How can I correct the issue where the Webflow staging site appears instead of the custom domain when searching for my Client's business name, Jackson Wink, on Google?

If Google's search results show your Webflow staging site (e.g., jackson-wink.webflow.io) instead of your custom domain (e.g., jacksonwink.com), it usually means the staging site was indexed before the custom domain and needs to be deindexed and redirected properly.

1. Set the Custom Domain as the Default Domain

• Go to Project Settings > Hosting.
• Scroll to the Custom Domains section.
• Click “Make default” next to your custom domain (e.g., jacksonwink.com). This ensures all links redirect to the custom domain.

2. Redirect Webflow.io Subdomain to Custom Domain

• Webflow will automatically create a 301 redirect from the staging domain if the custom domain is set as default.
• Test this by visiting jackson-wink.webflow.io — it should redirect to jacksonwink.com.
• If it doesn't redirect, republish your site with the custom domain selected.

3. Prevent Indexing of the Webflow.io Domain

• Still in Project Settings > SEO, under Webflow Subdomain Indexing, uncheck “Index Webflow subdomain”.
• This tells search engines not to index the Webflow.io version of your site.

4. Verify and Submit Custom Domain to Google Search Console

• Go to Google Search Console.
• Add a new property using your custom domain (e.g., jacksonwink.com).
• Follow the prompts to verify domain ownership (often via a DNS TXT record).
• Once verified, submit your sitemap (typically: jacksonwink.com/sitemap.xml).

5. Request Removal of Webflow.io from Google Search Results

• In Google Search Console, navigate to Removals.
• Select New Request > Temporary Removal.
• Enter the URL of the Webflow staging site (e.g., https://jackson-wink.webflow.io) and submit.
• This will temporarily hide it while the redirect and SEO signals take effect.

6. Check Canonical Tags and SEO Settings

• In the Webflow Designer, go to each page’s Page Settings.
• Ensure the Canonical URL is set to the custom domain (e.g., https://jacksonwink.com/page-name).
• Avoid having canonical tags point to the staging domain.

7. Republish the Site to All Domains

• After making changes, publish your site to both the custom and Webflow.io domains.
• This updates redirects, indexing instructions, and meta tags across the board.

Summary

To replace the Webflow.io subdomain with your custom domain in Google search results, you must set the custom domain as default, disable indexing of the Webflow subdomain, verify and submit the custom domain in Google Search Console, and request removal of the staging domain from search results. Over time, search engines will update to prioritize the correct domain.