Robots.txt Generator
Generate robots.txt files for your website instantly. Control which search engine crawlers can access your site and which pages they should avoid. All processing happens in your browser.
- Processing
- Client-Side
- Privacy
- 100%
- Speed
- <1s
- Price
- Free
Quick Presets
User-agent 1
Use '*' for all crawlers, or specify: Googlebot, Bingbot, etc.
Sitemap (Optional)
Generated robots.txt
📝 How to Use
- Configure user agent rules (use '*' for all crawlers)
- Add Allow and Disallow paths as needed
- Optionally add crawl-delay and sitemap URL
- Copy the generated robots.txt or download it
- Upload robots.txt to your website's root directory
- Verify it's accessible at https://example.com/robots.txt
What is a robots.txt File?
A robots.txt file is a text file that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of your website they can or cannot access. According to Google's Search Central, robots.txt files follow the Robots Exclusion Protocol and help you control how search engines crawl and index your site.
The robots.txt file was created in 1994 and is now an official standard maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It's supported by all major search engines including Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others. The protocol is defined in RFC 9309.
Key components of a robots.txt file include:
- User-agent: Specifies which crawler the rules apply to (use '*' for all crawlers)
- Allow: Specifies paths that crawlers are permitted to access
- Disallow: Specifies paths that should be blocked from crawling
- Crawl-delay: Specifies the number of seconds a crawler should wait between requests
- Sitemap: Points to the location of your XML sitemap file
Robots.txt files are especially important for controlling crawl budget, preventing duplicate content issues, blocking private areas, and directing search engines to your sitemap. However, it's important to note that robots.txt is a suggestion, not a security measure - malicious bots may ignore it. According to Bing Webmaster Tools, robots.txt is one of the most effective ways to manage how search engines crawl your site.
Robots.txt Impact & Statistics
Understanding the impact of robots.txt files helps you appreciate their importance in SEO and crawl management.
SEO Impact
- •Crawl Budget: Proper robots.txt can save 20-30% of crawl budget
- •Indexing Control: 90%+ of websites use robots.txt
- •Duplicate Content: Helps prevent duplicate content indexing
Technical Specifications
- •File Size: Maximum 500KB (recommended under 100KB)
- •Format: Plain text (UTF-8 encoding)
- •Location: Must be in root directory
Robots.txt Usage Statistics
Websites Using robots.txt
90%+
Of all indexed websites
Average File Size
2-5KB
Most robots.txt files
Crawl Budget Savings
20-30%
With proper configuration
Why Use a Robots.txt Generator?
Robots.txt generators simplify the process of creating properly formatted robots.txt files, ensuring search engines can correctly interpret your crawl directives. Here are the key benefits:
Save Time & Reduce Errors
Manually creating robots.txt files is time-consuming and error-prone. Our generator ensures proper formatting, correct syntax, and valid directives. Create perfect robots.txt files in seconds instead of minutes.
Control Crawl Budget
Properly configured robots.txt files can save 20-30% of your crawl budget by preventing search engines from wasting time on unimportant or duplicate pages. This ensures crawlers focus on your most valuable content.
Protect Private Areas
Block search engines from indexing private areas like admin panels, user accounts, staging environments, and internal tools. While not a security measure, it prevents these pages from appearing in search results.
Prevent Duplicate Content
Use robots.txt to block duplicate content, print-friendly pages, filtered views, and other variations that could dilute your SEO efforts. This helps search engines focus on your canonical content.
Direct to Sitemap
Include your sitemap URL in robots.txt to help search engines discover your XML sitemap. This provides an additional way for crawlers to find all your important pages beyond following links.
Ensure Standards Compliance
Our generator ensures your robots.txt file follows the official Robots Exclusion Protocol (RFC 9309). This prevents syntax errors, ensures proper formatting, and guarantees compatibility with all major search engines.
Key Benefits Summary
- ✓Generate properly formatted robots.txt files instantly
- ✓Control crawl budget and save server resources
- ✓Protect private areas from search engine indexing
- ✓Prevent duplicate content issues
- ✓Direct search engines to your sitemap
- ✓Free, instant, and requires no registration
Best Practices for Robots.txt Files
Following robots.txt best practices ensures your file works correctly and helps search engines crawl your site efficiently.
File Location & Format Best Practices
- •Root Directory: Place robots.txt in your website's root directory (e.g., https://example.com/robots.txt)
- •File Name: Must be exactly 'robots.txt' (lowercase, no spaces)
- •Encoding: Use UTF-8 encoding for proper character support
- •File Size: Keep under 500KB (recommended under 100KB for faster parsing)
Content Best Practices
- •User-agent Order: More specific user-agents should come before general ones (e.g., 'Googlebot' before '*')
- •Path Matching: Use '/' to block everything, or specific paths like '/admin/' to block directories
- •Wildcards: Use '*' for matching patterns (e.g., 'Disallow: /*.pdf$' blocks all PDFs)
- •Sitemap Location: Always include your sitemap URL to help search engines discover it
Security & Testing Best Practices
- •Not a Security Tool: Remember that robots.txt is a suggestion, not a security measure. Use proper authentication for sensitive areas.
- •Test Your File: Use Google Search Console's robots.txt Tester to verify your file works correctly
- •Monitor in Search Console: Check for robots.txt errors and warnings in Google Search Console
- •Keep It Updated: Update your robots.txt whenever you add or remove sections that should be blocked
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Blocking Important Pages: Accidentally blocking your homepage or important content pages
- ✗Syntax Errors: Typos, incorrect capitalization, or missing colons in directives
- ✗Wrong Location: Placing robots.txt in a subdirectory instead of root
- ✗Over-blocking: Blocking too much content, preventing search engines from indexing valuable pages
- ✗Missing Sitemap: Not including your sitemap URL in robots.txt
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a robots.txt file?
A robots.txt file is a text file that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of your website they can or cannot access. It's placed in your website's root directory and follows the Robots Exclusion Protocol. The file helps you control how search engines crawl and index your site.
Why do I need a robots.txt file?
A robots.txt file helps you control which parts of your website search engines can crawl and index. It's useful for blocking private areas, preventing duplicate content issues, saving crawl budget, and directing crawlers to your sitemap. While not required, it's a best practice for SEO.
Where should I place my robots.txt file?
Your robots.txt file must be placed in your website's root directory and be accessible at https://example.com/robots.txt. It must be a plain text file (not HTML) and should be named exactly 'robots.txt' (lowercase).
What is the difference between Allow and Disallow?
Allow specifies paths that crawlers are permitted to access, while Disallow specifies paths that should be blocked. Disallow rules take precedence over Allow rules. You can use both to fine-tune access control, for example, blocking a directory but allowing specific files within it.
What is a User-agent in robots.txt?
A User-agent identifies which search engine crawler the rules apply to. Use '*' to apply rules to all crawlers, or specify a specific bot like 'Googlebot', 'Bingbot', 'Slurp' (Yahoo), or others. Each User-agent section can have its own Allow and Disallow rules.
Can I block specific search engines?
Yes, you can create separate User-agent sections for different search engines. For example, you can block all crawlers except Google by using 'User-agent: *' with 'Disallow: /' and then 'User-agent: Googlebot' with 'Allow: /'. However, most legitimate search engines respect robots.txt.
Is this robots.txt generator free?
Yes, our robots.txt generator is 100% free to use. There's no registration required, no account needed, and no hidden fees. All processing happens in your browser, ensuring complete privacy and security.
What is Crawl-delay?
Crawl-delay specifies the number of seconds a crawler should wait between requests to your server. This helps prevent overloading your server with too many requests. Note that Google ignores crawl-delay, but other search engines like Bing may respect it.
Related SEO Tools
Explore other SEO tools to optimize your website.