1.1 Robots & directives (HTTP + HTML)HighVerified
unavailable_after date in the past
unavailable_after behaves like a timer that turns into noindex once the date passes. If that date is in the past, the page has already been told to drop out, often long after anyone remembered setting it.
What it is
A past unavailable_after date acts as a timed noindex that has already fired.
Why it matters
The page silently drops from the index after the date.
How to fix it
Remove or update the date.
How to find it on your site
- Search the robots directives and headers for unavailable_after.
- Parse the date and compare it to today.
- If it is in the past, the page is effectively noindexed.
- Remove the directive or set a future date if expiry is genuinely intended.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Once the date passes the effect is the same as noindex, so the page cannot rank or be cited until the directive is removed and the page is recrawled.
Impact
High/blocking once elapsed. Direct.
Evidence
unavailable_after removes the page after the specified date. Google Search Central, Robots Meta Tags Specifications