How I Fixed "Excluded by 'noindex' tag" in Blogger (The Real Cause)

Quick Overview

Pages not indexing? If Google Search Console shows the "Excluded by 'noindex' tag" error on Blogger, you're not alone. I fixed this bug. Here’s the real cause and the exact steps.

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It's the most frustrating feeling for a Blogger admin. You write a perfect, high-quality article, publish it, and check Google Search Console (GSC) a few days later, only to see this: **"Excluded by 'noindex' tag."**

Your page isn't indexed, which means it can't get traffic. And if it can't get traffic, your AdSense application is almost guaranteed to be rejected for "Low-value content" or "Site under construction."

You probably did what I did: you checked your `robots.txt` file (it was fine). You checked your theme's HTML (it *looked* fine). You manually requested indexing, but Google still ignored it. I went through this exact same frustration, and after days of troubleshooting, I finally found the *real* cause. **This post is my E-E-A-T (Experience) in action.**

Here is my step-by-step guide on how I fixed the "Excluded by 'noindex' tag" error on my own Blogger site.

My Experience: The "Obvious" Fixes That Don't Work

First, I want to save you some time. I spent days trying these common "solutions" that didn't work:

• Editing my Theme HTML: I searched for `` but my theme seemed to be handling it correctly. This was a dead end.
• Checking `robots.txt`: My `robots.txt` was perfectly normal. It wasn't blocking any important pages. (If you're worried, you can use our robots.txt generator to make a perfect one).
• Manually Requesting Indexing: This is what GSC tells you to do, but it failed every time because the 'noindex' tag was still present.

The problem wasn't any of these things. The problem was a **hidden setting inside the Blogger dashboard** that was conflicting with my theme and creating a sitewide 'noindex' bug.

How to Fix "Excluded by 'noindex' tag" (The Real Cause)

Here is the exact 4-step process I used to fix the error and get my pages indexed. This fix assumes you are using a modern, third-party Blogger theme. If you are, your theme *already handles* all the necessary SEO tags.

Step 1: Go to Your Blogger Settings

From your main Blogger dashboard, click on **"Settings"** in the left-hand menu.

Step 2: Find "Crawlers and indexing"

Scroll down the settings page (it's a long way down) until you find the section titled **"Crawlers and indexing"**. This is where the problem is hiding.

Step 3: Turn OFF "Enable custom robots header tags"

This is the critical step. By default, this setting is **OFF**. However, many old tutorials tell you to turn it **ON** to "improve SEO."

This is the problem. Your modern theme is *already* telling Google to `index, follow` your posts. But these settings are *also* telling Google to `noindex` your "Archive and search pages." This conflict confuses Google, and the `noindex` tag for archives *incorrectly* gets applied to your new posts.

The Fix: Click the toggle for **"Enable custom robots header tags"** and make sure it is **grey (OFF)**. Your theme will now take over 100%, which is what you want.

Pro-Tip (E-E-A-T): The *only* other setting you should check in this section is **"Enable custom robots.txt"**. Make sure this is also **OFF** unless you have a specific, expert reason to use it. Letting Blogger use its default `robots.txt` is perfectly fine for 99% of blogs.

Step 4: Validate the Fix in Google Search Console

Now that you've fixed the bug, you need to tell Google.

1. Go back to Google Search Console.
2. Click on the **"Pages"** report.
3. Click on the **"Excluded by 'noindex' tag"** error to open the list of affected URLs.
4. In the top right corner, click the **"Validate Fix"** button.

That's it! Google will re-crawl your site over the next few days or weeks. You will see the "Validation started" message. When it's complete, you'll get an email, and you should see those pages move from "Excluded" to "Indexed."

Your 'noindex' & AdSense Questions

Will this "noindex" error cause AdSense rejection?

Yes, 100%. This is one of the main reasons for a "Low-value content" or "Site under construction" rejection. If Google cannot index your pages, it cannot read your content. If Google can't read your content, it assumes your site is empty or broken. Fixing this indexing error is essential before applying for AdSense.

What if this fix doesn't work?

If turning off the "Custom robots header tags" doesn't work, it means your theme *is* the problem. Go to **Theme -> Edit HTML** and search (Ctrl+F) for `name='robots'`. If you find a tag that just says `` without any conditions, delete it. If you're not sure, it's safer to re-install a fresh, high-quality theme.

How long does "Validate Fix" take?

Be patient. This is not instant. It can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks for Google to re-crawl all the affected pages and confirm the fix. You can see the progress in the "Pages" report in GSC.

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