Let's say I am working on a new web page and it is mostly finished, but it won't be completed until tomorrow. Question: is there any problem if I upload that incomplete page to see how it looks on the internet? As long as I have no links to it and have not submitted it to the search engines, does that uploaded, still-under-construction page remain invisible to the search engines?
I have some pages on "development" subdomains and block using robots.txt and robots meta tag for good measure (just remember to remove after), or set a password requirement (.htpasswd). As long as you don't share on social media or link in any other way, it should not be picked up. But just because you don't link it doesn't mean that someone else won't (maybe you ask a friend, they think it's cool and share it with their mum on Google+, Facebook or whatever).
Thanks, Ryan. Good hints there. Now if only I know about the page I am constructing, and I've not publicized it in any way (no links, no social, no friends, no "Fetch As Google", no Webmaster Tools, etc.), would I conclude correctly that it only exists on (1) my computer and (2) my web host? If that be the case, then does it essentially remain invisible to the search engines until I "release" it somehow via a link, a social post, a WMTools submission, etc.? If not, then I like your tip about using the robots method to block it until I'm ready to remove the robots block.
Yes, it would essentially be invisible if done as you describe. Search engine bots can only crawl what they know about.
Hey Jim, Also make sure your CMS (if you're using one), doesn't automatically update the sitemap file to include your hidden page.