--- title: "Seller IDX opt-out: brief the website suppression checks" description: "Translate seller display instructions into a website test plan covering IDX results, direct property URLs, cached modules, and restoration approval." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/seller-idx-opt-out-website-suppression" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Seller IDX opt-out: brief the website suppression checks Begin with the seller's approved distribution instruction and the broker's interpretation of the applicable MLS rules. Give the website provider a clear display decision, the affected listing reference, and the surfaces to inspect. A missing search card alone does not demonstrate complete suppression. NAR describes IDX as limited electronic display of participants' listings by other participants. [NAR's IDX overview, checked 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/policies/internet-data-exchange-idx). This brief concerns implementation after the responsible parties establish the instruction. It provides no legal advice or recommendation about a seller's marketing choice. The checks below are editorial recommendations. They are not completed tests, a universal MLS procedure, or evidence that a particular website follows an instruction. ## What should happen before website settings change? Obtain a confirmed instruction through the responsible broker. Ask which listing, display type, effective time, and public surfaces it covers. Resolve ambiguity before the provider changes configuration. Keep confidential seller documents outside an ordinary website repair ticket. ## Is an IDX restriction the same as every internet restriction? Record the permitted surfaces separately. NAR's seller-options FAQ distinguishes delayed marketing from opting out of IDX or syndication. [NAR's seller-options FAQ, updated 2025.04.21; checked 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/2025-04/multiple-listing-options-for-sellers-faq-2025-04-21.pdf). Ask the broker and MLS to identify the exact instruction rather than inferring it from a short status label. ## Does this brief choose the seller's marketing option? No. It translates an established decision into a technical acceptance plan. Keep the discussion of marketing choices, disclosures, and applicable requirements with the responsible real estate professional. Ask counsel to resolve legal uncertainty before approving public wording or changing the instruction. ## How is delayed marketing handled separately? Use the separate [delayed marketing display brief](/articles/delayed-marketing-exempt-listings-idx-display) for its release timing. NAR's consumer guide describes delayed marketing as MLS sharing with a temporary restriction on IDX and syndication advertising. [NAR's explanation, checked 2026.10.22](https://www.nar.realtor/the-facts/consumer-guide-alternative-listing-options). This checklist concentrates on suppression surfaces after an approved opt-out instruction. ## Which source should determine the implementation? Use the current MLS instructions and the authorized provider's documented field mapping. Request the rule version and person approving the decision. The account-specific mapping remains UNRESOLVED until the responsible MLS and provider confirm it. Do not substitute an older public handbook for current local instructions. ## What belongs in the provider's work request? Include a private listing reference, approved display decision, affected website, source field, effective time, and approving role. Add the provider's confirmation and proposed checks. These are suggested project fields. Keep them separate from whatever seller forms or MLS records the broker requires. ## Should the provider guess from listing remarks? Require a confirmed mapping rather than a guess. Ask how the provider receives the instruction and what happens when that field is absent. Mark unknown behavior UNRESOLVED. Avoid interpreting a missing photo, empty result, or property description as a reliable suppression signal. ## Which public search surfaces should be inspected? Include ordinary search results, saved-search destinations, map results, and any featured-property modules on the affected site. Compare each surface with the approved display decision. Ask the provider to identify any additional display components it controls before treating the inventory as complete. ## Why inspect the direct property URL? Include previously shared property links in the acceptance plan. Open each controlled destination independently of the search results. Record the visible title, content, and navigation outcome. A card disappearing from a search list is a different observation from the direct URL withholding restricted information. ## What should address-only restrictions test? Ask the broker to specify whether the instruction concerns an address, the listing, or another defined field. Test exactly that decision across the identified surfaces. Keep the expected result written beside each observation. Do not broaden or narrow the instruction without a new approval. ## How should photographs and previews be checked? Inspect them wherever your own site still presents the affected listing. Include cards, galleries, sharing previews, and downloadable material where present. Ask the provider which elements share the feed's suppression behavior. Treat an unexplained retained image as an open finding for review. ## What should happen to manually entered property pages? Inventory them separately from the IDX feed. Give the responsible reviewer their URLs and original permission record. Ask whether the confirmed instruction changes those pages. Keep any proposed change pending until its owner approves it. An IDX configuration change should not be accepted as evidence about a separate manual page. ## How should cached website modules be tested? Ask which caches the provider controls and how to refresh them after the source change. Compare an ordinary visitor's page with the expected result. Record the check time and affected URL. Leave the repair open when the provider cannot explain a retained public copy. ## Can the provider promise removal from every external system? Keep that promise out of the acceptance brief. Ask each responsible publisher about its own correction route and observed result. Separate the website provider's work from external systems it does not control. Record unresolved external copies without claiming that a local change removed them. ## What should the unavailable-property page say? Use neutral wording approved for the situation. Avoid asserting that the property sold, expired, or was withdrawn unless the responsible source confirms that fact. Offer a general contact route where appropriate. Keep restricted details out of the fallback message and its visible preview. ## What if the feed and the public site disagree? Record both observations and send them to the provider. Include the private listing reference, checked URL, source state, observation time, and expected result. Ask the provider to locate the disagreement. Avoid assigning the cause to caching or synchronization before evidence supports that diagnosis. ## How should a suppression test be arranged? Use an authorized fixture or a listing the responsible parties permit you to inspect. Agree on expected results before testing. Keep the test bounded to the relevant public surfaces. Document failures without changing additional listings or distribution settings to make the test easier. ## What should an acceptance record show? Show the approved instruction, field mapping, checked surfaces, observed outcomes, and unresolved findings. Identify the person who reviewed each discrepancy. Record acceptance only for the surfaces inspected. Keep a provider's explanation distinguishable from a result someone observed directly. ## How should restoration be authorized? Require a fresh confirmed instruction before restoring previously restricted display. Ask which earlier decision it supersedes and when the change takes effect. Repeat the relevant surface checks after the authorized update. Do not infer restoration approval merely because the website starts receiving the listing again. ## What should remain available for buyer questions? Keep a general contact route usable without exposing restricted listing details. Arrange a controlled test with contact information you own. Ask the intended recipient to confirm arrival. Treat that receipt as evidence about the contact path, separate from approval of listing display. ## What should go into a website repair scope? Provide the affected URLs, confirmed decision, provider mapping, failed observations, and responsible reviewer. Use [Scale With Search's work request](/work) to describe the website defect. Agree whether the work concerns configuration, a custom page, or a provider dependency before implementation begins. [Real estate website guides](/for/real-estate). - [Delayed marketing exempt listings: check IDX website display](/articles/delayed-marketing-exempt-listings-idx-display) - [Flexmls and Spark API: plan a real estate website data connection](/articles/flexmls-spark-api-agent-website) - [IDX versus VOW: choose the listing display your real estate website needs](/articles/idx-versus-vow-website-display) ## Related: Real estate - [Delayed marketing exempt listings: check IDX website display](/articles/delayed-marketing-exempt-listings-idx-display) - [Flexmls and Spark API: plan a real estate website data connection](/articles/flexmls-spark-api-agent-website) - [IDX versus VOW: choose the listing display your real estate website needs](/articles/idx-versus-vow-website-display) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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