How To Make Sure Board Is Hidden From Non-Members (& Google)

[redsock]

Forum URL: aristaway.proboards.com/

I wanted my board to be hidden or inaccessible to non-members and not to appear in any online searches. I thought it was, but I saw a URL to one of the thread pages posted somewhere by someone who has never been a member. So I was concerned.

Right now, the board is in Maintenance Mode and I designated a small number of members as "Staff" who should be the only ones to see the board and comment.

Is that the best thing to have done? Is there something else I can do?

Thanks!

Allan

[Brian]

Hi, redsock.

So long as your forum exists there's always the possibility of it appearing in online searches, but whether or not its actual contents get indexed by Google or are visible at all to unregistered users will be up to your permissions.

The fastest way to impose this restriction is to turn on the Guests Must Login feature in Settings > Forum Settings > Login & Registration. This will make it so that any unregistered users who visit the forum are immediately met with a screen prompting them to log in or register if they want to view the forum's contents.

[redsock]

Thanks.

I did that the day I started the board. Would that keep the contents out from a Google search, though?

[Brian]

Yes, as Google can only see what a guest can see. They don't have any more access than the average user.

[redsock]

Thanks for the speedy replies.