When it comes to technical SEO, controlling what search engines can and cannot crawl is crucial. One of the simplest yet most powerful tools to do this is the robots.txt file.
In this article, you’ll learn what the robots.txt file is, how it works, and how to use it correctly to optimize your site’s crawl budget and search visibility.
What is Robots.txt?
The robots.txt file is a plain text file placed in the root directory of your website (e.g., https://example.com/robots.txt). It provides instructions to web crawlers (like Googlebot) about which pages or sections of your website should be crawled or ignored.
It does not stop indexing alone; it only prevents crawling.
Why Robots.txt is Important for SEO
Crawl Budget Optimization
Search engines have a limited amount of time to crawl your site. By disallowing unimportant or duplicate pages, you help bots focus on valuable content.Prevents Indexing of Sensitive Pages
You may want to keep admin areas, login pages, or internal search results out of search engines.Improves Site Speed for Bots
By limiting crawler access to unnecessary resources (like scripts or styles), you make the crawling process faster and smoother.
Robots.txt Syntax Basics
A typical robots.txt file might look like this:
User-agent:Specifies which crawler the rule applies to.*means all bots.Disallow:Blocks specific URLs or folders.Allow:Overrides disallow if needed.
Examples of Use Cases
✅ Allow All Crawlers Everything
❌ Block Entire Site
✅ Block Only a Folder
✅ Block Specific File
How to Create and Upload Robots.txt
Open any text editor (e.g., Notepad)
Write the instructions
Save the file as
robots.txtUpload it to your website’s root folder (e.g.,
public_html)
It should be accessible at:
Best Practices for Robots.txt
Always test your file using Google Search Console’s Robots.txt Tester
Don’t use robots.txt to block pages with valuable content you want indexed
To block indexing, combine it with noindex meta tags
Avoid blocking CSS or JS files that are required for rendering
Don’t block important URLs like sitemap or main pages
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Blocking
/wp-content/folder (WordPress themes & plugins may break)❌ Blocking sitemap URL
❌ Using robots.txt alone to remove pages from Google (use
noindexor GSC URL Removal Tool instead)
How to Check if Your Robots.txt is Working
Use the URL:
Also, test specific pages in Google Search Console under “URL Inspection Tool” to see if they’re allowed to be crawled.
You can also simulate and preview crawler behavior using tools like:
Screaming Frog
Ahrefs Site Audit
SEMrush Site Audit
Final Thoughts
The robots.txt file is your website's gatekeeper. It’s small but extremely important for technical SEO. Used wisely, it can help search engines crawl your site efficiently, protect sensitive information, and boost your crawl budget.
But misuse can block important content from appearing in search results — so handle it carefully!