It is a request, not a lock
WordPress notes the option does not block access; it asks search engines not to index the site, and they decide whether to honour it.
WordPress site not showing on Google
WordPress has a "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" option that adds noindex to every page. It is often ticked while a site is built and forgotten at launch. Untick it, then run the normal indexing checks.
Diagnose it
Symptoms, checks and fixes
Common symptoms
- The whole WordPress site is missing from Google, not just some pages.
- Every page source contains a robots meta tag with noindex.
Checks to run
| Check | How to tell | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Is search engine visibility switched off? | In Settings, Reading, see whether "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" is ticked. | Untick it and save.[1] |
| Does every page say noindex? | View any page source and search for <meta name='robots' content='noindex,nofollow'>, which WordPress adds when the option is on. | Once the option is off, check an SEO plugin is not adding noindex as well.[1][2] |
| Has Google seen the change? | Inspect the home page in URL Inspection and run "Test live URL". | When indexing is allowed in the live test, request indexing.[3] |
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Sources
- [1] WordPress Documentation: Reading Settings screen. Checked 10 October 2026.
- [2] Google Search Central: Block search indexing with noindex. Checked 10 October 2026.
- [3] Search Console Help: URL Inspection tool. Checked 10 October 2026.
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