How do I hide my site from Google until it is ready?
Claim your site, sign in and press Hide from Google on your site's Google result card, or ask your AI to call set_site_indexing with noindex. Search engines are asked to skip the site, and visitors with the link can still open it. When you go live, press Show in search. It does not charge.
Your AI can publish. It can never spend your money.
Built it with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Cursor, Lovable, Bolt or by hand? Same steps.
Last updated: 11 October 2026.
Before you claim, it is already hidden
A site you have not claimed yet is left out of search on its own: search engines are asked to skip it. After you claim it, the default is to be listed. So the switch matters once your site is claimed and you are not ready yet.
Hide from Google in 3 steps
- Claim your site. Hide from Google works on a claimed site.
- Sign in. Open dropthehassle.com, sign in and open your site.
- Press Hide from Google. It is on your site's Google result card. Search engines are now asked to skip the site.
Or ask your AI
If your AI is connected to DropTheHassle with your account token, say: Hide my site from Google until I'm ready.
It calls set_site_indexing with noindex. When you go live, say Show my site in search again
, and it uses mode allow. Neither one charges. Set-up per tool is in the MCP guide.
What it does, and what it does not do
- Your site sends a noindex robots tag, which asks search engines to leave it out of their results.
- Visitors with the link can still open the site, as usual.
- It is not a lock. To keep visitors out until launch, set a password.
- It does not promise a ranking, and it does not say how fast a search engine acts on it.
Go live: Show in search
Ready? Press Show in search on the same Google result card, or ask your AI to use mode allow. Search engines are asked to list the site again. When they come back to it is up to them.
Fix things before anyone finds it: Edit files and Restore
While the site is out of search, you can keep changing it. Edit files changes one file on the live site without uploading the folder again, and Restore undoes the last Update or Edit files save. All of it is in how to update your site after it is live.
Still choosing where your app should live? See where to host a vibe-coded app.
Common mistakes
- Expecting Hide from Google to keep people out. Anyone with the link can still open the site. Use a password for that.
- Forgetting to press Show in search at launch.
- Looking for the switch on the Update screen. It is on the Google result card after you sign in.
- Trying it on a site that is not claimed yet. That site is already left out of search.
Questions
Is my site hidden before I claim it?
Yes. A site that is not claimed yet is left out of search. After claim, the default is to be listed.
Can people still open my site?
Yes. Hide from Google asks search engines to skip it. Anyone with the link can still open it.
Will Google list it again right away when I press Show in search?
Search engines are asked to list it again. When they do is up to them.
Does it cost money?
No. Hide from Google and Show in search do not charge.
Can my AI do it?
Yes, once the site is claimed and your AI has your account token. It uses set_site_indexing with noindex, or allow to list the site again.
Is my site private when it is hidden from Google?
No. It is only left out of search. To keep visitors out, set a password.