Google bots/caching versus Discourses privacy features

Support
1

Hi all

Apologies if this is a really simple question, with really simple answers.

We’ve been using Discourse platform live for about a year now and loving it - with our only gripe being that when we reject a post in the approval queue, we’d love the post to go into a “reject bin” or “reject area” where only forum moderators or staff etc could see it.

At the moment, our discourse based forum isnt visible to Google. But now that the forum is quite established, with some good answers to FAQs etc, I’d like to know which admin settings I need to tick/untick etc to get Google and other search engines to start taking an interest in our posts contents.

Two concerns that I do have on this however, are:

a). Will the search engines be able to read our private areas (moderator section, Beta tester group etc)? Can we stop the search engines from getting there?

b) Will the search engines be able to read the discourse “Whispers” which we use on numerous posts for staff to communicate with each other? Again, if “yes”, is there a way of stopping the search engines from caching those.

Thanks

2

Search engines see the same content as any non-logged in user. Just visit your site in incognito and you’ll see what they see :wink:

PS: Answer is no to both your questions.

3 Likes
3

Thanks for that speedy information. So our whispers and private sections will not be seen or cached by the search engines - Thats good to know.

Which admin option(s) do I need to switch on to allow search engines to start seeing our forum?

4

I’m guessing you have enabled the “login required” setting? If so, then just disable it :wink:

1 Like
5

If I untick the “Login Required” setting, would all registered users still have to log in as usual in order to post ? I dont want any unregistered users being able to post.

6

Discourse requires a user account to post, so yes :wink:

1 Like
7

Many thanks for the speedy info.