1.1 Robots & directives (HTTP + HTML)MediumVerified
Directive placed in <body> not <head>
A robots meta tag only counts when it is in the head. I sometimes find one injected into the body by a component, where Google may ignore it, so the page does not behave the way the tag implies.
What it is
A robots meta tag outside the head.
Why it matters
Robots meta tags are only honoured in the head; a misplaced one is ignored, so intended noindex/nosnippet silently fails.
How to fix it
Move the tag into <head>.
How to find it on your site
- View source and confirm the robots meta tag sits inside the head.
- If it is in the body, treat the directive as unreliable.
- Find the template or component injecting it in the wrong place.
- Move it into the head, or set the directive via the HTTP header instead.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
A directive in the body can be silently ignored, which means a page you think is noindexed may be indexed, or the reverse. Either way the behaviour is unpredictable until it is fixed.
Impact
Medium, intended control silently lost. Direct.
Evidence
Robots meta tags must be in the head to be processed. Google Search Central, Robots Meta Tags Specifications