I’ve used a placeholder stock library image on a new page I’m building for my client. The page is currently published to the webflow.io subdomain only, while the client decides if they’re happy with the page. Staging indexing is set to off.
Today, I’ve received an email from the stock library company claiming copyright infringement. I assumed (obviously wrongly) the page was ‘hidden’ from indexing and in turn the general public when staging indexing is turned off, but it appears this isn’t the case.
Lesson learn’t. So I guess what I’m asking is - are any images used on staging pages fully ‘out there’ for stock library companies to easily find? I’ve ALWAYS purchased images before applying any to the main site, so this is just embarrassing…!
In site settings, under SEO, there is a switch that indicates whether the subdomain should be indexed. If that’s On, then search engines like Google can find and index your site.
Assets on the Webflow CDN are not affected by your project indexing settings since they are served separately by a different domain. If you have assets you don’t want indexed or viewed publicly, avoid uploading them to Webflow.
When I need more control over asset visibility, I use my own CDN where I can manage headers, permissions, and robots.txt settings. This ensures that assets are protected and indexed only under the conditions I set. Additionally, be mindful of licensing and copyright—ensure you’re using images legally and ethically. Some providers allow linking or embedding with watermarked and trackable images, which might be an option to explore.
Finally, AI tools now make it easier than ever to generate custom images with no rights issues. This can be a great alternative to using stock or third-party assets if control and licensing are concerns.
I wish I knew that when I switched staging indexing off! It might be useful to add a small sentence in the SEO settings area that at least briefly explains how it works.
I always ensure any images used are purchased from a stock library store prior to using on the site. The watermarked image I used was a placeholder on a .io page, not published to the ‘live’ site, while the client was reviewing the page. Once approved I’d purchase the image and push live.
Now I have a clearer understanding of how staging works in relation to images, I’ll avoid using anything unless paid for.