If you’ve ever wanted to stop certain Shopify pages from appearing in Google — without installing another SEO app — you’re in the right place.
Shopify already gives you everything you need to add noindex to pages, products, collections, or blog posts. You need to wire it correctly using metafields and a small Liquid condition.
This method is:
- ✅ App-free
- ✅ Lightweight
- ✅ Fully native to Shopify
- ✅ Easy to maintain long-term
Let’s walk through it step by step.
Why You Might Want to Noindex Pages
Not every page on your store deserves to be indexed.
Common examples:
- Thank-you pages
- Campaign landing pages
- Filtered or duplicate collections
- Internal testing pages
- Low-value or temporary content
Indexing everything can hurt SEO, not help it.
Step 1: Create a Noindex Metafield (Built-In Shopify)
Go to:
Shopify Admin → Settings → Custom data → Metafields
Now choose where you want this option:
- Pages
- Products
- Collections
- Blogs
- Articles
Create a new metafield definition with:
- Name: Noindex
- Namespace and key: seo.noindex
- Type: True or false
- Default value: false
Save it.
Repeat this for any other content type you want to control.
Step 2: Enable Noindex on Any Page
Once created, open any page (or product/collection).
Scroll to Metafields and toggle:
- Noindex → true
That page is now flagged.
No apps. No scripts. No hacks.
Step 3: Output the Noindex Tag in Your Theme
Now we tell Shopify to respect that flag.
Open:
Online Store → Themes → Edit code → layout/theme.liquid
Inside the <head> section, add:
{% assign noindex = false %}
{% if product and product.metafields.seo.noindex.value %}
{% assign noindex = true %}
{% elsif collection and collection.metafields.seo.noindex.value %}
{% assign noindex = true %}
{% elsif page and page.metafields.seo.noindex.value %}
{% assign noindex = true %}
{% elsif article and article.metafields.seo.noindex.value %}
{% assign noindex = true %}
{% elsif blog and blog.metafields.seo.noindex.value %}
{% assign noindex = true %}
{% endif %}
{% if noindex %}
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">
{% endif %}
This makes the solution global across your store.
Step 4: Verify It’s Working
Open the page in your browser and:
- Right-click → View Page Source
- Search for noindex
You should see:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">
You can also test with:
- Google URL Inspection
- Screaming Frog
- Ahrefs Site Audit
Why This Is Better Than Using Apps
| App-Based SEO | Native Shopify Method |
|---|---|
| Extra scripts | Zero bloat |
| Monthly cost | Free |
| Limited control | Full control |
| App dependency | Future-proof |
This approach is cleaner, faster, and more reliable.
When You Should Still Use SEO Apps
SEO apps still make sense for:
- Bulk redirects
- Structured data automation
- Advanced audit tools
But for noindex control, Shopify already does it better.
Final Thoughts
If you want complete SEO control in Shopify without adding complexity:
- Use metafields
- Use Liquid
- Keep your store lightweight
This is how advanced Shopify stores manage SEO behind the scenes.
