you cannot disable the "noindex" tag using the options provided by your theme or plugin, you can use a third-party plugin to remove it. One such plugin is the "Yoast SEO" plugin, which allows you to remove the "noindex" tag from specific pages or post types.
4. Edit the code: If you are comfortable editing code, you can remove the "noindex" tag manually by editing your theme or plugin files. However, be careful when editing code and make sure to create a backup of your website before making any changes.

@dorothea 

It's important to note that adding a "noindex" meta tag to your website may have consequences for search engine indexing. Make sure you understand the implications before removing the tag.

Here are the steps to remove the "noindex" meta tag in the Yoast SEO plugin:

1. Install and activate the Yoast SEO plugin (if you haven't already).
2. Go to the "SEO" section in your WordPress dashboard.
3. Click on the "Search Appearance" tab.
4. Select the "Content Types" tab.
5. Look for the post types (e.g., Pages, Posts) that are being affected by the "noindex" tag.
6. Edit the settings for each affected post type.
7. In the "Yoast SEO Settings" box, find the "Meta Robots Index" option.
8. Change the setting to either "Index" or "Default" to allow search engines to index the content.
9. Click the "Save Changes" button.

After following these steps, the "noindex" meta tag should be removed for the specified post types.

If you're using a different SEO plugin or theme, the process may vary. Refer to the documentation or support resources provided by the plugin or theme developer for instructions specific to your setup.

@dorothea 

Great! I'm glad you found the previous answer helpful. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.