SEO - Robots.txt

Welcome, aspiring web developers and SEO enthusiasts! Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of robots.txt files. As your friendly neighborhood computer teacher, I'll guide you through this essential aspect of website management, using simple language and plenty of examples. So, grab a cup of coffee, and let's embark on this exciting journey together!

Standard robots.txt file structure

The robots.txt file is like a set of instructions for web crawlers (those little digital spiders that crawl the web). It tells them which parts of your website they're allowed to explore and which parts are off-limits. Think of it as a polite "No Trespassing" sign for certain areas of your digital property.

Here's a basic structure of a robots.txt file:

User-agent: [name of bot]
Disallow: [URL path]
Allow: [URL path]

Let's break this down:

• User-agent: This specifies which bot the rules apply to.
• Disallow: This tells the bot which pages or directories it shouldn't access.
• Allow: This explicitly permits access to certain pages or directories.

Here is a real "robots.txt" file illustration

Let's look at a more comprehensive example:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /private/
Disallow: /tmp/
Allow: /public/
Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

User-agent: Googlebot
Disallow: /no-google/

In this example:

• We're setting rules for all bots (User-agent: *)
• We're disallowing access to the /private/ and /tmp/ directories
• We're explicitly allowing access to the /public/ directory
• We're specifying the location of our sitemap
• We're setting a specific rule for Googlebot, disallowing it from the /no-google/ directory

What is User-agent(s)?

The User-agent is like a bot's ID card. It tells the website what kind of bot is visiting. Here are some common User-agents:

User-agent	Description
*	All bots
Googlebot	Google's web crawler
Bingbot	Microsoft Bing's crawler
Yandexbot	Yandex's crawler
Baiduspider	Baidu's crawler

Note

Remember, robots.txt is a suggestion, not a command. Well-behaved bots will follow these rules, but malicious bots might ignore them. It's like putting up a "Please Don't Feed the Animals" sign at a zoo - most visitors will comply, but you can't guarantee everyone will follow the rules.

Directives

Directives are the specific instructions we give to bots in our robots.txt file. Here are the main ones:

Directive	Description
User-agent	Specifies which bot the rules apply to
Disallow	Tells the bot which pages or directories it shouldn't access
Allow	Explicitly permits access to certain pages or directories
Sitemap	Specifies the location of your XML sitemap

Unsupported Directives

While there are some commonly used directives, not all are universally supported. Here are a few that aren't widely recognized:

Directive	Description
Crawl-delay	Specifies a delay between bot requests
Host	Specifies the preferred domain for the website
Clean-param	Helps bots identify and ignore URL parameters

What is a robots.txt file's largest permitted size?

While there's no official size limit for robots.txt files, it's generally recommended to keep them under 500KB. Think of it like packing for a trip - you want to bring enough clothes, but not so many that your suitcase won't close!

A robots.txt File Is Required, right?

Surprise! A robots.txt file isn't actually required. It's like having a doorbell - it's useful, but your house will function fine without one. However, having a robots.txt file gives you more control over how search engines interact with your site.

Methods for Locating The robots.txt File

To find a website's robots.txt file, simply add "/robots.txt" to the end of the domain. For example:

https://www.example.com/robots.txt

It's like knowing the secret handshake to get into an exclusive club!

Creating A robots.txt File: Instructions

Creating a robots.txt file is simple. Here's how:

1. Open a text editor (like Notepad)
2. Write your directives
3. Save the file as "robots.txt"
4. Upload it to your website's root directory

It's as easy as baking a cake... well, maybe easier!

Location of the robots.txt file

The robots.txt file should always be in the root directory of your website. It's like the welcome mat at your front door - it needs to be the first thing visitors (in this case, bots) see when they arrive.

Guidelines for the robots.txt file

Here are some best practices for your robots.txt file:

1. Keep it simple and concise
2. Use lowercase for directives (e.g., "user-agent" not "User-Agent")
3. Use forward slashes for directories (e.g., "/private/")
4. Test your file using tools like Google's robots.txt Tester

Remember, in the world of robots.txt, less is often more!

Issue with Blocks Due to robots.txt

Be cautious when blocking content with robots.txt. While it prevents bots from crawling those pages, it doesn't stop them from being indexed if they're linked from other pages. It's like putting a "Do Not Enter" sign on a glass door - people can still see what's inside!

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks! You're now equipped with the knowledge to create and manage your very own robots.txt file. Remember, this little file plays a big role in how search engines interact with your site. Use it wisely, and it can help improve your SEO efforts.

As we wrap up, always keep in mind that the digital landscape is ever-changing. Stay curious, keep learning, and don't be afraid to experiment (safely) with your robots.txt file. Who knows? You might just become the next robots.txt whisperer!

Happy coding, and may your websites always be crawler-friendly!

Credits: Image by storyset