Robots.txt Generator

What is Robots.txt?

Robots.txt is a text file that webmasters create to instruct search engine robots how to crawl and index pages on their websites. The file is part of the Robots Exclusion Protocol (REP), a group of web standards that regulate how robots crawl the web, access and index content, and serve that content to users. The REP also includes directives like meta robots, as well as page-, subdirectory-, or site-wide instructions for how search engines should treat links.

When a search engine crawler visits a site, it will first check for a robots.txt file in the site's root directory. If found, the crawler will read the file's instructions before crawling any other pages. This allows website owners to control which parts of their site should be crawled and indexed, helping to prevent duplicate content issues, protect sensitive information, and optimize crawl budget.

How Robots.txt Works

Robots.txt files use a simple syntax with two main directives: User-agent and Allow/Disallow. The User-agent directive specifies which crawler the rules apply to, while Allow and Disallow specify which paths can or cannot be crawled. The file is case-sensitive and uses Unix-style paths, with forward slashes (/) to separate directories.

Search engines respect robots.txt files but may interpret them differently. Google, for example, supports additional directives like Crawl-delay and Sitemap. It's important to note that robots.txt is a public file and should not be used to hide sensitive information, as anyone can access it. Additionally, malicious bots may ignore robots.txt entirely, so it should be used in conjunction with other security measures.

Best Practices for Robots.txt

To ensure your robots.txt file works effectively, follow these best practices:

• Place the file in your website's root directory (e.g., https://example.com/robots.txt)
• Use the correct syntax and formatting to avoid parsing errors
• Be specific with your directives to avoid accidentally blocking important content
• Test your robots.txt file using Google's robots.txt tester tool
• Include your sitemap URL to help search engines discover all your pages
• Use crawl-delay sparingly, as it may slow down your site's indexing
• Regularly review and update your robots.txt file as your site structure changes
• Don't use robots.txt to hide sensitive information - use authentication instead

Common Robots.txt Directives

Our robots.txt generator supports the most common and important directives:

• User-agent: Specifies which crawler the following rules apply to
• Disallow: Tells crawlers not to access specific paths or files
• Allow: Explicitly allows access to specific paths within a disallowed directory
• Crawl-delay: Specifies the minimum time (in seconds) between requests
• Sitemap: Provides the location of your XML sitemap
• Host: Specifies the preferred domain for search engines (mainly for Yandex)
• Clean-param: Removes parameters from URLs (mainly for Yandex)

These directives help you control how search engines interact with your website, ensuring optimal crawling and indexing of your most important content.