What is Robots.txt & How to Use It?
The robots.txt file is a crucial part of technical SEO, helping website owners control how search engines crawl and index their content. Properly configuring a robots.txt file ensures that search engines prioritize important pages while preventing them from accessing unnecessary or sensitive sections of your site.
This guide will explain what robots.txt is, how it works, and best practices for its usage to improve SEO performance and website management.
What is Robots.txt?
The robots.txt file is a simple text file placed in a website’s root directory that provides instructions for web crawlers on which pages or sections of a site they should or shouldn’t access.
Why is Robots.txt Important for SEO?
Controls Search Engine Crawling – Directs bots on which pages to crawl or avoid.
Prevents Indexing of Unwanted Pages – Stops search engines from indexing duplicate, private, or low-value pages.
Saves Crawl Budget – Helps large websites prevent unnecessary crawling of non-important pages.
Protects Sensitive Data – Restricts access to admin areas, login pages, or private directories.
How Does Robots.txt Work?
When a search engine bot (e.g., Googlebot) visits a website, it first checks for a robots.txt file. If the file is present, the bot follows the instructions within it.
Example of a Basic Robots.txt File:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /private/
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Allow: /public/Explanation:
User-agent: *→ Applies to all search engine bots.Disallow: /private/→ Prevents bots from crawling the/private/directory.Disallow: /wp-admin/→ Blocks WordPress admin area from being indexed.Allow: /public/→ Ensures/public/content is accessible to bots.
Tip: Robots.txt only controls crawling, not indexing. To prevent indexing, use the noindex meta tag within the page’s HTML.
How to Create a Robots.txt File
1. Manually Create a Robots.txt File
Open Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac).
Type your robots.txt rules (see examples below).
Save the file as
robots.txt.Upload it to your website’s root directory (
https://example.com/robots.txt).
Best For: Custom websites and manual control over crawl settings.
2. Generate Robots.txt Using a CMS Plugin
For WordPress, Joomla, or Shopify, use a plugin to manage the robots.txt file easily.
Best Plugins:
Joomla – JSitemap Pro
Shopify – Built-in robots.txt file (editable with Liquid templates)
Best For: Websites using CMS platforms.
How to Optimize Robots.txt for SEO
1. Block Unnecessary Pages
Prevent search engines from crawling low-value or duplicate pages.
Best Practices:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /cart/
Disallow: /checkout/
Disallow: /thank-you/
Disallow: /search-results/Why? These pages do not need to be indexed as they are dynamic or user-specific.
2. Allow Crawling of Important Pages
Ensure that search engines can access key content and product pages.
Example:
User-agent: *
Allow: /blog/
Allow: /products/Why? These pages contain valuable content that should be indexed.
3. Avoid Blocking CSS & JavaScript Files
Search engines need CSS and JavaScript to render pages correctly. Avoid blocking them.
Bad Example:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-content/Good Example:
User-agent: *
Allow: /wp-content/themes/
Allow: /wp-content/plugins/Why? Blocking resources can affect mobile usability and page rendering.
4. Use Wildcards & Dollar Signs for Better Control
*(Wildcard) – Matches any characters.$(End of URL) – Ensures exact URL matching.
Example:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /*?ref=*
Disallow: /downloads/*.zip$Why? Prevents search engines from indexing tracking parameters and ZIP file downloads.
How to Submit Robots.txt to Google
Once your robots.txt file is ready, submit it to Google Search Console.
Steps to Submit Robots.txt in Google Search Console:
Go to Google Search Console.
Select your website.
Click “Settings” → “Crawl Stats”.
Locate and test your robots.txt file.
Click Submit to ensure Google follows your directives.
Pro Tip: Use Google’s Robots.txt Tester to validate your rules.
Common Robots.txt Mistakes to Avoid
Blocking Important Pages – Ensure blog posts and product pages are crawlable.
Disallowing All Search Bots – Avoid blocking User-agent: * entirely.
Blocking CSS & JavaScript – Prevents proper rendering of your site.
Forgetting to Update Robots.txt – Keep it aligned with site changes.
Using Robots.txt to Block Indexing – Instead, use noindex meta tags.
Tools to Test and Validate Robots.txt
Google Search Console Robots.txt Tester – Checks for errors.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider – Crawls websites and detects issues.
Yoast SEO Plugin – Edits robots.txt within WordPress.
Tip: Regularly check your robots.txt file to ensure no accidental blocking of essential content.
Last updated
Was this helpful?