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Site Asset Folders - Non-Indexable on Search Engines

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Sydney Bailey

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Posts:1
New Around Here




4/5/2023 2:16 PM

    Hi everyone! Is there a way to make all of the materials in an existing folder of our Site Assets to be non-indexable on Google and other search engines? We have proprietary materials that are hosted on our site that are currently indexing on Google if you know how to search for them.

    It's my understanding that you can add a new folder to Site Assets and categorize it as "Secure," but I haven't found a way to mark an existing "Standard" folder type to be "Secure." We'd like to avoid having to add a new folder and migrate our materials, which would require us to manually re-link thousands of links in our web library module.

    Thanks for your help!






    Tycho de Waard (SU)

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    Posts:726
    Veteran Member




    4/5/2023 3:08 PM

      I think there there are (at least) 2 ways:

      1. you add the folder(s) to the robots.txt

      Disallow: /folder-url/*

      2. You change the setting of the folder using an SQL update statement or by using SSMS

      Tjep's digital agencyRegards,
      Tycho de Waard

      Tjep's digital agency
      We just love DNN
      https://www.tjeps.com





      Michael Tobisch

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      Posts:1124
      Veteran Member




      4/6/2023 5:42 AM

        To change a "normal" to a "secure" folder you have to create a secure folder and then move the documents there using the Resource Manager and not the Windows Explorer on the Server directly.

        This causes two issues:

        1. Links to the document like /Portals/0/documents/mysecret.pdf will not work anymore. In a secure folder, only the file handler (LinkClick.aspx) can access and deliver the documents. The files themselves are renamed to (originalname).(originalextension).resources. A request to /Portals/0/secretdocuments/mysecret.pdf.resources will be blocked by IIS. Only a Url like /LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=BRV-c_Vef5M%3d&tabid=12597&portalid=0&mid=4034&forcedownload=true will deliver the file to the browser in it's original name and extension.
        2. Having said that: If you have a link to the document on your public website - even in this Url - Google will be able to access the folder except you apply permissions to that folder to specific usergroups. But you should also hide the link to the document from everyone else. And - as Tycho mentioned - use robots.txt. But there are some nasty search engines that ignore it...

        Happy DNNing!
        Michael

         

        Michael Tobisch
        DNN★MVP

        dnnWerk Austria
        DNN Connect





        Will Strohl

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        Posts:1254
        Veteran Member




        4/6/2023 10:07 AM

          I also think it's worth noting that telling any search engine to not index any content on your website is only a request. 

          It's long been known (discovered) that if a search engine like Google can see the content, it will always index anything it sees, but only serve that index when it's not specifically removed via Robots.txt and/or in the Google Search Console.  I'm not sure if anyone outside of Google knows for sure, but it's assumed (hoped) that this helps to improve the search results in general, but also from your website specifically.  

          Will Strohl

          Upendo Ventures Was my answer helpful to you? Please... Sponsor Us On GitHub ;)
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