Understanding robots.txt: A Guide for Business Owners

robots.txt is a simple text file that tells search engine crawlers which parts of your website they can and cannot access.

What robots.txt Does

It provides crawling instructions to well-behaved bots (Google, Bing, etc.). It can: - Block specific pages from being crawled - Point to your sitemap - Control crawl rate

Common Mistakes

• Blocking everything: `Disallow: /` prevents ALL crawling
• Hiding sensitive content: robots.txt does not provide security — blocked pages can still be accessed directly
• Wrong syntax: A single typo can break your directives

Best Practices

- Always include a sitemap reference - Block admin and internal pages - Do not rely on robots.txt for security - Use our robots.txt Viewer to check your file