SEO settings for your website

Search engine optimization (SEO) settings help control how your website appears in search results and on social platforms. In beehiiv, you can manage discoverability, metadata, and social previews directly from the Website Builder, no external tools required.

This article explains where to find your SEO settings and how to configure them to improve search visibility, social sharing, and indexing, then wraps up with FAQs.

1. From your account dashboard, go to Website > Builder. 
    
2. Click the Settings icon in the left panel, then select All settings.
   
   
   
3. Your site settings will open on the General page. From the left panel, click Search Engine Optimization.
   
   
   

At the top of your SEO settings, you’ll see the Discoverable on the web toggle. This option is enabled by default and allows search engines and AI crawlers to index your site.

Keeping this on is recommended if you’re optimizing for growth and visibility, including indexing for search engines and large language models (LLMs).

If you’d prefer to block crawlers entirely, you can toggle this option off.

Metadata helps search engines understand and display your website in search results.

You can customize:

• Meta title: Defaults to your publication name. We recommend keeping this under 70 characters. 
• Meta description: Defaults to your publication description. We recommend keeping this under 156 characters.
• Search engine result preview: Shows how your meta title and description may appear in Google search results.

You can also control how your site looks when shared on X (Twitter) and Facebook.

Available settings include:

• Image: The image shown when your site is shared.
• Title: The headline displayed in the social preview.
• Description: The supporting text is shown beneath the title.
• Username (Twitter only): Displays your Twitter/X handle.
• Preview: A live preview showing how your site will appear on X or Facebook. 

Every site created with the beehiiv Website Builder includes an automatically generated site map (.xml file). Site maps help search engines crawl your site more efficiently by providing a structured list of your pages. No setup is required, your site map is created and maintained automatically; simply click the copy icon to use or save it. 

How long does it take for SEO changes to appear in search results?
SEO updates don’t appear instantly. Search engines need time to recrawl and reindex your site after changes are made. This can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the search engine and your site’s activity.
Do I need to submit my sitemap manually?
No. beehiiv automatically generates a sitemap for every website built with the Website Builder. Search engines can discover it on their own, though submitting it manually via tools like Google Search Console can help speed up indexing.
Will turning off ‘Discoverable on the web’ hide my site completely?
Turning this option off prevents search engines and AI crawlers from indexing your site, but it does not password-protect or restrict direct access. Anyone with the direct URL can still view your site.
Can I set different SEO titles and descriptions for individual pages?
Yes. You can customize SEO titles and descriptions for individual pages in two ways. However, page-level settings will override your site-wide SEO defaults.
• From site settings: Go to your website settings and scroll down to Default Pages to access SEO controls for each page.
• From the Pages panel: Open the Pages panel, click the three dots menu next to a page, and select Settings to edit its SEO details.
  
  
  
Does changing my SEO settings affect email deliverability?
SEO settings don’t directly impact email sending or inbox placement. However, improving your website’s SEO can help drive higher-quality organic traffic and subscriber growth over time, which can indirectly support deliverability by attracting more engaged readers.
Will SEO changes affect existing links or subscribers?
No. Updating SEO metadata does not change your URLs, subscriber data, or site structure. It only updates how your site is described and previewed by search engines and social platforms.