How do I prevent Google from indexing archive, category, and tag pages?

Site URL: https://www.cottoncashmerecathair.com/

I have discovered via search console that Google is indexing my archive pages, categories, and tags over individual blog posts, which means my site is not showing up in search results when it should be. How can I tell Google not to index those pages and instead index the blog posts? I read in other posts here that you can inject code, but how do I inject code for pages that aren't in my navigation? I also know about canonical links but they confuse me; is that something I do in search console? How does one go about setting those? Any insight/tips would be much appreciated!

UPDATE : SS has built-in settings for this. Use those instead of the code cited here.

I don't know for sure if the following will work and it requires the business plan or above.

It may not work as we have no control over how Google indexes pages. We can only suggest that pages not be indexed. Weather this works depends on if Google runs this Javascript before it indexes the page. My reading suggests that Google may but again. We can't control what Google does.

Please see Blog Non-Post Pages Meta Noindex Tag Add.

Let us know how it goes.

Hi Tom,

I am investigating a similar issue to the original poster and your solution to add a noindex tag to blog category and blog tag pages is great.

Before I mess with code injection, will your script work in version 7.1? (This is the website in question - https://www.personnelchecks.co.uk/)

Thanks!

Tyler

1 hour ago, TylerRobertsSEO said:

will your script work in version 7.1?

Hello Tyler,

No but I think it could be updated to work with v7.1. Give me several days to see what I might be able to do.

If you don't hear back from me soon, bump this thread.

-- Thomas

I have updated my cited code in my June 26, 2021 post. Added support for v7.1 and several other v7.0 templates.

Is this similar or different than when SS added the option to disallow tag and category pages to the user, which Squarespace calls “hide from search engines.”

2 hours ago, MCKC said:

Is this similar

It is similar and I suggest folks use the built-in method, now that I know about it. Thank you for pointing it out! 🙂

It appears SS changed the interface a bit.