A robots.txt file is a text file located at the root of a website that gives instructions to web crawlers about which areas of the site they may or may not crawl. Search engines generally check this file before crawling URLs.
Robots.txt can be useful for managing crawler access to duplicate, low-value, administrative, filtered, or technically unnecessary URL areas. However, blocking a URL in robots.txt is not the same as preventing it from being indexed. A blocked URL can sometimes still appear in search results if search engines discover it through other links.
Because an incorrect directive can prevent search engines from crawling important content, robots.txt changes should be made carefully. It should also reference the website’s XML sitemap when appropriate.
Robots.txt is part of technical SEO and should be considered alongside XML sitemaps, canonical URLs, and indexation controls.
- 5 Ways Businesses in Denver Can Optimize Their Digital Marketing Strategy - March 25, 2025
- How to Organize Your Digital Marketing Strategy for Optimal Results - March 11, 2025
- How Can We Expect Digital Marketing to Change Over the Next 3 Years? - February 21, 2025
