Staging sites, such as staging.example.com or dev versions, sometimes end up in Google. They create duplicate content and may show unfinished pages to customers.
How to remove it
- Add password protection to the staging site; this is the most reliable fix.
- Add noindex tags to staging pages; create them with our meta tag generator.
- Verify the staging domain in Search Console and use the Removals tool for a quick temporary removal.
- Check that canonical tags on staging point to the live site if staging must stay public briefly.
Do not rely on robots.txt alone
Blocking crawling with robots.txt can stop Google from seeing the noindex tag, and already indexed URLs may remain. Use it alongside password protection; configure it with our robots.txt generator.
Prevention
- Password-protect every staging and development site.
- Never copy staging noindex settings to the live site.
- Check after every launch.
Read staging sites.
Want the full picture? This article is part of SEO: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
