The robots.txt file is one of the important elements for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of the website. Using this file, it is possible to provide specific instructions to search engines search robots. This file is very useful for directing and routing robots and controlling their access to different pages of the website. Optimum use of the robots.txt file in your website is very important. By setting the appropriate commands in this file, you can direct the robots to the sections you want and also prevent them from accessing some pages.

In this article, we introduce the structure and uses of the robots.txt file and teach you how to use this file to improve your site’s SEO and guide search robots.

Introducing the robots.txt file

The robots.txt file is a text file that is placed in the root directory of the website. How robots interact with the robots.txt file is very simple. Whenever a robot lands on your website, the first thing it checks for is the robots.txt file. The robot automatically receives this file and analyzes its instructions. Then, based on the instructions in the file, it adjusts its behavior.

Using the robots.txt file, you can make the following settings:

• Preventing bots from accessing certain parts of the website
• Directing search robots to important and valuable website pages and contents
• Specifying the scanning rate of robots

Uses and benefits of the robots.txt file

In the following, we discuss some of the most important uses and benefits of this file:

Prevent access to robots

You can prevent robots from accessing certain pages using the robots.txt file. For example, if there are pages on your website that you don’t want to be displayed to users, or if you have pages that contain sensitive information, you can specify in the robots.txt file that robots cannot access these pages.

Directing the robots to the desired sections

Using the robots.txt file, you can direct the robots to the desired sections for scanning and indexing. For example, maybe there are certain pages on your website that you want bots to crawl and index. In this case, you can instruct the robots in the robots.txt file to pay more attention to these sections.

The following are among the users of the robots.txt file:

– Preventing cannibalization: Cannibalization occurs when there are several pages with similar or identical content on the website and search engines index them at the same time. This issue can lead to internal competition between pages and reduce their ranking in search results. Using the robots.txt file, you can direct robots to a specific page and prevent cannibalization.

– Prevent certain files from being indexed: If you want some pages of your website not to be displayed in the search results, you can use the robots.txt file. By adding the path of the desired pages to the robots.txt file, you can force the robots to go through these pages and prevent them from being indexed.

– Control the behavior of robots: you can control the behavior of robots by using the robots.txt file. You can implement settings and force the bots to modify their behavior, such as the maximum number of requests a bot can make to a website or a certain amount of time a bot can scan your website pages.

– Crawl Budget optimization: This item includes several methods.

1. Blocking robots from accessing unnecessary pages: Using the robots.txt file, you can block robots from accessing pages that are not important to you. Such as temporary pages, regenerated pages, duplicate pages and pages that for some reason no longer need to be indexed. By denying bots access to these pages, you can allocate bots’ resources to indexing more important pages.
2. Setting the priority for website pages: Using the robots.txt file, you can set the priority of your website pages. By setting priority, you can tell bots to give priority to more important pages such as the home page or pages with valuable content. This causes bots to optimize their resources to index more important pages.
3. Adjusting the amount of time between bot visits: Using time limits in the robots.txt file, you can determine the amount of time between bot visits to your website. For example, you can specify that bots are only allowed to access your website every hour, every day, or every week. By setting these limits, you can control crawl budget resources and use this file more optimally.

How to write robots.txt file

First we will learn how to create this file and then we will go to how to write it:

1. First of all, refer to your host’s home page.
2. Then click on file manager.
3. Enter the public_html file.
4. Then create a new file called robots.txt.
5. Double click on this file to save it in the system. Then open it with notepad and enter and save the necessary information and restrictions.
6. Replace the previous file with the same file again on your host.

In the following, we will examine together how to write the robots.txt file along with the main commands and several examples:

Basic commands

1. Specify User-agent:

User-agent indicates which robot the robots.txt file belongs to. For example, you can use User-agent Googlebot and set certain rules for this Google bot.

2. Setting Disallow:

Disallow specifies which website pages bots cannot access. You can block the access of search robots from certain pages by using this command. For example, Disallow: /admin/ sets a special restriction for the admin page.

3. Allow setting:

Allow refers to the sections that robots are allowed to access.

4. Crawl-delay setting:

Crawl-delay specifies how long the bot should wait between two consecutive requests. This command is very useful for controlling the scanning rate of robots.

5. Sitemap setup:

Sitemap informs robots where the sitemap file of the website is located. This command helps the bots to index the website pages more optimally.

Examples and coding

Example 1:

User-agent:

Disallow: /admin/

Allow: /photos/

Crawl-delay: 5

This example allows all bots (User-agent: ) to access the public parts of the website, but restricts their access to the admin section (Disallow: /admin/) and only to the photos section (Allow: /photos/). Also, Crawl-delay: 5 means that the bot must wait at least 5 seconds between two consecutive requests.

Example 2:

User-agent: Googlebot

Disallow: /private/

This example prohibits the access of the Google bot to the private section. This means that the Google robot cannot access any of the internal pages of this section.

Example 3:

User-agent: Googlebot

Disallow: /private/

Allow: /private/photos/

This example blocks the private folder for the Google bot but allows access to the private/photos subfolder.

These examples are some common robots.txt file templates. You can modify these templates according to the specific needs of your website and make sure that this file is set up correctly.

The location of the robots.txt file

One of the important issues about the robots.txt file is the correct placement of it on the website. In the following, we will examine the best place to place the robots.txt file and the standards and tips related to its location.

According to the standards, the best place to put the robots.txt file is the root directory of the website, or in other words, the same folder where the main index.html file (or any other main page) is located. In this way, search robots can easily access the robots.txt file and see instructions on how to access website pages.

It is better to consider the following recommendations and standards in this regard:

1. Make sure that the robots.txt file is located in the root directory of the website: https://www.example.com/robots.txt
2. Use the correct robots.txt file name. This name should be typed in lowercase letters and named exactly “robots.txt”.
3. Always have a valid robots.txt file, even if you don’t see a need for one. By placing an empty file (without any directives) called robots.txt in the root directory of the website, you indicate that there are currently no restrictions on how robots can be routed.
4. Check that the robots.txt file is accessible to robots. For this purpose, use manual testing as well as Google Webmaster Tool called “Coverage”.
5. Always update your file. Whenever you make changes to the structure or content of the website, make sure to update the robots.txt file with it and make the necessary changes.

By following these recommendations and standards, you can put your robots.txt file in the right place and use it in the best possible way.

Limitations and important points

In the following, we will examine the limitations and key points for the proper and effective use of the robots.txt file.

1. Restriction of search robots: robots.txt file is only suitable for famous search robots such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. Other robots that do not automatically crawl the content of websites may ignore this file.
2. Inability to hide content: Using the robots.txt file, you can only specify the rules and scope of robots’ behavior and you cannot hide any content. To restrict public access to a specific part of your website, you must use other methods.
3. Use precise paths: To limit bots’ access to certain pages of the website, you should use precise paths. Instead of using general expressions like “Disallow: /blog”, just add a slash and use “Disallow: /blog/” so that the bot can also access blog subdirectories.
4. Using a sitemap: Be sure to use a sitemap to get the best performance from the robots.txt file. In the robots.txt file, refer to the sitemap so that the robots can check the website completely and correctly.
5. Test the file: After creating the robots.txt file, be sure to test it to see if it works properly.
6. Check for errors: If you have a mistake in the robots.txt file and robots ignore part of the website or access restricted content unintentionally, be sure to check and correct this error as soon as possible to fix the problem.
7. Paying attention to the file structure: the robots.txt file must be carefully and correctly created and placed in the root directory of the website, and the file name must be exactly “robots.txt”. Also, the content of the file must be properly formatted and apply commands correctly.
8. Case sensitive: The robots.txt file is case sensitive. So pay attention to use every input letter and upper and lower case letters correctly.

Correct use of robots.txt file can help improve search results, better manage the behavior of search robots and protect confidential website information. By observing the mentioned restrictions and recommendations, you can get more out of this file and manage your website in the best possible way.

Summary and conclusion

We found that the robots.txt file plays an important role in controlling the behavior and routing of robots on the website. Optimum use of robots.txt according to standards is very important. By knowing the limitations of using this file and following the mentioned key points, you can have a precise control over the behavior of robots and display your website content in the best possible way in the search results. Therefore, take the proper and optimal use of the robots.txt file to improve your website’s ranking, attract traffic from target users, and control robots carefully. We hope that you will be successful in this direction by following the mentioned tips.

Gelavizh, with a scientific and data-driven approach, offers a comprehensive range of digital marketing services to help brands grow in today’s competitive online landscape. From SEO and technical website optimization to professional web design and digital advertising campaign management, every Gelavizh service is designed to increase organic traffic, improve search engine rankings, and boost conversion rates.

By leveraging tools such as user behavior analysis, technical file optimization (including robots.txt and sitemap), and targeted, strategic content creation, Gelavizh helps businesses enhance their digital performance and establish a stronger presence in search results and on social media.

At Gelavizh, every digital marketing strategy is built on data, creativity, and user experience—ensuring that your brand is not only seen but also remembered.

FAQ

1. What is the purpose of a robots.txt file in SEO?

A robots. txt file helps control how bots interact with your site. SEOs often use it to manage crawl load and improve efficiency by blocking unimportant or duplicate pages. It can also be used to deter scraping and prevent content from being used to train AI models.

2. Is robots.txt technical SEO?

Robots. txt is a set of instructions for web crawlers, telling them what they can and can’t do on your site. It helps you keep certain parts of your website private or avoid crawling pages that aren’t important. This way, you can improve your SEO and keep your site running smoothly.

3. Is robots.txt still used?

The standard was used in the 1990s to mitigate server overload. In the 2020s, websites began denying bots that collect information for generative artificial intelligence. The “robots. txt” file can be used in conjunction with sitemaps, another robot inclusion standard for websites.

4. How to create robots.txt in SEO?

Creating a robots.txt file and making it generally accessible and useful involves four steps: Create a file named robots.txt. Add rules to the robots.txt file. Upload the robots.txt file to the root of your site.