WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) used for creating and managing websites. One of the advantages of WordPress is the ability to upload and display various types of files, including PDF documents. However, not all PDF files need to be indexed by search engines, and in some cases, it may be necessary to hide PDF files from search engines. In this article, we will discuss how to hide NoIndex PDF files in WordPress.
Steps on hiding NoIndex PDF files in WordPress:
Set to NoIndex
The first step to hiding NoIndex PDF files in WordPress is to make sure that the PDF files are set to NoIndex. This can be done by adding the following code to the header section of the PDF file:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
Prevent Search Engines
Once the PDF file is set to NoIndex, the next step is to prevent search engines from accessing the file. This can be done by adding a rule to the website’s robots.txt file. The robots.txt file is a file that tells search engine bots which pages or files to crawl or not to crawl.
To prevent search engines from crawling PDF files, add the following lines to your robots.txt file:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /*.pdf$
This will tell all search engines to not crawl any PDF files on your website.
Conclusion
In conclusion, hiding NoIndex PDF files in WordPress is a simple process that involves adding a NoIndex tag to the PDF file and adding a rule to the robots.txt file to prevent search engines from crawling the file. By doing this, you can ensure that only the PDF files that you want to be indexed by search engines will be indexed, and any PDF files that you want to keep hidden will remain hidden. It’s a good practice to use NoIndex and robots.txt to control the visibility of content on your website to search engines.
Things To Consider When Hiding NoIndex PDF Files In WordPress
Here are some additional things to consider when hiding NoIndex PDF files in WordPress:
Use a plugin: If you are not comfortable with editing code, you can use a plugin like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack to add the NoIndex tag to your PDF files automatically. These plugins also have options to add rules to the robots.txt file.
Internal linking: If you have internal links on your website that point to the PDF files, make sure to update them with the new URL that includes the “Disallow” directive in the robots.txt file. This will ensure that search engines do not follow these links to the PDF files.
Use caution when hiding content: While it may be necessary to hide certain PDF files from search engines, it’s important to ensure that you are not hiding content that should be visible to your audience. Consider the purpose of the PDF file and whether it’s important for your audience to be able to find and access it.
Regularly check your robots.txt file: Make sure to regularly check your website’s robots.txt file to ensure that it is up to date and that all PDF files that should be hidden are included in the “Disallow” directive.
By considering these additional points, you can effectively hide NoIndex PDF files in WordPress while ensuring that your website’s content is accessible to your audience and optimized for search engines.
