HubSpot noindex, canonical tags and redirects
Three small settings decide whether a page can rank at all. Mixed up, they quietly remove good pages from Google. Here is what each does and when to use it.
Paul Lovell
SEO Consultant
The quick comparison
| Tool | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Noindex | Keeps the page out of search results | The page is useful to visitors but should not rank, such as thank-you pages |
| Canonical | Names the preferred URL among near-duplicates | Similar pages exist and one should get the credit |
| 301 redirect | Sends visitors and Google from an old URL to a new one | A page has moved or been retired |
Noindex in HubSpot
Each page has an advanced SEO setting that stops search engines indexing it, which adds a robots meta tag with noindex to the page head. It is easy to switch on by accident, and it is the most common reason a page is not indexed. Pages set to noindex also drop out of the sitemap.
To check any page, view its source and search for noindex.
Canonical tags in HubSpot
HubSpot adds a self-referencing canonical to pages by default, and you can override it in the page's advanced settings. Overrides are where problems start:
- A canonical pointing at a staging or old domain tells Google to index that address instead.
- A canonical pointing at a different page means the page you are working on will not be indexed in its own right.
- Canonicals that differ between http and https, or www and non-www, split signals.
Rule of thumb: leave the default alone unless you have two genuinely duplicate pages.
Redirects in HubSpot
URL redirects are managed in the website settings. Add the old URL and the new one and choose the type.
- 301 (permanent) for URL changes, merged pages and retired content.
- 302 (temporary) only when the original will return.
- Redirect to the closest relevant page, not always the homepage.
- Avoid chains. Point old URLs directly at the final destination.
Combinations that cause trouble
- Noindex plus robots.txt block. Google cannot read the noindex tag on a page it cannot crawl. See editing robots.txt in HubSpot.
- Canonical to a noindex page. This sends mixed signals and can remove both pages.
- Canonical to a redirected URL. Point canonicals at the final live address.
- Redirecting a page that is in your sitemap or internal links. Update links so they go straight to the new URL.
Audit checklist
- Open the Pages report in Search Console and look for “Excluded by noindex tag” and “Alternate page with proper canonical tag”.
- Confirm every page on that list is meant to be there.
- Check redirects for chains and for redirects to unrelated pages.
- Run through the wider HubSpot CMS SEO checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between noindex and a canonical tag?
Noindex asks search engines not to include a page in results at all. A canonical tag says another URL is the preferred version of the same content, so signals are consolidated there. Use noindex to hide a page and canonical to pick between duplicates.
Should I use a 301 or 302 redirect?
Use a 301 for permanent moves, such as a changed URL or a retired page, so ranking signals pass to the new address. Use a 302 only for a genuinely temporary move.
Can I noindex and block the same page in robots.txt?
You should not. If robots.txt blocks the page, Google cannot crawl it and so cannot see the noindex tag. Leave the page crawlable until it has dropped out of the index.
Does changing a page URL in HubSpot create a redirect?
HubSpot can create a redirect when you change a published page URL, depending on the option you pick when saving. Confirm the redirect exists after the change.