Welcome to the world of WordPress, where customization is king and flexibility is the name of the game. One powerful feature you may not be aware of is the ability to selectively hide pages from your website’s sitemap.
But why would you want to do that, and how can you get started? In this blog post, we’ll unravel the mystery behind the “WordPress Hide Page from Sitemap” technique, exploring the reasons for its usefulness and the various methods to implement it.
Whether you’re a seasoned WordPress pro or a newcomer seeking to optimize your website, this guide will help you wield this valuable tool like a true digital maestro. So, let’s dive in and uncover the hidden treasures of sitemap customization!
WordPress Hide Page from Sitemap
“WordPress Hide Page from Sitemap” is a useful technique for those looking to fine-tune their website’s visibility on search engines. By selectively hiding specific pages from your sitemap, you can maintain greater control over the content that gets indexed, ensuring that only relevant and high-quality pages contribute to your SEO performance.
Whether you use a plugin or manually edit your XML sitemap, “WordPress Hide Page from Sitemap” offers a valuable approach to optimizing your site for both users and search engines alike.
Why Hide a Page from Sitemap in WordPress?
There are a few reasons why you might want to hide a page from your WordPress sitemap:
- To keep certain content private and not indexed by search engines.
- To prevent duplicate content issues that could negatively impact your SEO.
- To have better control over which pages you want search engines to crawl and index.
Methods of Hiding Pages from Sitemap
There are two main methods for hiding pages from your WordPress sitemap:
- Using a WordPress plugin
- Manually editing the XML sitemap
Let’s explore both methods in detail.
Using a Plugin: Yoast SEO
Popular WordPress plugin Yoast SEO aids in search engine optimization for your website. It also provides an easy way to hide pages from your sitemap.
Installing Yoast SEO
- Navigate to “Plugins > Add New” on your WordPress dashboard.
- Search for “Yoast SEO” and click “Install Now.”
- Activate the plugin after the installation.
Hiding Pages with Yoast SEO
- Go to the page you want to hide from the sitemap.
- To access the “Yoast SEO” meta box, scroll down.
- Click on the “Advanced” tab.
- The “Allow search engines to show this Page in search results?” setting should be changed option to “No.”
- Update the page.
Using a Plugin: All-in-One SEO Pack
Another popular plugin for optimizing your WordPress website is the All in One SEO Pack. Like Yoast SEO, it also offers a way to hide pages from your sitemap.
Also Read: How to Edit Snippet in WordPress? (Updated Guide 2023)
Installing All in One SEO Pack
- Navigate to “Plugins > Add New” on your WordPress dashboard.
- Search for “All in One SEO Pack” and click “Install Now.”
- Activate the plugin after the installation.
Hiding Pages with All in One SEO Pack
- Go to the page you want to hide from the sitemap.
- To find the “All in One SEO Pack” meta box, scroll down.
- Check the “Noindex” box under “Robots Meta Settings.”
- Update the page.
Manually Editing the XML Sitemap
If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can create a custom XML sitemap and manually edit it to hide specific pages.
Creating a Custom XML Sitemap
- Go to your preferred XML sitemap generator tool, such as XML-Sitemaps.com.
- Enter your website URL and follow the instructions to generate an XML sitemap.
- Download the generated sitemap file.
- Upload the sitemap file to your WordPress website’s root directory using an FTP client or file manager.
Removing a Page from the Custom XML Sitemap
- Open the sitemap file using a text editor.
- Locate the ‘<url>’ entry for the page you want to hide.
- Delete both the opening and closing tags from the ‘<url>’ entry.
- Save the edited sitemap file.
- Upload the updated sitemap file to your WordPress website’s root directory, replacing the previous version.
Potential Issues with Hiding Pages from Sitemap
While hiding pages from your sitemap can be beneficial, there are some potential issues to consider:
- Some search engines may still discover and index hidden pages through internal or external links.
- If a page is hidden from the sitemap but not properly indexed, it may still appear in search engine results.
- Manually editing the XML sitemap requires regular updates when adding or removing pages from your website.
Conclusion
Hiding pages from your WordPress sitemap can be useful for various reasons, such as keeping content private or improving your site’s SEO. You can achieve this by using popular plugins like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack or by manually editing your XML sitemap. Remember to weigh the potential issues before deciding to hide pages from your sitemap.
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FAQs
Q. Can I still rank in search engines if I hide a page from my sitemap?
Hiding a page from your sitemap doesn’t guarantee that it won’t appear in search engine results. If you want to prevent a page from being indexed, you should also apply the “no index” meta tag.
Q. Do I need to submit my updated sitemap to search engines after hiding a page?
It’s a good practice to resubmit your updated sitemap to search engines like Google and Bing after making significant changes, such as hiding pages.
Q. What if I want to unhide a page from my sitemap?
To unhide a page, simply reverse the steps you took to hide it, either by adjusting the plugin settings or manually editing the XML sitemap.
Q. Can I hide posts or custom post types from my sitemap?
Yes, you can hide any type of content (pages, posts, or custom post types) from your sitemap using the same methods outlined in this article.
Q. Are there other plugins available for hiding pages from the sitemap?
Yes, many other plugins offer similar functionality. Some examples include Rank Math, SEOPress, and The SEO Framework.
