How to Create a Robots.txt file for your Website?

Search engines like Google analyze your website based on technical aspects and decide which pages or content to show in search results. But, do you know what helps them to decide this? The answer is – Robots.txt file.

This file allows search engines to crawl and index landing pages that you want to show in search results. However, creating and mapping this file is a slightly complex task. In this guide, we’ll talk about creating a Robots.txt, along with its significance, and other relevant information that you should know.

Let’s begin:

What is a Robots.txt file?

Robots.txt files adhere to the Robots Exclusion Protocol (REP), which is a set of guidelines governing how web robots navigate the internet, access and index content, and subsequently present it to users. Search engines periodically check these files for crawling instructions, also known as directives. In the absence of a robots.txt file or applicable directives, search engines typically crawl the entire website.

Website development experts create robots.txt files to communicate with search engine crawlers. They indicate which web pages are suitable for indexing and crawling. While these files influence crawler access, they shouldn’t be solely relied upon to exclude pages from search results.

Here is an example of a Robots.txt file:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/

Let’s understand the elements in syntax for creating a Robots.txt file given above:

• User-agent: This specifies which search engines the following directives apply to.
• An asterisk (*) indicates all search engines.
• Disallow: This directive instructs the user-agent on what content it shouldn’t access.
• /wp-admin/: This defines the specific path that’s off-limits to the user-agent.

Search engine crawlers typically check for a robots.txt file in websites before proceeding with the crawling process. If available, the crawler reads the file first to understand any access restrictions. So, make sure you include this file in the source code while redesigning the website.

Why Robots.txt file is important for your website?

A robots.txt file helps manage web crawler activities so they don’t overwork your website or index pages not meant for public view.

Here are a few reasons to use a robots.txt file:

1. Optimize Crawl Budget

Crawl budget refers to the number of pages Google will crawl on your site within a given time frame. The number can vary based on your site’s size, health, and number of backlinks you created. If your website’s number of pages exceeds your site’s crawl budget, you could have unindexed pages on your site.

Unindexed pages won’t rank, which means you’ll waste time creating pages users won’t see. Blocking unnecessary pages with robots.txt allows Googlebot (Google’s web crawler) to spend more crawl budget on pages that matter.

2. Block Duplicate and Non-Public Pages

Crawl bots don’t need to sift through every page on your site. Because not all of them were created to be served in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Like staging sites, internal search results pages, duplicate pages, or login pages.

Some content management systems handle these internal pages for you. WordPress, for example, automatically disallows the login page /wp-admin/ for all crawlers. Robots.txt allows you to block these pages from crawlers.

3. Hide Resources

Sometimes you want to exclude resources such as PDFs, videos, and images from search results. To keep them private or have Google focus on more important content. In either case, robots.txt keeps them from being crawled (and therefore indexed).

Creating a Robots.txt file

A robots.txt file serves as a communication channel between your website and search engine crawlers. It instructs them on which pages and folders they can access and index, ultimately influencing how your website appears in search results.

Here are the crucial steps to create a Robots.txt file for your website:

1. Creating the File:

Use any text editor like Notepad or TextEdit to create a new file and name it “robots.txt”. Save the file in the root directory of your website, which is usually the public HTML or www folder.

2. Adding Directives:

The robots.txt file uses specific directives to communicate with search engines. Here are the most common ones:

• User-agent: This specifies which search engine crawlers the directive applies to. You can use “*” to target all crawlers or specific names like “Googlebot”.
• Disallow: This directive instructs the specified user-agent to not crawl a particular URL or directory. For example, “Disallow: /admin/” would block Googlebot from crawling the “/admin/” directory.
• Allow: This directive (optional) can be used to explicitly allow the crawling of specific pages even if they are blocked by other directives.

Example of a Basic Robots.txt File:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /login.php
Allow: /search/

This example instructs all search engines to not crawl the “/admin/” and “/login.php” directories while allowing access to the “/search/” directory.

3. Testing and Validation:

Once you’ve created and uploaded your robots.txt file, you can use online tools like Google Search Console’s robots.txt tester to validate its syntax and ensure it’s working as intended.

Optimizing an existing Robots.txt for SEO

While creating a robots.txt file is a straightforward process, ensuring it’s optimized for SEO requires careful consideration.

Here are some key pointers to keep in mind:

Review Disallowed Directories:

• Unblock essential pages: Double-check if any important pages or resources are unintentionally blocked by the “Disallow” directive. This could prevent search engines from indexing valuable content.

• Evaluate crawl budget impact: Analyze if blocking certain directories significantly impacts the crawl budget, especially for large websites. Consider allowing access to essential pages within blocked directories if necessary.

Avoid Blocking Important Resources:

• CSS and JavaScript files: Blocking these files can hinder the proper rendering of your website, which can impact UX and SEO negatively.

• Images and other media: While these can be large, consider using alternative methods like sitemaps or lazy loading to optimize their impact on the crawl budget without blocking them entirely.

Leverage “Allow” Directives Strategically:

• Target specific crawlers: If you have different robots.txt rules for different search engines, use the “User-agent” directive to specify which rules apply to each crawler.

• Unblock essential pages with crawl limitations: If specific pages are crucial for SEO but consume significant resources, consider using the “Allow” directive to grant access while implementing crawl limitations through other methods like robot meta tags.

Monitor and Update Regularly:

• Track changes: Keep a record of any modifications made to your robots.txt file to avoid unintended consequences.

• Review performance: Regularly monitor your website’s crawl activity and search engine rankings to identify any potential issues caused by your robots.txt configuration.

• Stay updated: As search engine algorithms and best practices evolve, stay informed about any changes that might necessitate adjustments to your robots.txt file.

How eSearch Logix can help?

While creating a robots.txt file is simple, understanding its limitations and potential impact on your SEO strategy is crucial. While it can be helpful for basic crawling control, it’s not a foolproof method for hiding sensitive information or manipulating search engine indexing.

For comprehensive SEO solutions and expert guidance on managing website crawlers, look no further than eSearch Logix. As a leading SEO company, we offer a wide range of SEO services to help businesses optimize their online presence.

Let us help you take control of your website’s crawlers and optimize your online visibility. Remember, a well-crafted robots.txt file is just one piece of the SEO puzzle, and we’re here to guide you through the entire process.

FAQs

1. What is the perfect robots.txt file?

There’s no single “perfect” robots.txt file as it depends on your specific website needs and goals. However, a well-optimized file should be clear and concise without any complex rules. It should block crawlers you don’t want indexing specific content, and allows indexing important pages.

2. What should my robots.txt file look like?

The structure of your robots.txt file will vary depending on your needs. Here’s a basic template:

User-agent: * # Applies to all user-agents (crawlers)
Disallow: /path/to/disallowed/directory/ # Block specific directories

#Allow specific crawlers to access certain directories

User-agent: Googlebot
Allow: /search/

This is just a starting point and you can get support from our SEO experts to create a customized robots.txt file for your website.

3. Does creating a robots.txt impact SEO?

Yes, of course. While robots.txt doesn’t directly influence search engine ranking, it can impact how search engines crawl and index your website. Blocking important pages from crawling can hinder their visibility in search results.

4. How do I optimize my WordPress robots.txt for SEO?

WordPress comes with a default robots.txt file that usually disallows access to certain directories like the wp-admin folder. However, you can use plugins for easy management and customization of your robots.txt file.