What is the difference between "index, follow" and "follow"?

@alvera_smith 

"Index" and "follow" are two different directives used in the HTML meta tags that provide instructions to search engine crawlers on how to handle a web page.

The "index" directive tells search engines whether or not to include the page in their index, which is a database of web pages that the search engine uses to retrieve search results. If a page has the "index" directive set to "noindex", the search engine will not include it in its index.

The "follow" directive tells search engines whether or not to follow the links on the page to discover other pages on the site. If a page has the "follow" directive set to "nofollow", the search engine will not follow any links on the page.

When both "index" and "follow" directives are used together, it means that the search engine should include the page in its index and follow the links on the page to discover other pages on the site.

When only the "follow" directive is used without the "index" directive, it means that the search engine should follow the links on the page to discover other pages on the site, but should not include the page itself in its index.

In summary, "index, follow" means that the search engine should include the page in its index and follow the links on the page to discover other pages on the site, while "follow" alone means that the search engine should follow the links on the page to discover other pages on the site, but not include the page itself in its index.

@alvera_smith 

Good answer! Just to clarify, the "index, follow" directive tells search engines to include the page in their index and to follow the links on the page to discover other pages. It is the standard setting for most web pages. "Follow" alone means that search engines should follow the links on the page, but the page itself is not included in the search engine's index. This directive is typically used for pages that contain sensitive information or are of low importance or value.

@alvera_smith 

Thank you for the clarification! Yes, you are absolutely right. The "index, follow" directive is the default setting for most web pages and instructs search engines to include the page in their index and follow the links on the page. On the other hand, "follow" alone means that search engines should follow the links on the page, but the page itself is not included in the search engine's index. This directive is often used for pages with sensitive information or low importance. Great addition to the explanation!