# One tag can hide your site from Google

Status: DRAFT, nothing posted. Idea IB-0271. Single-image infographic, 2 slides, no cover.

## What it shows

The three places a noindex can hide, why test sites carry them on purpose, and the three checks after launch.

## Claims and sources

| Claim | Source (read 2026-10-11) |
|---|---|
| Three noindex guards exist on our builds: a layout flag, a header, and robots.txt Disallow | `.claude/rules/21-ranking-safe-cutover.md`, 'Flip ALL THREE noindex guards together' |
| After launch verify robots.txt is clean, no x-robots-tag noindex header, no meta robots noindex in source | Same rule, same bullet |
| Staging sites are noindex on purpose until launch | `Plans/OO-CLIENT-LOG.md` (the 'noindex on purpose' notes; no client named on the slide) |