How to Use Your Robots.txt File to Help Search Engines Crawl Your Site

Search engines like Google use automated “bots” (also called crawlers or spiders) to explore your website and understand what it’s about.

Your robots.txt file tells those crawlers which pages they can access — and which ones to ignore. It’s a simple text file that helps control how search engines read your site.

This guide explains what it does, why it matters for SEO, and how to make sure yours is set up correctly.

What Is a Robots.txt File?

A robots.txt file lives in the root folder of your website (e.g. www.yoursite.com/robots.txt).

It acts as a set of basic instructions for search engines. For example:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/

That tells every crawler (“*”) not to visit your admin area.

You can also use it to:

• Allow or block specific folders or pages

• Help manage duplicate or test pages

• Point search engines to your sitemap

  
  

Why Robots.txt Matters

Think of your robots.txt file as your website’s front gate. It doesn’t control what content appears in search results directly — but it controls what can be seen and indexed.

Here’s what it helps with:

• Improves crawl efficiency: Search engines spend time on your most important pages

• Protects private or duplicate content: Stops bots from wasting crawl budget on irrelevant sections

• Supports better SEO structure: Guides bots to your sitemap and key sections of your site

A well-written robots.txt file makes it easier for Google to understand and rank your site correctly.

How to Create or Update Your Robots.txt File

1. Check If You Already Have One

Type your domain followed by /robots.txt into your browser:

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

If you see a blank page or a 404 error, you’ll need to create one.If you see code, check what’s written there.

2. Start with a Clean, Simple Template

Here’s a safe, search-friendly example that works for most small businesses:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /cart/
Allow: /

Sitemap: https://www.yoursite.com/sitemap.xml

This tells all crawlers:

• Ignore admin and cart pages

• Crawl everything else

• Use your sitemap to find more content

  
  

If your platform generates this automatically (like Wix, Squarespace, or GoDaddy), you can just review it — no coding needed.

3. Check Your Sitemap Link

Make sure your sitemap URL is included in the file. That helps search engines discover all your pages quickly.

Your sitemap link should look like:

Sitemap: https://www.yoursite.com/sitemap.xml

4. Don’t Block Important Pages by Mistake

Sometimes, websites accidentally block Google from crawling key content — especially when copied from old templates.

Avoid:

Disallow: /

That line stops everything from being indexed. If you see it, remove or replace it immediately.

5. Test Your File in Google Search Console

If you use Google Search Console:

1. Go to Settings → Crawl Stats

2. Upload or verify your robots.txt file

3. Use the robots.txt tester to check for errors

   
   

This tool shows whether Google can access your key pages properly.

Common Robots.txt Mistakes

Mistake	Result
Blocking / or /pages/	Entire site hidden from search
Missing sitemap line	Slower discovery of new pages
Case-sensitive URLs	Some pages still get crawled
Forgetting to update after redesign	Crawlers follow outdated rules

Key Takeaway

A clear, simple robots.txt file helps search engines focus on what really matters — your best, most valuable content.

Keep it short, accurate, and consistent with your sitemap. Once set up, you can leave it alone — just check it after major site updates.