SEO & AEO glossary

What Is Robots.txt?

Definition

Robots.txt is a text file at a site's root that gives compliant web crawlers instructions about which URL paths they may request.

How Robots.txt Works

User-agent and disallow or allow rules control crawling behavior for specified bots. Sitemap locations can also be declared in the file.

A Simple Example

A site may block crawling of internal search-result paths while leaving public guides accessible.

Why Robots.txt Matters

Robots.txt helps manage crawler access and avoid wasting crawl activity on unsuitable URL patterns.

Common Misreading

Blocking crawling is not a reliable way to remove a URL from search. A blocked URL can still be indexed from external signals, and robots.txt does not protect private data.