Keep internal search result pages out of the index

Prompt that removes your own site search result pages from the index in the right order. Paste it into an AI tool of your choice, which then keeps search pages out of the index.

Topic: SEO & website copy
Type: Prompt
Level: Intermediate
Time: about 15 min

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WebsiteWhich website?

FindingWhat did you notice?

SystemHow is the site built?

Your prompt

Help me keep our site search result pages out of the search index without losing visitors.
Website: [Website]
Finding: [Finding]
System: [System]
Steps: 1. Read the crawl export, robots.txt and the indexing report and find all site search URLs, with counts and examples. 2. Check how crawlers learn about these URLs: links in templates, sitemaps, link-like forms or external references. 3. Propose the right measure and explain the order: first noindex for search pages already indexed, and only after they have left the index block crawling, because blocked pages no longer show the noindex. 4. Remove search URLs from sitemaps and internal links. 5. Find the most frequent terms in the search logs and check whether a matching category or guide page exists; propose new pages for the gaps. 6. Describe how to check after four weeks whether the number of indexed search pages is falling.
Output: list of search URLs with source, measures in the right order, list of search terms without a target page and a check plan.

Take particular care to keep search pages out of the index and give good topics real pages.

Before you answer, check: Are all instructions met? If key information is missing or a placeholder in square brackets is still in the text, ask instead of guessing. Mark assumptions as assumptions.

Help me keep our site search result pages out of the search index without losing visitors.
Website: [Website]
Finding: [Finding]
System: [System]
Steps: 1. Read the crawl export, robots.txt and the indexing report and find all site search URLs, with counts and examples. 2. Check how crawlers learn about these URLs: links in templates, sitemaps, link-like forms or external references. 3. Propose the right measure and explain the order: first noindex for search pages already indexed, and only after they have left the index block crawling, because blocked pages no longer show the noindex. 4. Remove search URLs from sitemaps and internal links. 5. Find the most frequent terms in the search logs and check whether a matching category or guide page exists; propose new pages for the gaps. 6. Describe how to check after four weeks whether the number of indexed search pages is falling.
Output: list of search URLs with source, measures in the right order, list of search terms without a target page and a check plan.

Take particular care to keep search pages out of the index and give good topics real pages.

Before you answer, check: Are all instructions met? If key information is missing or a placeholder in square brackets is still in the text, ask instead of guessing. Mark assumptions as assumptions.

This is an instruction for an AI, not the result itself.

Where this prompt works

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How to use it

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Copy the finished prompt into an AI tool of your choice.
Paste a crawl export with search URLs, the robots.txt, an excerpt from the indexing report and the most frequent site search terms.

Why does this work?

Every search creates a new URL, and outsiders deliberately fill some of them with spam terms. Keeping search pages out of the index and offering good topics as real pages points crawlers and visitors to what is maintained.

Tips

Add robots.txt blocks only after noindex has taken effect, and test changes on a test system first.

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Keep internal search result pages out of the index

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