Create SEO-optimized robots.txt file for your website. Control search engine crawler access instantly.
How to Create Robots.txt File
- Select a template or start from scratch
- Add user agents (bots) you want to configure
- Add Allow or Disallow rules for each user agent
- Specify paths to allow or block from crawling
- Add optional settings (sitemap, crawl delay, host)
- Review the generated robots.txt in the output panel
- Copy or download the robots.txt file
- Upload to your website's root directory
Best Robots.txt Generator Features
- Multiple User Agents: Configure rules for different bots
- Allow/Disallow Rules: Control access to specific paths
- Quick Templates: Pre-configured setups for common scenarios
- Sitemap Integration: Add sitemap URL to robots.txt
- Crawl Delay: Set delay between crawler requests
- Host Preference: Specify preferred domain version
- Real-time Preview: See output as you configure
- Common Bots: Pre-defined list of popular search engines
- One-Click Download: Get ready-to-use file instantly
What is Robots.txt?
Robots.txt is a text file placed in the root directory of a website to instruct web crawlers and search engine bots about which pages or sections they can or cannot access. It's part of the Robots Exclusion Protocol (REP), a standard used by websites to communicate with web crawlers.
Understanding Robots.txt Syntax
- User-agent: Specifies which crawler the rules apply to (* = all bots)
- Disallow: Tells bots not to crawl specific paths
- Allow: Explicitly permits crawling of specific paths
- Sitemap: Points to your XML sitemap location
- Crawl-delay: Sets minimum delay between requests (in seconds)
- Host: Specifies preferred domain version (www vs non-www)
Common Robots.txt Examples
Allow All Bots:User-agent: *
Allow: /
Block All Bots:User-agent: *
Disallow: /
Block Specific Directories:User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /private
Disallow: /temp
What to Disallow in Robots.txt
- Admin Areas: /admin, /dashboard, /wp-admin
- Private Content: /private, /user, /account
- Duplicate Content: /print, /pdf versions
- Search Results: /search, /results
- Cart/Checkout: /cart, /checkout
- Thank You Pages: /thank-you, /confirmation
- Tracking URLs: Parameters with ?ref, ?utm
- Development Files: /test, /dev, /staging
Robots.txt Best Practices
- Place robots.txt in the root directory of your website
- Keep the file simple and well-organized
- Use wildcards (*) carefully to avoid blocking important content
- Always include your sitemap URL
- Don't use robots.txt for security - it's publicly accessible
- Test your robots.txt using Google Search Console
- Update robots.txt when site structure changes
- Use case-sensitive paths (most servers are case-sensitive)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't use robots.txt to hide sensitive information
- Avoid blocking CSS and JavaScript files (hurts SEO)
- Don't block pages you want indexed
- Don't use noindex directive in robots.txt (use meta tag instead)
- Avoid conflicting rules for the same user agent
- Don't forget to update after site migrations
- Never block your entire site accidentally (Disallow: /)
Testing Your Robots.txt
- Use Google Search Console's robots.txt Tester
- Check for syntax errors and warnings
- Verify specific URLs are allowed or blocked correctly
- Test with different user agents
- Monitor crawl stats after implementation
- Check for unintended blocking of important pages
Robots.txt vs Meta Robots Tag
Robots.txt: Controls crawler access at the directory/file level before pages are crawled. Good for managing crawl budget and blocking large sections.
Meta Robots Tag: Controls indexing at the individual page level. Use for preventing specific pages from appearing in search results (noindex, nofollow).
Why Use Our Robots.txt Generator?
Our free robots.txt generator makes it easy to create professional, SEO-optimized robots.txt files without coding. Choose from pre-configured templates or customize every detail with our intuitive interface. Add multiple user agents, set custom rules, include sitemaps, and configure advanced options like crawl delay. Perfect for beginners and SEO professionals alike. Generate, download, and deploy your robots.txt file in minutes. No registration required - start creating your robots.txt file now!