How to prevent search engines from indexing forms?

hi, we have noticed some of our forms are indexed in google.
is there an option to turn off indexing and keep the form somewhat private ?

Hi fpmagazine,

Thanks for reaching out to Jotform Support. I'm an AI assistant. I'll do my best to help you until someone from the support team is available.

To prevent your forms from being indexed by Google and keep them more private, you can adjust your form's privacy settings. Here’s how to do it:

1. Set your form to Private: This restricts access to invited users only, requiring them to log in to fill out the form.
2. Use Form Encryption: Encrypt your form data to enhance security and privacy.
3. Disable public sharing: Avoid sharing the direct form link publicly to reduce indexing chances.

These steps help keep your forms from being indexed and maintain privacy.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Best regards,
Jotform Support

Hi fpmagazine,

Some forms show up on Google because they’re publicly accessible. If anyone can visit the form through a direct link and it’s not set to private, search engines can find it. Forms embedded on public websites or linked from other pages are more likely to appear in search results.

To prevent your forms from being indexed by Google, set them to private so only people you share them with can access them. You can Set Your Form’s Access Settings to Private. This means that only people who you invite can access your form after they sign into their Jotform Account. It’s easy to set up. Let me show you how: 

1. In Form Builder, click on Publish in the orange navigation bar at the top of the page.
2. Click on Settings, then select Private Form in the window that opens.
3. Now, return to the Quick Share settings and enter the email addresses of the people you want to send the form to.
4. Click on Submit & View to select the permission type, and then click on Send Invitation. That’s it.

After you invite people to fill out your form, they’ll receive an email with a View Form button:

When they click the button, they’ll be asked to log in to their Jotform account, or they’ll need to create one to fill out your form:

Once they sign in with the email address they were invited with, they’ll be able to fill out the form.

Additionally, you can Password-Protect your Forms that'll require users to enter a password you shared them before they can view the form. Also, avoid posting the form link on public websites or pages that search engines can crawl. These steps keep your form hidden from search engines and only accessible to the people you choose.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.