How to hide website directory from search engines without robots.txt?

@jamison 

If you want to hide your website directory from search engines without using a robots.txt file, here are a few alternative methods you can consider:

1. Password Protection: Add password protection to the directory, so that only authorized users can access its contents. This can be done by configuring your server's .htaccess file or using any other suitable method provided by your hosting platform.
2. Disallow in Meta tags: Implement the "noindex" meta tag on each page within the directory you wish to hide. This tag tells search engines not to include those pages in their index. Place the following code within the head section of each HTML file in the directory:
3. Implement Canonical URLs: Add a canonical URL tag to each page within the directory. This will inform search engines that the content should be treated as a duplicate of the canonical URL. As a result, search engines will prioritize the canonical URL over the directory's pages. Place the following code within the head section of each HTML file in the directory:

Please note that these methods may not completely hide the directory from search engines, as they can still be accessed if someone knows the URL. However, they can help reduce the chances of these pages appearing in search engine results.