diff --git a/app/layout.tsx b/app/layout.tsx
index dc4fc2b..fc7dcf1 100644
--- a/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/app/layout.tsx
@@ -14,28 +14,36 @@ import { Footer } from '@/components/Footer';
 import { DevToolbar } from '@/components/DevToolbar';
 import { getConfig, getGoogleFontsUrl } from '@/lib/config';
 
-const siteTitle = process.env.SITE_TITLE || 'Gallery';
-const siteDescription = 'A curated photography portfolio';
+export async function generateMetadata(): Promise<Metadata> {
+  const config = getConfig();
+  const siteTitle = config.seo.title;
+  const siteDescription = config.seo.description;
+  const robots = {
+    index: !config.seo.noIndex,
+    follow: !config.seo.noFollow,
+  };
 
-export const metadata: Metadata = {
-  title: siteTitle,
-  description: siteDescription,
-  icons: {
-    apple: '/apple-touch-icon.png',
-  },
-  openGraph: {
+  return {
     title: siteTitle,
     description: siteDescription,
-    type: 'website',
-    images: [`/api/og?title=${encodeURIComponent(siteTitle)}`],
-  },
-  twitter: {
-    card: 'summary_large_image',
-    title: siteTitle,
-    description: siteDescription,
-    images: [`/api/og?title=${encodeURIComponent(siteTitle)}`],
-  },
-};
+    robots,
+    icons: {
+      apple: '/apple-touch-icon.png',
+    },
+    openGraph: {
+      title: siteTitle,
+      description: siteDescription,
+      type: 'website',
+      images: [`/api/og?title=${encodeURIComponent(siteTitle)}`],
+    },
+    twitter: {
+      card: 'summary_large_image',
+      title: siteTitle,
+      description: siteDescription,
+      images: [`/api/og?title=${encodeURIComponent(siteTitle)}`],
+    },
+  };
+}
 
 export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   const config = getConfig();
diff --git a/content/settings.yaml.example b/content/settings.yaml.example
index 55e6a48..955f574 100644
--- a/content/settings.yaml.example
+++ b/content/settings.yaml.example
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@
 title: "My Portfolio"
 subtitle: "A visual journal"
 
+# ── SEO & Metadata ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Optional: Overrides global title/subtitle for search engines and social cards
+# seo:
+#   title: "My Portfolio | Photography"
+#   description: "A curated selection of my best photography work."
+#   noIndex: false # Set to true to hide from search engines
+#   noFollow: false # Set to true to prevent search engines from following links
+
 # Show EXIF metadata (camera, lens, ISO) on photo grid hover
 exifOnHover: true
 
diff --git a/lib/config.ts b/lib/config.ts
index d98c07c..56e3344 100644
--- a/lib/config.ts
+++ b/lib/config.ts
@@ -154,6 +154,12 @@ interface GalleryYaml {
 interface SettingsYaml {
   title?: string;
   subtitle?: string;
+  seo?: {
+    title?: string;
+    description?: string;
+    noIndex?: boolean;
+    noFollow?: boolean;
+  };
   exifOnHover?: boolean;
   map?: boolean;
   transitions?: boolean;
@@ -245,6 +251,12 @@ export interface AppConfig {
   subpages: SubpageConfig[];
   siteTitle: string;
   siteSubtitle: string;
+  seo: {
+    title: string;
+    description: string;
+    noIndex: boolean;
+    noFollow: boolean;
+  };
   /** One or more hero image asset IDs for the homepage carousel. */
   heroImages: string[];
   /** Show EXIF (camera/lens) on photo grid hover. Default: true. */
@@ -472,6 +484,12 @@ export function getConfig(): AppConfig {
     subpages,
     siteTitle: settings.title ?? env.SITE_TITLE,
     siteSubtitle: settings.subtitle ?? env.SITE_SUBTITLE,
+    seo: {
+      title: settings.seo?.title || settings.title || env.SITE_TITLE || 'Gallery',
+      description: settings.seo?.description || settings.subtitle || env.SITE_SUBTITLE || 'A curated photography portfolio',
+      noIndex: settings.seo?.noIndex === true,
+      noFollow: settings.seo?.noFollow === true,
+    },
     heroImages: gallery.hero
       ? (Array.isArray(gallery.hero) ? gallery.hero : [gallery.hero]).map((id) =>
         validateUuid(id, 'gallery.yaml hero'),